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junglejelly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is absolutely heartbreaking but so human.
The relationships explored are complex from fathers and sons to best friends to father figures.
It would have been 5 stars but I found the ending a bit rushed and would have loved to have delved more into these characters.
I would completely recommend this book.
The relationships explored are complex from fathers and sons to best friends to father figures.
It would have been 5 stars but I found the ending a bit rushed and would have loved to have delved more into these characters.
I would completely recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent
Minor: Medical content
leahthenerd's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
TL;DR- very tumblr
this felt poorly written, slow paced, and with emphasis on sections that could have been half as long while other sections needed so much more for me to care about it. the first third of the book is telling you two characters are flawed but in love, without really showing it. i was uninvested, so everything that followed was just an uphill slog. was really hoping for something here but it was just too earnest in a way that real conversations just aren't. too on the nose at points and too cliche at others. there were tiny moments of hope, but overall this needed better editing, better writing, better plot and better character development. also killing off your main character halfway through? having alcoholism and child abuse and cancer and parental abandonment all wedged in to one story? very fanfic
this felt poorly written, slow paced, and with emphasis on sections that could have been half as long while other sections needed so much more for me to care about it. the first third of the book is telling you two characters are flawed but in love, without really showing it. i was uninvested, so everything that followed was just an uphill slog. was really hoping for something here but it was just too earnest in a way that real conversations just aren't. too on the nose at points and too cliche at others. there were tiny moments of hope, but overall this needed better editing, better writing, better plot and better character development. also
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
here again now is a beautifully written novel whose themes of love and masculinity are skillfully, tenderly explored, one in which i also nevertheless find unsatisfying bc of loose ends and plot points that are left inconclusive and ever evasive.
while i get what nzelu's trying to do, imo the story's structure and various interspersing timelines can be distracting and not as effective as i think the author hopes them to be. the book could be more trimmed as well; the current languid pacing, esp in the first half, often makes reading it a drudging task to trudge thru. i also dont quite wholly empathize w/ some of the characters, particularly ekene whose characterization and reasons for action baffle me at times.
the novel, its characters and themes are painted w/ a tender hand and oft heart-tugging writing, but would've benefited from a more solid foundation and tied up loose ends.
while i get what nzelu's trying to do, imo the story's structure and various interspersing timelines can be distracting and not as effective as i think the author hopes them to be. the book could be more trimmed as well; the current languid pacing, esp in the first half, often makes reading it a drudging task to trudge thru. i also dont quite wholly empathize w/ some of the characters, particularly ekene whose characterization and reasons for action baffle me at times.
the novel, its characters and themes are painted w/ a tender hand and oft heart-tugging writing, but would've benefited from a more solid foundation and tied up loose ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual content, Racism, and Medical content
Minor: Body shaming
znvisser's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a story about three complicated men with very complicated relationships with each other. There is some beautiful writing to be found here but at the same time it’s richness didn’t always contribute to the story: it wasn’t until I was a third in that I started to understand what I was actually reading and I feel like the part after was supposed to be more emotional but the elaborate phrasing made it feel too distant to me. Nevertheless a beautiful study of these characters, especially two of them, so I am glad I stuck with this in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Alcoholism, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and Incest
Minor: Cancer and Drug use
aaronjdilkes's review
challenging
dark
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death, Addiction, Grief, and Death of parent
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Here Again Now is beautiful, tragic, bittersweet, hopeful, and very literary. It explores issues surrounding love, father-son relationships, maleness, queerness, and Blackness, particularly Nigerianness - especially their intersectionality. The plot revolves around three key characters - Achike, a rising film star, his best friend Ekene, and Achike’s father Chibuike, who is struggling with alcoholism. The three are currently sharing Achike’s flat, a complicated arrangement for several reasons including the fact that Achike and Ekene, are both gay and have feelings for each other which Ekene especially is reluctant to further explore or acknowledge. One night a tragedy occurs and the two survivors are forced to deal with their grief, reckon with their relationship with the deceased, and negotiate a new relationship with each other - all of which requires an understanding and acknowledgement of events from their past.
A worthwhile read, if a little overwritten in place, and one I’m glad to have experienced.
A worthwhile read, if a little overwritten in place, and one I’m glad to have experienced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Alcoholism
nialiversuch's review
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: Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
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