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ginasiragusa's review against another edition
4.0
Brutal..... However the author tells a very violent story in such a way that I couldn't stop reading. Kudos on her first novel. She is quite a gifted storyteller.
kiyamarie's review against another edition
5.0
The first thing I would want to say for certain people that decide to read this book is: Trigger Warning
I can honestly say I was not quite ready for the emotional ride this book took me on. It is filled with more than just kidnapping. It is about a strong woman who must put herself back together after the trauma she has endured and in reading it, i think it allows its readers to know that we are not only victims but survivors.
There were so many aspects of this book I loved especially the way Miri was portrayed. I loved the writing and the realness of the book as well as a dreamlike quality. I think that is what makes it a really great book. Understanding that it was her really and how it felt so unreal as if any moment she would wake up from it, and they way me as a reader hoped she would.
I think Roxanne Gay did a beautiful job with this novel and it is a difficult brutal read, but it is also a very beautiful one.
I can honestly say I was not quite ready for the emotional ride this book took me on. It is filled with more than just kidnapping. It is about a strong woman who must put herself back together after the trauma she has endured and in reading it, i think it allows its readers to know that we are not only victims but survivors.
There were so many aspects of this book I loved especially the way Miri was portrayed. I loved the writing and the realness of the book as well as a dreamlike quality. I think that is what makes it a really great book. Understanding that it was her really and how it felt so unreal as if any moment she would wake up from it, and they way me as a reader hoped she would.
I think Roxanne Gay did a beautiful job with this novel and it is a difficult brutal read, but it is also a very beautiful one.
kelswid's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not sure how I feel about this; Gay is undoubtedly an excellent writer, particularly about sexual assault, and I’m definitely NOT the person to formulate this critique, but it did raise a little “huh……wonder how other Haitians feel about this” flag for me
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
An amazingly powerful but difficult book to read. In saying this, it was also gripping despite the awful content. The story revolves around a woman called Mireille who is kidnapped when visiting her parents in Haiti. Unspeakable acts are forced upon her during her 13 days in captivity as her father withholds the ransom demanded by her captors. Once she is freed Mireille has difficulty with 'normal' life (who wouldn't?), sometimes not able to distinguish between those who wish to harm and this who wish to help. This story is about more than just a kidnapping, it's about hope (or at times, lack of hope), trust, secrets (what a woman will hold back to protect those she loves), unlikely relationships and survival. I went into the book not having any idea of the plot but knowing about Roxanne Gay's other book Bad Feminist. I was a little taken back but one thing is for sure, when I was reading it I had to tell everyone I knew about it. It's outrageously real and hard hitting, I needed a light and fluffy book afterwards.
sydna_lowe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I did not enjoy reading this book. And not just because of the difficult subject - I just didn’t think it was a very good book.
The main character is obnoxious prior to her kidnapping. And she and her husband are terrible together - they fight constantly and aren’t very nice to each other. It’s also totally unbelievable that upon her release and return to the US she runs away to Nebraska and her mean mother-in-law knows just how to fix her. Right.
I would not recommend this book and think it must only have good reviews due to the subject.
The main character is obnoxious prior to her kidnapping. And she and her husband are terrible together - they fight constantly and aren’t very nice to each other. It’s also totally unbelievable that upon her release and return to the US she runs away to Nebraska and her mean mother-in-law knows just how to fix her. Right.
I would not recommend this book and think it must only have good reviews due to the subject.
katy_ryn's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars, a painfully beautiful and enthralling novel
anncecile's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
readersbutterfly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A really dark, sad, and scary tale. At the same time, there was such tenderness underneath it all. The book is a bitter reminder of the way injustice, corruption, and greed fuel the things that leave black women, in this case a Haitian-American woman, to deal with the dredges of it. It puts American privilege in sharp context. It is an unbelievable real tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
cegregg's review against another edition
1.0
Truly unsettling - I couldn't finish. I respect what the author is attempting, but the subject matter was too unsettling for me. I found myself repeatedly thinking, why am I reading this? Finally, I stopped. Also, gratuitous sex scenes.