Reviews with content warning for Torture - Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

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Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

7 reviews

katiemack's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was such a treat to listen to as folktales told in the oral tradition; I felt like I learned a lot about non-Western stories and mythology. The writing is beautiful and poetic while also incorporating hilariously biting remarks and contemporary references; I'd recommend listening to one story at a time to savor them. Some of the stories are stronger and more effective than others; I also wish there had been more LGBTQ+ romance plots--"Nefertiti" was the only one in the collection. Standout tales for me are "Osun," "Scheherazade," "Attem," and "Nefertiti." The last story, "Alagomeji," is about Bolu Babalola's parents, which is sweet and touching.

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my_plant_library's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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spinesinaline's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was so delightful! It’s billed as romance short stories, though heads up that these aren’t all straight romance as they don’t all have happy endings.

I love retellings and Babalola has such an immersive and creative way of retelling these stories, not to mention the added agency that she gives the female characters. Her intention in empowering the women in these tales is immediately clear and it gives the stories so much more depth. She also highlights a lot of folk tales that aren’t well-known in the Western world, particularly African legends, so it’s a chance for new audiences to engage with these stories.

Personal favourites were “Naleli” for a truly inventive take on the original and “Thisbe” for the cute university twist on the crack in the wall.

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sydneybedell's review

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emotional lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.0

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jencolumb0's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed the exposure to myths that were not familiar and I loved the rendering of them such that the women at the center of them have power and agency. I also really loved the author’s framing of love as resting (in substantial part) on being seen. A lovely read, full of diverse storytelling approaches (all of which were executed strongly) and I hope the author is working on a novel.

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jennikreads's review against another edition

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hopeful fast-paced

5.0

LOVE IN COLOR is a beautiful collection of myth retellings focused on romantic love in its many forms.

I adored this collection and loved how every story felt so new and fresh. I wasn’t familiar with some of the retellings, but it honestly doesn’t even matter. These are just hands down beautifully layered and vividly told stories. And so many of them just radiated joy.

Especially wonderful was the last story which is a retelling of her own parents’ love story. It was also a special treat that her mother joined her on the audiobook to read this particular story. It was so heartwarming.

I cannot recommend this collection enough, and I look forward to rereading it at some point.

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libbyhb's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

Ugh, these stories were so good and I wish there was a full-length version of so many of them. I picked this up because I follow Bolu Babalola on twitter and the premise sounded so appealing, and it really delivered! In each story, Babalola builds a detailed and distinct world with characters you can't help but love. I liked that most of the myths used weren't ones I was familiar with - it made me want to learn more about them. Out of the re-tellings, I particularly enjoyed Scheherazade, Nefertiti, Siya, and Thisbe, but it's hard to even narrow it down. They were all so lovely or heartbreaking, and the writing style made them flow together really well. I wasn't expecting to love the "New Tales" so much, too! Orin felt like a movie, and you can tell that Alagomeji came from the heart. I really enjoyed this, and can't wait to see what she writes next!

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