Reviews

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

mkbby's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

This book is transformative. Equal parts beauty and truth. The writing is flowing and beautiful and had me catching my breath at times. When I was finished I genuinely had to sit with my feelings for a bit. I will carry parts of Safiya with me always!

brittanyrbell's review

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.5

mmccabemarcell's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

5.0

coffeebooksandlattes's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

tenika04's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Reading this whilst sat on the beautiful island of Jamaica, made reading this memoir so authentic. Although I am of Jamaican heritage, Safiya opened my eyes to an abundance of new facts about the Rastafarian lifestyle. Her writing style so beautifully drew you in, (I had to refer to the dictionary a number of times) & her artistry with poetic devices shone through. 

Although this book, many a time, left me feeling angered (vex if you’re from the Caribbean) towards the mis treatment from her Dad, I loved the relationship between herself and her mum (despite one chapter).

Throughout I often found myself experiencing various thoughts & feelings: gasping, dumbfounded, pleased, disappointed to name a few. 

I really commend her bravery to share, not only the best parts but the difficulties. Without divulging to much, her relationship with her Dad, highlighted for me the importance  father/daughter relationships. The strength & courage to find herself ultimately bought us, as readers this magnificent piece of literature- this memoir is one that will honestly stay with me. 

jodieorange's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

I don’t give nonfiction ratings bc I feel it’s redundant to rate anything about real experiences, but how this was narrated was FANTASTIC and absolutely a 5 stars, safiya truly is such a talented poet 

flightyrachel's review

3.75

This is a powerful memoir by a very impressive woman, but when she wrote of her reasons for originally delaying writing it, I wondered if she should have waited a little longer to gain even greater perspective. 

There's a slipperiness here, a lack of self reflection that jars, especially when others are held up to the light so devastatingly. I found such a disconnect between the author's idea of her own oppression and her actual experiences... She was sent to an elite private school, scouted as a model, headhunted and published as a poet, given a full scholarship to a U S university and it's never really explained how these amazing opportunities have fallen into her lap. And why her father, who doesn't let her walk outside in the street, agrees to her taking them up. I ended the book greatly moved but also puzzled. 

ejoppenheimer's review

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

ashleysweitz's review

4/5 worth trying again, just not gripping enough for rn

mikayrodr's review against another edition

I didn’t realize this was a memoir and it wasn’t what I was looking for at this time.