3.97k reviews for:

Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

4.18 AVERAGE

lemonhoax's review

4.0

emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Pretty ironic with how religious the family is and how abusive their father is, doing everything in the name of god, and taking most things literally and out of context from the Bible. I found kambili's nature very surprising, throughout the whole book, she has a hard time admitting that her father is abusing her but when things get out of hand, her body makes that decision for her to stay away. And yet when her mother poisons her father, she can't seem to reconcile that at all, and is very angry. The book doesn't have a solid ending, but is left open to readers. It's a pretty realistic book in terms of father daughter relationship and also mother daughter relationship. A lot of things are unsaid between kambili and her mom.

lcg527's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry

mrginger42's review

3.75

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

featheramber's review

4.5

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Papa was giving psychological thriller, not Catholic dad. The way he cries after beating his kids? Unwell. Kambili’s growth was deep but heartbreaking. Jaja? King. The writing? Captivating. The trauma? Generational. The political context? Could’ve used more.

But honestly… the real villain? Colonialism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture

Moderate: Emotional abuse

jjolynn's review

4.0

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4.5 stars

sasharichards's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

tribune7's review

5.0

challenging reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

cindygabriela's review

5.0

emotional reflective tense

Strong character development: Yes

susieseeker's review

2.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Read about 1/3, then read the last 1/4. 
I didn’t like it. 
I don’t like stories where one parent is emotionally and physically abusive to their children and to their wife, demanding slavish and unquestioning obedience to the parent and to their religion. Where the children can’t think for themselves and completely subjugate themselves to the parent. 
Bah. Not for me. 

businessduck77's review against another edition

3.5

challenging hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes