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subdoodlydoo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book first in 2019, and thought it was amazing. Now, 3 years later, I was going to send it to a friend and decided to reread it. And holy shit, it was worth it. The story is incredible and engaging, the characters are lovable and interesting (though almost all “real” characters are white - the Africans are largely there to move the plot along or for comic relief, it seems) and I really lost myself in the world of Sierra Leone unlike I have in any other in a long time. I’m not really sure what the book is trying to argue, but it’s definitely anti-imperialist, which is cool. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Misogyny, Violence, and Colonisation
slferg's review
3.0
Still not sure what I think. I'll have to live with it a little longer. Reminds me a lot of Poisonwood Bible from a different perspective.
One thing that really bugs me, though, is that the reason for the ndeile being sent to Randall Killigan and who sent it is never revealed. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for it to have been sent to him since he has nothing to do with the main story unfolding in Africa.....It's an interesting side story, but - why?
One thing that really bugs me, though, is that the reason for the ndeile being sent to Randall Killigan and who sent it is never revealed. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for it to have been sent to him since he has nothing to do with the main story unfolding in Africa.....It's an interesting side story, but - why?
hmdarr's review
3.0
"Suddenly the witch hosts realizes that the darkness he always so quickly saw in others is really only his own dark powers reflected in the looking glasses of their innocent hearts. He discovers that the evil he had always ascribed to human nature is really the fruit of his own wicked labors. He planted seeds, and now the harvest has come in. His life is filled with evil people, because they are his converts, members of his coven. In one horrible instant, he sees that he is the cause of much of the despair, destruction, and evil in his life."
raehink's review
4.0
An American Peace Corps worker disappears in deepest darkest Sierra Leone. His best friend and father try in various ways to find him and are affected in different ways. This is a campy story in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Joseph Conrad. The tribal witchcraft angle is intriguing.
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