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ktswings's review against another edition
4.0
Ann Patchett does not fail on recommendations. Clever interwoven stories with insightful character reflections.
tarrowood's review against another edition
4.0
A bitter, somewhat nihilistic tale that unfolds in Miami amongst the men in a Jamaican-American family. Mostly we hear from Tralawny.
Escoffery is a strong story-teller, and there are indeed moments of enlightenment beyond the fatalism of the novel, but I wonder if it’s strong enough of a reprieve to offer hope? Maybe that’s not the point?
Escoffery is a strong story-teller, and there are indeed moments of enlightenment beyond the fatalism of the novel, but I wonder if it’s strong enough of a reprieve to offer hope? Maybe that’s not the point?
nlallen1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
brookshrich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
cindy_f's review against another edition
4.0
If I Survive You
This debut novel by Jonathan Escoffery is a collection of short stories that tell of the lives of an immigrant Jamaican family as they strive for survival in Miami, Florida. We meet Trelawny, the only American born family member and youngest son. His older brother is Delano and their parents are Topper and Sanya, who speak in the dialect known as Patois.
I connected with the stories involving Trelawny the most. As a young child he was asked questions by his school mates, such as “What are you?” “Why does your mother talk so funny?” He asks his mother if he’s black and gets an unsatisfactory answer. He ponders where he fits in such an ethnically diverse city.
He later attends a Midwest college were he most definitely is black, but in the eyes of the black folks, he looks and talks white.
When he returns home, he lives out of his Raider and takes on a series of dodgy jobs to make ends meet. He also has a complicated relationship with his brother and father, partly because he feels his father loves Delano more than him.
In an earlier story, his father addresses Trawlany using mostly Partois so I did struggle a bit with the meaning. I looked up some words; pickney means child, yardies is slang for Jamaican diaspora, and overproof is a strong rum. I appreciated the authenticity here.
Escoffery has a unique style of storytelling. I wonder why he chose to use short stories and multiple narrators rather than a more linear approach. Regardless, it’s a beautiful story of relationships and belonging in America that takes on a humorous tone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC in exchange for my review.
This debut novel by Jonathan Escoffery is a collection of short stories that tell of the lives of an immigrant Jamaican family as they strive for survival in Miami, Florida. We meet Trelawny, the only American born family member and youngest son. His older brother is Delano and their parents are Topper and Sanya, who speak in the dialect known as Patois.
I connected with the stories involving Trelawny the most. As a young child he was asked questions by his school mates, such as “What are you?” “Why does your mother talk so funny?” He asks his mother if he’s black and gets an unsatisfactory answer. He ponders where he fits in such an ethnically diverse city.
He later attends a Midwest college were he most definitely is black, but in the eyes of the black folks, he looks and talks white.
When he returns home, he lives out of his Raider and takes on a series of dodgy jobs to make ends meet. He also has a complicated relationship with his brother and father, partly because he feels his father loves Delano more than him.
In an earlier story, his father addresses Trawlany using mostly Partois so I did struggle a bit with the meaning. I looked up some words; pickney means child, yardies is slang for Jamaican diaspora, and overproof is a strong rum. I appreciated the authenticity here.
Escoffery has a unique style of storytelling. I wonder why he chose to use short stories and multiple narrators rather than a more linear approach. Regardless, it’s a beautiful story of relationships and belonging in America that takes on a humorous tone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC in exchange for my review.
rballenger's review against another edition
3.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I found 'If I Survive You' as I was browsing books on my local library database. I liked the cover and the idea of connected short stories. I'm also using it as the book for the Tennessee R.E.A.D.s March prompt of 'read a debut novel.'
Overall rating: 'If I Survive You' challenged me. Not only due to the content of the book but the amazing performance of the narration. This is not a book you can passively listen to, I think I would have enjoyed it better as a tangible book so I could better process the different stories and better understand the distinction between the characters. It did take me a while to find the connecting thread in the stories (honestly, I'm almost ashamed to say that because all of the stories are tied through the same family); however after I found that thread, everything fell better into place for me in understanding and enjoying 'If I Survive You' as a book. There's a lyrical, reminiscent nature about the book that I was drawn to and that's what ultimately kept me engaged when I almost DNF'ed due to the listening challenges I encountered.
What made me pick it up: I found 'If I Survive You' as I was browsing books on my local library database. I liked the cover and the idea of connected short stories. I'm also using it as the book for the Tennessee R.E.A.D.s March prompt of 'read a debut novel.'
Overall rating: 'If I Survive You' challenged me. Not only due to the content of the book but the amazing performance of the narration. This is not a book you can passively listen to, I think I would have enjoyed it better as a tangible book so I could better process the different stories and better understand the distinction between the characters. It did take me a while to find the connecting thread in the stories (honestly, I'm almost ashamed to say that because all of the stories are tied through the same family); however after I found that thread, everything fell better into place for me in understanding and enjoying 'If I Survive You' as a book. There's a lyrical, reminiscent nature about the book that I was drawn to and that's what ultimately kept me engaged when I almost DNF'ed due to the listening challenges I encountered.
kdowli01's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.0
oh_itserin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mountainreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
blushingbearsandbees's review against another edition
too slow and jumped around too much