Reviews with content warning for Blood - Laiton lapsi - Värikäs nuoruuteni Etelä-Afrikassa

This was as funny as I was hoping but also really effective in conveying what it was like to be between white and Black, both during and after apartheid. As someone who knows very little about South Africa I found this eye-opening and certainly never boring as Noah has had a fascinating life. His storytelling is brilliant and the tone shifts from funny to serious are handled well. It's not quite told in chronological order and often Noah repeats a piece of information from a previous chapter. I thought maybe the anecdotes were originally written as standalone essays which would explain the repetition but then sometimes he did refer to previous chapters. It was slightly confusing but luckily not enough to affect my enjoyment. I slightly regret not listening to the audiobook because I can imagine it was really well done, especially as it includes multiple languages but Noah's voice did come through so distinctly even on the page.

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adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This one has been on my radar for a while, I just wish I had picked it up sooner. The background info surrounding the Apartheid was really interesting/important for those who lacked the background knowledge. I thought Noah's perspective on the post-Apartheid conditions/culture was eye opening and valuable to understand the lasting effects of Apartheid. The book tackled some heavy themes, while still making me laugh at times. His writing style makes it seem like a friend is telling you stories, making this a really fast and easy read that is hard to put down. I really enjoyed his reflections on growing up, and his reflections on his mom and her unconditional love were really interesting. I want to give his mom a big hug. Both thought provoking and heart wrenching, I would recommend this book to everyone.

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