Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - Annie John

Annie John is a coming of age novel set in Antigua. It follows Annie from when she is a small child until the time she leaves for England to train as a nurse. This is a relatively short and simple story told in a straightforward manner, yet it explores some meaty issues. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel for me was the evolving mother-daughter relationship. What was once close became fraught as Annie became older. I was also struck by the links between racism, colonialism and depression. The tension between scientific knowledge and traditional knowledge was also evident and obviously connected to previous issues, as was the tension between Annie’s academic achievements and her resentment at the colonial school system. I was also struck by how rigid gender roles were and what limited options were available to young women. I’d like to hope if Annie were coming of age today she’d have more choices and that her adolescence would be easier, although I’m not naive enough to think no problems would remain.

Content Warnings

astridmalmhester's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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

4.25

Content Warnings

kirstym25's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

More...