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teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing of this story is strong, the story line is complex and detailed. The story is sad, but ultimately happy. For me, at this time, this was not a book that hit the mark, though it had the making to. It was enjoyable, but not particularly for me and I felt like I needed more from it overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicide
adrianlarose's review against another edition
4.0
Hits hard, with a portrayal of everyday life and its challenges for gay men in township families. Accessible to me and, I imagine, also authentic, telling a simple but important story that as a gay married man myself, from a very different background, rings true.
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
very rarely have i read a book that so adeptly demonstrates how suffocating, repressive, burdening and despairing societal expectations are for queer ppl. molope does so frighteningly effectively in such a lonely, lovely road, depicting the aforementioned struggle - esp of a black man in south africa - and exploring how society shapes identity; how legal acceptance - in this case of homosexuality - isnt synonymous w/ the cultural; how someone like the main character kabelo can gradually claw his way away from shame and towards love, despite the long, winding road there.
despite its positives, i cant fully say that i like this book, as a sense of melancholic, almost defeatist sadness permeats thru most of the novel, and character development comes late and abruptly for me. there are also numerous typos and writing errors, and the timeline of the narrative can be confusing at times.
for someone who doesnt mind a sad but ultimately happy read, however, they might enjoy this and its depiction of a group of ppl seldomly spotlighted in mainstream culture.
despite its positives, i cant fully say that i like this book, as a sense of melancholic, almost defeatist sadness permeats thru most of the novel, and character development comes late and abruptly for me. there are also numerous typos and writing errors, and the timeline of the narrative can be confusing at times.
for someone who doesnt mind a sad but ultimately happy read, however, they might enjoy this and its depiction of a group of ppl seldomly spotlighted in mainstream culture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
mimosaeyes's review
5.0
Between the elegantly structured plot, and Molope's poetic, measured prose, this made me ache in all the best ways. It's grounded in social reality and yet delivers on a happy ending after so much struggle. I've also never read an LGBT book focusing on African characters, so that was a fresh perspective. I confess I wasn't sure about it at the start, particularly in Kabelo's Cape Town phase, but I really adored his love story with Sediba over the years. The push and pull of it, the real issues tackled.
erickabdz's review against another edition
5.0
I started wondering if he might not remember loving me.
Such a lovely book. It captured me since the first line and it wouldn't let me go. It had the loveliest writing, every line striking at just the right places. It's a beautiful story, a heartbreaking story, and while the romance is definitely the focus it is firmly intertwined with the boys' identity as black men in South Africa. I had known that in South Africa gay marriage was legal since a while ago, but ignored all the nuances related to this law; especially, the ones related to the lingering effects of apartheid.
It was a thorough read, brilliant both in its writing and its themes, and I couldn't recommend it enough. It's a story that will stay in my heart.
twilightren's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
fuancr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
p_priya's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars for this painful, yet hopeful and beautiful queer story.
"You let go of people and places because of where you are. You choose to forget people you once wanted in your life because they don’t know and you need them not to know. You have fewer family members because you’re afraid of what might happen if they found out. Your loving happens when shadows fall and behind closed doors because that is the only way for it to survive. But here we are in spite of everything. Here we are, a family.”
"You let go of people and places because of where you are. You choose to forget people you once wanted in your life because they don’t know and you need them not to know. You have fewer family members because you’re afraid of what might happen if they found out. Your loving happens when shadows fall and behind closed doors because that is the only way for it to survive. But here we are in spite of everything. Here we are, a family.”
read_with_inuk's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
eva_nish's review against another edition
5.0
Well... this beautiful book broke my heart. There were so many different issues brought up, some in detail and some in passing but all tugged at some heartstrings. I’m glad I found this book and read it