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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Country 10 of Read the World, Ghana. Kayo, a young forensic scientist is forced to investigate the remains of something unknown and possibly evil in a northern tribal village of Ghana.While he is investigating this mystery he learns more about his country and himself.
The point of view changes from a local man, Opanyin Poku, a hunter, in the tribe where most of the excitement takes place and Kayo, a young forensic scientist.
I did enjoy Kayo’s character, a name given to him while studying in London, his real name is Kwadwo Okai Odamtten is well described a little lost as he finds it difficult to make his dream come true, which is to work in the police force as a forensic scientist, but it is not all his fault as the corruption in the country is also limiting his future. All the characters felt real, lovely character development, I particularly enjoyed the story telling from the tribal people.
Wonderful descriptions of the tribal areas of Ghana, and I also enjoyed the Kayo’s journey from work to home, the author does a good job at describing the sights, traffic, smells and details.
There is a superb integration of the two worlds, one, the forensic scientist Kayo, from the capital Accra, and the other, the tribal world in the northern part of Ghana.
I really enjoyed this book, partly because of the different worlds, but I found there were parts that were not complete, I felt that there were some parts that needed some more explanation. I found the ending a little open for my liking, almost like the author didn’t know how to finish.
I can recommend this book for people who enjoy reading about african countries, mystery, and tribal life.
Video review in Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wswMwhdc1uk&list=PLniFXSpJj5RWIDC0udo2vtJsUn0Vd2HrS&index=11
The point of view changes from a local man, Opanyin Poku, a hunter, in the tribe where most of the excitement takes place and Kayo, a young forensic scientist.
I did enjoy Kayo’s character, a name given to him while studying in London, his real name is Kwadwo Okai Odamtten is well described a little lost as he finds it difficult to make his dream come true, which is to work in the police force as a forensic scientist, but it is not all his fault as the corruption in the country is also limiting his future. All the characters felt real, lovely character development, I particularly enjoyed the story telling from the tribal people.
Wonderful descriptions of the tribal areas of Ghana, and I also enjoyed the Kayo’s journey from work to home, the author does a good job at describing the sights, traffic, smells and details.
There is a superb integration of the two worlds, one, the forensic scientist Kayo, from the capital Accra, and the other, the tribal world in the northern part of Ghana.
I really enjoyed this book, partly because of the different worlds, but I found there were parts that were not complete, I felt that there were some parts that needed some more explanation. I found the ending a little open for my liking, almost like the author didn’t know how to finish.
I can recommend this book for people who enjoy reading about african countries, mystery, and tribal life.
Video review in Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wswMwhdc1uk&list=PLniFXSpJj5RWIDC0udo2vtJsUn0Vd2HrS&index=11
Not at all what I was expecting. I struggled with the style, I enjoyed Yao Poku's pov but the rest of the book was actually quite boring and very flat to me.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kayo is a forensic researcher and, after getting blackmailed by the Ghana police, a consultant on a high profile mystery. After remains are found in a remote village, Kayo is sent to investigate. The traditional villagers are suspicious of police and keep secrets regarding the case. Honestly the actual mystery/traditional folklore part of this book was really engaging. The issue was the ending and the language. A lot of slang/dialect specific to Ghana was used and never explained and that made it hard to really understand certain portions of the book. Also the ending was super unsatisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's a fast, fun read, that balances old and new, traditional and modern, and embraces the voice of the people it centers on.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one wasn't for me, and I wanted it to be. I wanted The fable to bleed into reality a bit more, and I wanted the main character to experience that world by losing himself in it. According to the back cover copy, it's a "poetic fable" that "[reminds] us that the boundaries of truth have never been clear cut," but I didn't get that from this book. It felt like, to me, that the truth is an arrangement of facts more so than a boundary-less experience.
Put another way, I look forward to reading more of Parkes' work, but this one didn't go hard enough for me in terms of reality-bending aspects.
Put another way, I look forward to reading more of Parkes' work, but this one didn't go hard enough for me in terms of reality-bending aspects.