Reviews

Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed

kofoworola's review against another edition

4.0

This novel in stories illuminates the complicated lives of several characters living in and around Pleasantview. These stories unite to create an intricate portrait of characters trapped in their own circumstances, hoping for a chance at happiness but finding only despair.

The author was amazing at creating a story that speaks to many kinds of people. The corruption, selfishness, debauchery, and questionable clergy people reminded me much of Nigeria.

The stories made me sad, but I still couldn't put down the book. A great read.

jeankwemoi's review against another edition

5.0

Such a beautiful piece of literature. I like how the stories interweave and mesh into each other. I feel like there’s room for a sequel.

lanaadrianne's review against another edition

3.0

Overall I liked this book it was a bit hard for me to keep track of the weaving storylines between characters. Though I think that is a "me" problem. I did like how the chapters were separate but had a tie to another character, it was a better format than some books that are just separate essays or short stories.

I really liked that the book was based in Trinidad and Tobago and reminded me a lot of my Caribbean heritage and my family in certain elements.

stephlovesreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

A  goddamn masterpiece !.

naijabookbae's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

samikoonjones's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

thatothernigeriangirl's review against another edition

funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

This was such a well-written collection. I generally love intertwined short stories but this collection gave me a whole new experience of it! So well-crafted!
I love how it feels like each new stories layers perfectly on the other, without compromising on its own individuality. I got introduced to new characters, while gaining closure on characters from previous stories. 

And the languages! My God! I’m not from Trinidad and Tobago but I imagine that the myriad of language/styles in this collection reflects how diverse the culture of the country is. My Spanish is not very good but with the context Mohammed provides, I was able to understand the Spanish sprinkled in the book. My own knowledge of pidgin English made it easy to get into the rhythm of the Trinidadian creole. All in all, a sweet experiences

ayeesharbrts's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

aimeereadsthebooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

dinahrachel's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75