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labougie's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
masihludmila's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
itshannahlevy's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
1.0
This book earned accolades from the literati. And I just could not stay with it. The narrative jumps from one character to the next. I sensed (or maybe hoped) that all the different stories would consolidate in the end. But I didn't have the patience to read that far. If the author could just have stuck with the semi-orphaned Claire and her overwhelmed dad I would have stuck with her. But the narrative wanders off into the story of the fabric shop owner, and then the teenager with aspirations to be a radio personality. I think I wanted an old fashioned story with a recognizable beginning, middle, and end.
ang_soko31's review against another edition
3.0
Had to read this for one of my English classes and I was kinda disappointed with the way everything ended. However the writing style was very good and I liked the way the author gave us bits of information here and there to make the audience think. I just wished the climax of the story was better because it felt like each story was building up to some big revelation and it never came.
mikelchartier's review against another edition
4.0
Colloquial stories around a small girl who's being given up by her destitute father in hopes of giving her a better life. While each story involves many of the same characters, none of them really contribute to a larger narrative.
That isn't a bad thing. All these stories add up to more than the sum of their parts due to the soaring prose found throughout (which contributes more to the rating than the story itself). So don't let the amount of time it took me to read it convince otherwise, Danticat is definitely worth your time.
That isn't a bad thing. All these stories add up to more than the sum of their parts due to the soaring prose found throughout (which contributes more to the rating than the story itself). So don't let the amount of time it took me to read it convince otherwise, Danticat is definitely worth your time.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
Mixed. The opening & closing chapters were too precious for my taste. But the book really takes off in the far-more gripping middle chapters. I loved the interconnected narratives & the fully imagined setting -- a Haitian Winesburg, Ohio. But, for me, the magical lyricism beats were hard to take.