Reviews

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

foraging_pages's review against another edition

Read for my Caribbean Literature course.

I enjoy Kincaid's straightforward and easy-to-read prose. It's beautiful yet not flowery.

dabbo's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Necessary coming-of-age reading!! This is canon. 

I cried I cried. So many passages about loving and hating your mother. First love. First hate. First heartbreak. 

ekg's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

kelwenzka's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-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

5.0

a beautiful and heart wrenching coming of age story—the end made me cry as my heart swelled and shriveled. 

mondovertigo's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

lilymaret's review

3.5

First half I preferred but definitely an underrated coming of age story. Will be reading more Kincaid.

tfredenburg's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-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

5.0

I found the narration of Annie John charming and easy to sink into. There were several passages which were just beautiful, capturing the love, darkness, confidence, and confusion of childhood. Definitely want to revisit.

eralbesu's review

adventurous reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.5

This was a quaint coming of age story about a young girl growing up on the island of Antigua. The exploration of her relationship with her mother was beautiful. 

izarahiqb's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

“How I would have loved my mother if I had known her then. To have been the same age as someone so beautiful, someone who even then loved books, someone who threw stones at monkeys in the forest! What I wouldn’t have done for her. Nothing would ever be too much.”

Ugh I have a soft spot for reading mother/daughter dynamics and in this we have Annie narrating changes that she experiences when entering puberty and how her growth impacts the relationship she has with her mum who she considers the most important person in her life and would do anything for. 

rheajsmn's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing fast-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

4.0