Reviews

House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

black_girl_reading's review against another edition

4.0

This book, about a young man’s deranged pursuit of a family of his own, tells a Zimbabwean story that is so important, and so timely with the Mugabe chapter of their history having so recently come to a close. The protagonist, a child of the Gurkahundi massacre, uses any means necessary to obtain the family denied to him by the brutality of the regime. Sounds good right? It was. Eventually. But it took the first half of the book, and some very stilted writing, to begin to tell the trauma story that binds the characters in this dark relationship of lies and fear and blackmail and death and force. The build up was so much, not in suspense, but in wandering into the story, that I almost left the book to read something else. I’m glad in the end that I stuck it out, and I’m excited to see more Zimbabwean literature available in the global world, but i wish that editing had helped to deliver a novel that showed itself more consistently from beginning to end. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, opinions are my own.

tsprengel's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

dogpound's review against another edition

2.0

This was a slog I just couldn't connect with.

hannahleewhite's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

megansoetaert's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Intriguing story about Zimbabwe’s late 20th century history through the lens of family and personal drama/stories. glad i got to learn more about this period in Zimbabwe, but didn’t care for the main character or find him compelling.

clemm's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lasunflower's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Struggled to get through the last 4'0% due to the subject matter. Its truly not for thr faint-hearted. If I wasn't reading this for a challenge, I would have dnf.

The narrator's wry humour is really interesting and the characters are well done and interesting. I really enjoyed that part of the book.

rjmc's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.5

suadolaps's review

4.0

WOW! This ending, eh!

I’m so glad I gave this book another chance! The pace picks up after a bit and you see the story unfold. There’s so much packed into this book of Zimbabwe’s history, but also intimate accounts of how one man’s obsession with changing his history leads him to becoming the thing he fears most.

kaneebli's review

dark sad tense

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Murder, and Gaslighting