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strangeeigenfunction's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
I don't think I can rate this book because it's a devastating portrayal of a traumatic historical event. It's very good on a literary level, as I expect from Danticat, and I do recommend it, but understand that it's about a very heavy topic, heed the content warnings, and ideally make sure you can seek out post reading comfort.
The first third or so of the book is happier and on a more even emotional keel, and yet there are four mundane deaths in it
(I recommend reading this spoiler to prepare if you have difficulty with the more specific deaths mentioned in the content warnings:)the main character's parents drown, a worker is run down by a car hurrying on a celebratory errand, a baby who is only a few days old stops breathing
that in many other stories could suffice for tragedy. The last third—emotionally if perhaps not in page count—is a portrait of trauma in the aftermath of the violent middle. (this perhaps most influences my rating of lovable characters, but it is less that I dislike or cannot love Amabelle and more that trauma and intense grief can make people harder to love due to the damage to their emotional wellbeing.)
The first third or so of the book is happier and on a more even emotional keel, and yet there are four mundane deaths in it
(I recommend reading this spoiler to prepare if you have difficulty with the more specific deaths mentioned in the content warnings:)
that in many other stories could suffice for tragedy. The last third—emotionally if perhaps not in page count—is a portrait of trauma in the aftermath of the violent middle. (this perhaps most influences my rating of lovable characters, but it is less that I dislike or cannot love Amabelle and more that trauma and intense grief can make people harder to love due to the damage to their emotional wellbeing.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Genocide, Hate crime, Child death, Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Torture
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