Reviews

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

lolloreads00's review against another edition

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1.0

Otto and Zander embark on a very mysterious train ride that takes them places they could’ve never imagined. Curious and strange things keep happening as their trip continues. Who is a Ava Kapoor, the full time inhabitant of the train and what’s her relation to Prem? They start looking for clues that’ll hopefully explain who orchestrated this train ride and why.

This was the weirdest book I’ve ever read, also the worst book I’ve ever read. None of it made sense, I had to look up synopsis and read a bunch of reviews to get the gist of it even though I read the entire thing. It’s a fantasy novel so that might have something to do with it.

It was nominated for some type of literary award but personally I would not recommend it, like at all.

grapecandy's review

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I don't know what I just read...but I liked it?

aminareading's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

libristella's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

erboe501's review

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5.0

Helen Oyeyemi is one of my top three contemporary writers. I never know quite what to make of her books when I've finished them, but I love the ride. I underlined so much in this book, about relationship dynamics and turns of phrase. Her books are hard to define by genre. Magical realism, perhaps, because there are definitely things happening in the book (furniture on ceilings, trains that defy the odds of time and place) that elude explanation. The mystery of this novel, whether a certain character, Prem, really exists or is "unseen" by another character, Ava, could also be magical realist if we believe he was "unseen", or made invisible to Ava while other characters continued to see him. Or, this unseeing could be a metaphor. The unseeing could be read as a larger conversation about who we consider disposable or non-essential on our journeys to our life partners. I also love how her people and places are diversified with non-Western Europeans. There's a heavy Eastern European influence. When I found out Oyeyemi is Catholic, that somehow clicked into the heavily symbolic, off-kilter, guilt and passion tone.

A bit of Wes Anderson, but with more grit. Whimsical but with an undercurrent of tension and potential violence. I'd love to live in the world Oyeyemi creates on the train The Lucky Day, until the tension breaks.

vegetablemathematics's review

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funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

Really liked this. Somehow it reminded me a little of the westing game, if the westing game was dreamlike literary fiction for adults. Just something about the vibe. 

jessdonaldson84's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

alalex's review against another edition

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challenging funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

hannahpicton's review against another edition

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Made it to page 15 - not a chuffing clue mate

niwoo's review

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challenging funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5