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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
Ever walk around with your glasses all foggy? That’s what this entire book felt like.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
That was tough. Very heavy going but a brave book that highlights the injustice done to so many women and girls.
"Human nature on bended knee"
Told from the perspective of Maryam who gets abducted by Boko Haram. She tells of her experience, terror, and survival.
It reads in first person and more as a collection of moments than a "dramatic retelling" which I found to be a good style for the harrowing subject.
I also enjoyed (if that the right word) how different stories were told along the way. The subtle inclusion of other tales of terror for different types of people.
I found it compelling and horrific and I've never wanted a character to survive more. It's hard to think that real girls died in situations like this.
I thought it was tastefully written considering the tough subject.
Told from the perspective of Maryam who gets abducted by Boko Haram. She tells of her experience, terror, and survival.
It reads in first person and more as a collection of moments than a "dramatic retelling" which I found to be a good style for the harrowing subject.
I also enjoyed (if that the right word) how different stories were told along the way. The subtle inclusion of other tales of terror for different types of people.
I found it compelling and horrific and I've never wanted a character to survive more. It's hard to think that real girls died in situations like this.
I thought it was tastefully written considering the tough subject.
This was beautifully written, but not for me. I’m not sure if the emotional disconnect was because of the author’s inevitable distance from the topic, or something else. Would I have felt the same reading it without considering her privilege and other people’s comments on that? Idk! I’d never say that certain people aren’t allowed to write certain stories, but I think in some cases it makes them not as effective.
I was sceptical whether she could pull this off convincingly and without national/ cultural appropriation. I quickly forgot the author's voice however, and focused on the story of Maryam and the girls. At times violent and jarring, it was also beautifully vivid and touching. I would be interested to know what Nigerian authors think and of course what real survivors of capture feel.
This is a horrible, heart wrenching book about schoolgirls captured by Boko Haram and though I have no doubt that Edna O’Brien researched this thoroughly I can’t help feel like it’s a story that should have been told by someone else, rather than an elderly white woman.
A poignant, heartbreaking novel based on a compilation of actual accounts from witnesses and survivors.
Edna O'Brien's new novel is
A truly chilling tale of the young women abducted by the Boko Haram in Nigeria. We follow Maryam through her kidnapping, horrifying escape and eventual return to her family and the aftermath of going through this trauma.
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It's absolutely horrifying what happened to these girls. That this is based on true events is very disturbing. Reading this you can tell O'Brien did her research. The storytelling and writing is exquisite but I did struggle in some parts with Maryam's character. At times she came across as older than she was supposed to be, but she goes through a lot that would make a person grow up rather quickly. This story is filled with ghastly violence, only writers as fantastic as O'Brien could take on such an ambitious story. Overall I really enjoy this book and definitely reccomend giving it a read.
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Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
A truly chilling tale of the young women abducted by the Boko Haram in Nigeria. We follow Maryam through her kidnapping, horrifying escape and eventual return to her family and the aftermath of going through this trauma.
•
It's absolutely horrifying what happened to these girls. That this is based on true events is very disturbing. Reading this you can tell O'Brien did her research. The storytelling and writing is exquisite but I did struggle in some parts with Maryam's character. At times she came across as older than she was supposed to be, but she goes through a lot that would make a person grow up rather quickly. This story is filled with ghastly violence, only writers as fantastic as O'Brien could take on such an ambitious story. Overall I really enjoy this book and definitely reccomend giving it a read.
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong