Reviews

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

sawthisdidthat's review against another edition

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1.0

Writing occasionally beautiful but dreadfully slow. Vague plot with no sign of intelligence from protagonist. Points for symbolism but anticlimactic and all the characters were horrible people. Did not enjoy and would have DNF if it weren’t for book club. Honestly this book left me depressed and I felt miserable and alone myself while reading it.

ditareads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective

3.5

yalestay's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

kerianne17's review

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3.0

I much preferred the final two sections to the first two! The book is very slow at first, but once the backstory to Libertie's character finishes developing, it gets much more interesting. Without the tedious backstory, though, the rest of the book would not make sense.

raegold's review

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4.0

A coming-of-age story that was deep and emotional. I loved the mother/daughter relationship and enjoyed following Libertie’s personal development from beginning to end.

“I had thought when I came here, I would be able to become a new person. That I would become someone for whom it did not matter that I had failed my mother. And, I supposed, that had happened. I became a wife and a sister and a daughter to people who could not see me. But was that any better than what I had been at home, beside my mother? I thought now, It is useless. I had thought then, It is lost.”

eileen91's review

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.75

wordssearched's review

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I had a really hard time rating this book but finally landed on three stars because I don’t know that I can say more beyond I liked it. It is well written, thoroughly researched, emotional and evocative in the ways I usually enjoy. However, the pacing is inconsistent—sometimes a packed moment goes on for pages and sometimes the author makes reference to months having gone by without anything else suggesting as much. I loved the title character Libertie despite her continually confounding choices. A dark-skinned free born black woman trying to make meaning of what it means to be free is a powerful journey. But each time the story took a turn I felt myself at square one in terms of feeling connected to it. I’m intrigued by this author and want to read more from her but this one just wasn’t the one for me. 

cardun's review

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3.0

A very meh story for me personally. Couldnt really get attached to the characters. Found Libertie rather annoying and hard to sympathize with. Overall just very meh about the whole book.

nberklas's review

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4.25

This book was well written but I felt like I just did not understand the main character and how her main issue was resolved.  It just did not feel like a genuine closure on that story. 

samstillreading's review

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4.0

Libertie is an engrossing read with lyrical, beautiful writing. It’s a haunting story of a young Black woman growing up in post-Civil War America as a free woman, but denied many of her rights because of her skin colour.

Libertie (named after her father’s interest in a free country for Negroes in Liberia) has always lived in her mother’s shadow. Her mother is a doctor, with her lighter skin offering her many freedoms that Libertie is denied. Her mother dreams of the day the two can work side by side as doctors, but doesn’t see white women recoiling from Libertie nor notice that Libertie’s heart is not in medicine. Libertie tries to be a keen student, but she knows that she doesn’t have the passion that drives her mother. Seeing her mother unable to cure some people, such as Ben Daisy who escaped from the south, plants seeds of doubt in Libertie’s mind. Libertie is everything to her mother, but Libertie chafes against her mother’s direction and assertions. Sent to an all-Black college in Ohio, Libertie finds that her mind is not on her studies in medicine and finds joy in music instead. Returning home, she finds herself enamoured of her mother’s protegee, Emmanuel. Can he offer the freedom she craves in Haiti? Or will Libertie need to find it on her own?

I really enjoyed the majority of the novel, but did lose interest when the setting moved to Haiti. The focus on Libertie tended to drift away as she became less interested in Emmanuel and his family. Her drawing away from them was necessary for her to define herself and what she wanted from life, but it all felt a little detached and far away. In contrast, Libertie’s time with her mother growing up and at college felt very focused and in close range. The reader is privy to every thought of Libertie, including those that question her mother and others in position of power. Through Libertie’s eyes, the reader gets an idea of what it is like to be Black during that time period. Despite being free, Libertie is denied a seat in a stagecoach (instead, she is ordered to ride on the roof for miles) and has people staring at her because of the colour of her skin. In Haiti, she is also an anomaly because of her skin, her new family and that she doesn’t speak the language. Her outsider status continues, just as her husband tells her that Haiti is the place for Black people. There, Libertie sees things she disagrees with and gains the strength to call it out. In that way, she achieves her own freedom and accepts her past.

The writing in Libertie is simply stunning, evoking emotion and a clear sense of the setting. The characters are just as fascinating. Libertie can make silly choices and be infuriating at times, but you can’t help but cheer her on. Her mother is all business, but glimpses of her deep love for Libertie shine through in unexpected ways. It’s a thought provoking read of interpretations of freedom as well as a coming of age story.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

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