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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. Did i love that this was a book i was made to read for class? Absolutely not. Do i think this is a book that needs to be shared with everyone, or is for everyone? No. As someone who grew up in a loud household with heavily religious undertones in every step i made, and whose family managed to grow out of that, this book meant the world to me. Did it send me spiraling? Yes. And i can’t help but think that raised my score. 10/10, would not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.25
Nothing is more jarring than realizing that the way you grew up isn't all there is and that the adults in your life are kind of weird! So jarring, in fact, that I wished Kambili had a bit more of a voice. I did not expect a fifteen year old girl who has been indoctrinated into mindless Christianity and total subordination by her authoritarian father to be the most fearsome heroine, but I was extremely curious to know more of her inner world and how it changed over the course of the novel and I was sad to find this profoundly lacking. Throughout the novel she is extremely passive, which I understand was to convey her lack of agency, but the simplicity of the narrative made things kind of boring. Things happen around her, and she makes note of them, but does not have any thoughts and feelings of her own. Characters were rather one-dimensional, and things dully coast along until the next scene of domestic tension or violence, and then at the end she is saved from ever having to think for herself or confront her father's tyranny by. I'm mainly critiquing in this review but its out of love because I feel as if this could've been much more, which might be my fault as this is a YA novel [which also explains the lame father amadi romance subplot lol. not going to even get into that.] I feel as if I would love a more adult/contemporary retelling of this story because there is a lot to enjoy here. As always for Chimamanda, the way the novel immerses the reader in Igbo culture, tradition, and the political climate is lovely.
Nothing is more jarring than realizing that the way you grew up isn't all there is and that the adults in your life are kind of weird! So jarring, in fact, that I wished Kambili had a bit more of a voice. I did not expect a fifteen year old girl who has been indoctrinated into mindless Christianity and total subordination by her authoritarian father to be the most fearsome heroine, but I was extremely curious to know more of her inner world and how it changed over the course of the novel and I was sad to find this profoundly lacking. Throughout the novel she is extremely passive, which I understand was to convey her lack of agency, but the simplicity of the narrative made things kind of boring. Things happen around her, and she makes note of them, but does not have any thoughts and feelings of her own. Characters were rather one-dimensional, and things dully coast along until the next scene of domestic tension or violence, and then at the end she is saved from ever having to think for herself or confront her father's tyranny by
Spoiler
his death. I also took issue with that, as it made any character growth for Kambili unnecessary. She never had to learn to think for herself because the oppressive force in her life just... goes away. Her mother's character is never portrayed as abusive, but I feel as if letting a man beat and disfigure your children is complicit, and letting your underage son go to jail in your place for over 30 months is... weird. I didn't enjoy the end for that reason, and also the fact that we never see Kambili, Jaja or the mother ever grow or acknowledge the full extent of her family's dysfunction, or change in any way
4.5/5
I just love this author. This one is such a character study, a dive into how someone can be so terrible to their family and so great to their community. The novel does a great job showing the complexities of humans and also of religion. The prose is so well done. Only took off half a star because the main character, I felt, changed so dramatically so soon.
I just love this author. This one is such a character study, a dive into how someone can be so terrible to their family and so great to their community. The novel does a great job showing the complexities of humans and also of religion. The prose is so well done. Only took off half a star because the main character, I felt, changed so dramatically so soon.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Considering how short this is i thought it was a slog to get through - definitely feel like this is a me problem but I haven’t found any of the author’s characters particularly engaging, and this book in particular is a little beat-for-beat in terms of plotting. Without reading it, you could hear the blurb and basically know exactly how the story pans out
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
#MMD Book Club April 2019 pick
After being converted to Catholicism by missionaries as a child in Nigeria, Eugene grows to be a religious zealot and a very violent man toward his family. The story is told through the 15-year-old Kambili and her older brother, Jaja. There is hell to pay at home for any indiscretion But Kambili and Jaja enjoy periods of rest and peace on frequent trips to stay with their much more level headed and non-fanatical Aunty Ifeoma. So sad and somehow hopeful.
After being converted to Catholicism by missionaries as a child in Nigeria, Eugene grows to be a religious zealot and a very violent man toward his family. The story is told through the 15-year-old Kambili and her older brother, Jaja. There is hell to pay at home for any indiscretion But Kambili and Jaja enjoy periods of rest and peace on frequent trips to stay with their much more level headed and non-fanatical Aunty Ifeoma. So sad and somehow hopeful.