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melodys_library's review against another edition
3.0
CW: Domestic violence, alcohol abuse, homophobia, self-harm
Careful not to judge a book by its cover here: Love After Love is not a romance novel!
It is an exploration of the many forms of love: the platonic, the romantic, the familial, the non-familial. As each character copes with his/her personal shame, hopelessness and loneliness, they discover the beauty of self-love and the solace and comfort of loving one another.
The story is steeped in Trinidadian culture and written strictly in Trinidadian dialect. While I appreciated the prose, I have to admit that I stumbled a bit. There were also some vast time hops that I found jarring, where the characters quickly jumped from harmed to healing, with little to no explanation of the path they took to get there. Nevertheless, it was a unique reading experience, and the descriptions of those delectable dishes - and the roti, all the roti - left my mouth watering.
Careful not to judge a book by its cover here: Love After Love is not a romance novel!
It is an exploration of the many forms of love: the platonic, the romantic, the familial, the non-familial. As each character copes with his/her personal shame, hopelessness and loneliness, they discover the beauty of self-love and the solace and comfort of loving one another.
The story is steeped in Trinidadian culture and written strictly in Trinidadian dialect. While I appreciated the prose, I have to admit that I stumbled a bit. There were also some vast time hops that I found jarring, where the characters quickly jumped from harmed to healing, with little to no explanation of the path they took to get there. Nevertheless, it was a unique reading experience, and the descriptions of those delectable dishes - and the roti, all the roti - left my mouth watering.
septimusmith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lissfitz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the characters and descriptions of food, and landscape and the language of Trinidad. I felt I could have done with some trigger warnings for self harm and domestic violence. The end was very shocking and I felt the lack of resolution. I mostly enjoyed this read.
booksandbabble's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Infidelity, Hate crime, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcoholism
tessyoung's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book despite some initial scepticism. A definite case of you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, or necessarily the title, both of which gave rise to doubts. I could not have been more wrong. It's beautifully written, the characters draw you in and you want to spend time with them. The narrative is broad and wide ranging but takes you with it every step of the way and you feel enriched by sharing in the story. I'm not one for spoilers so I don't want to detail all the richness of plot and the issues covered but there such range and depth. The language, both vocabulary and rhythm, not only builds the characters but helps immerse you in their worlds and experience. I'll say again, I loved it!
blackloreuk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
4.25
nenye_sage's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thandi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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