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kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: If I Survive You
Author: Jonathan Escoffery
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: September 6, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Episodic • Meandering • Relevant
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingston. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Excluded from society as Black immigrants, the family pushes on first through Hurricane Andrew and later the 2008 recession, living in a house so cursed that the pet fish launches itself out of its own tank rather than stay. But even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I chose to read If I Survive You when I needed a book to fit the prompt '2023 Booker longlist nominee' for a yearlong reading challenge I am participating in. I went in completely blind, having not even read the synopsis. that this is a collection of interconnected stories.
This started off incredibly strong, but I found the change in voice and disjointed timeline an odd choice. Not knowing this was a collection of interconnected stories ahead of time really impacted my enjoyment. Around the midway points my attention wavered as there was just so much going on. It seemed like the narrative was all over the place, rather than reading like a unified collection. In the first chapter, I really got a good introduction to Trelawny, yet his character development isn't fully flushed out because the following stories shift to other family members. Additionally, there's a lot of repetition throughout the stories, which made the reading experience redundant.
Touching on themes of race and identity, I believe If I Survive You to be an authentic depiction of the immigrant experience. I don't necessarily think I am the intended audience, but my failure to be fully invested in the narrative from start to finish meant I struggled with the flow. The writing itself was impressive. It's quite possible I'd have enjoyed this more if I'd been aware it was a collection of stories ahead of time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Booker devotees
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It occurs to you that people like you—people who burn themselves up in pursuit of survival—rarely survive anyone or anything."
Author: Jonathan Escoffery
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: September 6, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Episodic • Meandering • Relevant
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingston. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Excluded from society as Black immigrants, the family pushes on first through Hurricane Andrew and later the 2008 recession, living in a house so cursed that the pet fish launches itself out of its own tank rather than stay. But even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I chose to read If I Survive You when I needed a book to fit the prompt '2023 Booker longlist nominee' for a yearlong reading challenge I am participating in. I went in completely blind, having not even read the synopsis. that this is a collection of interconnected stories.
This started off incredibly strong, but I found the change in voice and disjointed timeline an odd choice. Not knowing this was a collection of interconnected stories ahead of time really impacted my enjoyment. Around the midway points my attention wavered as there was just so much going on. It seemed like the narrative was all over the place, rather than reading like a unified collection. In the first chapter, I really got a good introduction to Trelawny, yet his character development isn't fully flushed out because the following stories shift to other family members. Additionally, there's a lot of repetition throughout the stories, which made the reading experience redundant.
Touching on themes of race and identity, I believe If I Survive You to be an authentic depiction of the immigrant experience. I don't necessarily think I am the intended audience, but my failure to be fully invested in the narrative from start to finish meant I struggled with the flow. The writing itself was impressive. It's quite possible I'd have enjoyed this more if I'd been aware it was a collection of stories ahead of time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Booker devotees
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It occurs to you that people like you—people who burn themselves up in pursuit of survival—rarely survive anyone or anything."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Sexual content, Classism, and Body shaming
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Death
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Grief, Racism, Xenophobia, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
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