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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
hannahwinston's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Beautifully written, interwoven stories that really capture South Florida…especially the sense around hurricanes.
This passage made me feel like it was sitting back in my home in 2004 as we waited through back to back storms:
“The air is electric in the still before a hurricane, and now a cool breeze raises Delano's arm hairs. The curtain of humidity that hangs over South Florida is lifting. A storm is coming and Delano finds an odd sense of euphoria in accepting this fact. He's never seen men so content as when they have to abandon the menial tasks put on them by their nine-to-fives to come home and board up their houses, to leave what does not matter to protect what does. The farce of daily life is put on pause. The weather transcends small talk: Could this be the next Andrew? Andrew's name is always invoked South Florida's Christ-event, its marker for before and after.
He's seen the relief of abandoned ambitions, too; dreams left half-chased in the face of survival. Imminent disaster brings simplicity: Run through a checklist dictated by channel 7 news-canned food, water, matches, candles, batteries, flashlights, portable radio. Are the windows boarded up; is the bathtub filled?
Relax, then. Crack a beer.”
While I appreciate how hard it is to weave different narrators/storylines, and the author does so very well— especially for a first novel—I caught myself wondering if all of them were necessary. Though, funny enough, one of my favorite sections is from the point of a character whose story hits a dead end. I did find myself wishing there was one chapter from the mother’s perspective.
All together, I really loved the writing and storytelling and would definitely read another novel by the author. I will say, if you are someone who prefers linear storylines or a defined ending for the story/characters, this is not for you.
This passage made me feel like it was sitting back in my home in 2004 as we waited through back to back storms:
“The air is electric in the still before a hurricane, and now a cool breeze raises Delano's arm hairs. The curtain of humidity that hangs over South Florida is lifting. A storm is coming and Delano finds an odd sense of euphoria in accepting this fact. He's never seen men so content as when they have to abandon the menial tasks put on them by their nine-to-fives to come home and board up their houses, to leave what does not matter to protect what does. The farce of daily life is put on pause. The weather transcends small talk: Could this be the next Andrew? Andrew's name is always invoked South Florida's Christ-event, its marker for before and after.
He's seen the relief of abandoned ambitions, too; dreams left half-chased in the face of survival. Imminent disaster brings simplicity: Run through a checklist dictated by channel 7 news-canned food, water, matches, candles, batteries, flashlights, portable radio. Are the windows boarded up; is the bathtub filled?
Relax, then. Crack a beer.”
While I appreciate how hard it is to weave different narrators/storylines, and the author does so very well— especially for a first novel—I caught myself wondering if all of them were necessary. Though, funny enough, one of my favorite sections is from the point of a character whose story hits a dead end. I did find myself wishing there was one chapter from the mother’s perspective.
All together, I really loved the writing and storytelling and would definitely read another novel by the author. I will say, if you are someone who prefers linear storylines or a defined ending for the story/characters, this is not for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
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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