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emerygirl's review
3.0
The first chapter of this book was awful. The poor things that Peekay went through in boarding school made me squeamish. And then to realize he was 5 which is the same age as my boys. I put down the book and hugged and kissed on my little boys and wondered if I should keep reading. But I did. I’m not sure what I thought about it. I was expecting this remarkable life changing book, maybe because the title is “Power of One”? Instead I got a decent book, beautifully written, but not motivational (at least for me).
I didn’t realize I was reading a young readers version until the very end when the author had a note stating this was a young readers version and if I wanted to learn more about Peekay’s life I should read the whole book. I didn’t want to, so instead I googled what happened and read the synopsis.
I didn’t realize I was reading a young readers version until the very end when the author had a note stating this was a young readers version and if I wanted to learn more about Peekay’s life I should read the whole book. I didn’t want to, so instead I googled what happened and read the synopsis.
alicemotion's review
4.0
I LOVED 80% of this book. It’s a gripping story, wonderfully written and with engaging characters who really come to life on the page. It also gave a wonderful sense of life in pre-apartheid South Africa, and the senselessness of the racism in the country at the time.
I struggled with the final book within the book, set in the mines. It felt rushed with limited character development compared to the rest of the book, and elements such as the fate of Rasputin didn’t really ring true. However, overall I’d thoroughly recommend it. I couldn’t put it down.
I struggled with the final book within the book, set in the mines. It felt rushed with limited character development compared to the rest of the book, and elements such as the fate of Rasputin didn’t really ring true. However, overall I’d thoroughly recommend it. I couldn’t put it down.
chaosmavin's review
3.0
If i was grading this audio book I would give it a solid B+... It was very well written... With many good quotes and memorable characters. I think it should be marketed as a fairytale versus an autobiography. The impossible true adventure quantity got irritating in the middle. That said I loved the reader and I found the end very satisfying!
jbradbe1's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
3.75
This is a story of the people who come and go in our lives and the impact they leave on us. It truly is a beautiful story full of hope, love, heartache, triumph, and resilience.
I really did enjoy the story of this novel, however I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing.
It was a very slow book and heavy detailed writing that I felt didn’t add to the story. But that’s just my personal preference.
I would definitely recommend this book as I think it tells an important story of the human experience.
I really did enjoy the story of this novel, however I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing.
It was a very slow book and heavy detailed writing that I felt didn’t add to the story. But that’s just my personal preference.
I would definitely recommend this book as I think it tells an important story of the human experience.
barbaraberkley's review
5.0
One of my all time favorite books. Just discovered there's also a movie with Morgan Freedman.
vanillarebel's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
arfox2's review
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rooks_books's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Right off the bat, it's a very white savior-y book about racism and prejudice, but aside from that, I though it was solid. Peekay is a bit too perfect and excels too readily at everything he tries, but he's still a fairly compelling character, and faces enough adversity to distract from the fact that he never actually fails at anything. The cast of side characters is much better, with plenty of variety and nuance, and they really are the beating heart of the story.
The writing is solid as well. The plot is fairly episodic, jumping between locations and chapters of Peekay's life, but it works well right up until the very end, which felt rather rushed and disconnected from everything building up to it. The imagery and descriptions, by contrast, are vivid all the way through, and the writing flows well. As a martial artist, I thought the boxing scenes (of which there are many) especially were handled well, providing a good amount of technical detail while keeping things snappy and easy for a layman to follow.
I certainly wouldn't look to this book for an education on South African history, but it's a long and entertaining read, and I was glad to have it ready in my glove box for slow work days.
The writing is solid as well. The plot is fairly episodic, jumping between locations and chapters of Peekay's life, but it works well right up until the very end, which felt rather rushed and disconnected from everything building up to it. The imagery and descriptions, by contrast, are vivid all the way through, and the writing flows well. As a martial artist, I thought the boxing scenes (of which there are many) especially were handled well, providing a good amount of technical detail while keeping things snappy and easy for a layman to follow.
I certainly wouldn't look to this book for an education on South African history, but it's a long and entertaining read, and I was glad to have it ready in my glove box for slow work days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racial slurs and Antisemitism
Minor: Sexual assault
joshmack's review against another edition
Idk
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Outing, Racial slurs, and Racism
leb's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0