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katewhite77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book tells the story of a tragedy. The clues in the name, but how did we get here?
Set in Nigeria, it tells the of a family through the eyes of two generations. The story has an interesting structure, and one I can't remember reading before in that we hear from 3 points of view, but one of these is an omniscient narrator which allows us to zoom in and zoom out all the time.
Themes here include how changing social attitudes can manifest within families even in an oppressive society Gender identity and what children can teach their parents
Graphic: Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Infidelity, Outing, and Transphobia
Minor: Islamophobia
filosophicfoton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Transphobia, Abandonment, Death, Incest, and Outing
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Hate crime, Violence, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
lazlio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Dysphoria, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death, Lesbophobia, Outing, Homophobia, and Transphobia
kjofalltrades's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Violence, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Homophobia, Outing, Mental illness, Infertility, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse
mrtrower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Outing, Rape, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
barium_squirrel's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Mental illness, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Outing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
flashandoutbreak's review
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Death, Animal death, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Outing, Sexual content, and Transphobia
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Well, that was devastating! This story is told by multiple narrators as we get more and more parts of Vivek's story, leading up to his death. The timeline alternates between before and after his death, until we finally receive clarity of how he died at the very end. Everyone he left behind is navigating the aftermath, and this book poses so many poignant questions about sexuality, gender expression, family dynamics, cultural attitudes, and internalized hatred. Vivek's mother Kavita and his cousin Osita are two characters who are especially not coping well after Vivek's death, and a massive part of it is their inability to accept Vivek for who they really were.
This book was heartbreaking, and Akwaeke continues to evoke visceral emotions from us, and I'm not mad at them for doing it. (I mean, a little because this book hurt, but like, also, wow, what a genius!) Anyway, take care while reading <3
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Incest, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Outing
shoohoob's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Transphobia, Incest, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Blood, Infidelity, and Outing
quinnjuliac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Transphobia, Sexual content, Outing, Grief, Mental illness, Incest, Death, and Deadnaming
Minor: Violence, Hate crime, and Domestic abuse