Scan barcode
happiestwhenreading's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While Efe and I are opposites in almost every way - she's Ghananian, career-focused, and has never had a desire to have children - I was absolutely inthralled with her character! She is tough, independent, resilient, and doesn't bend for anyone. Appiah captured the essence of her and her struggles so well, and as a reader, I had sympathy, empathy, and a whole lot of love for her. Sam, her husband, also captured my heart. While he had his faults (like we all do), his love for Efe was deep and true. He kept making the conscientious choice to try to understand and change his ways so that Efe and him could continue to grow in their love. Appiah is a wonderful storyteller and I absolutely loved her writing style. Seeing how this is her debut novel, we all have a lot to look forward to! (**Please know there are some content trigger warnings here...I didn't mention them so as not to spoil the book, but please seek out more information if you are a sensitive reader.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
joey1914's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Grief, Abortion, Self harm, Car accident, Infidelity, Gore, Death, and Medical content
chloelj27's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
What I like:
💜 The timeline from the 1990’s to the present.
💚 Representation of Ghana’s culture.
💜 Awareness of several important issues (mental health/postpartum, societal expectations, familial pressures, racism etc).
💚 Depth of the characters (especially Efe).
This book had me intrigued from reading the synopsis and it definitely kept me intrigued when reading it. It packed many sensitive and real topics in a powerful, emotional way that many people experience, but was interesting to see how those issues are handled within a different culture. I loved the highlighting key points with each year as a chapter, although at times it felt slow in places, so had to push through. Personally, the way the narrative was written, I wasn’t a fan and I didn’t always feel connected to the characters. This could have been resolved I think if less time was spent on flashbacks and more on the relationships and character developments. That being said, I still think Rootless is worth the read if you want a book that gets you to reflect on finding who you are as a person and pushing past familial and societal pressures.
Thank you Net Galley, Harper Collins and Krystle for accepting me as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Infidelity, Abortion, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Self harm
Minor: Vomit
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Pregnancy, Racism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Infidelity, Death, and Hate crime
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
More...