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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Enjoyment/Appreciation Level: Really liked it
Summary:
Mansour, a well-known musician, and Bonnie, his manager and fiancé, are expecting their first child together, when Mansour goes missing after leaving for a show in Spain. We look back at their histories and the histories of their mothers and see how generational trauma has affected each of them and how various people in their lives are tied to them. In present day Bonnie is determined to find out what happened to Mansour, though she fears the worst.
Themes:
Cultural identity - being part of the African diaspora, specifically. Family trauma. Generational trauma.
TL;DR:
I really enjoyed the way things tied together and tied up in the end... the journey there was mostly enjoyable but a bit meandering in parts in the middle. Would not recommend the audiobook.
Writing:
I quite enjoyed the writing style overall, though it was a bit existential/abstract for my taste in parts.
Characters:
I quite liked Bonnie overall. And Mansour, I suppose. I don't have all that much to say about them though, other than that I enjoyed following them and their stories and I was rooting for their happiness and healing.
Plot/Pacing:
This did feel a bit meandering throughout the middle section -- the popping around to various timelines back and forth and then adding new POVs without much explanation... however, things came together in the end in a way that made things make sense for me personally.
This was really a character study of what made Bonnie and Mansour the way they were, and how they could try to heal and repair the generational trauma.
Memorable Quotes/Standout Moments:
"On the first night they met, he saw in her what he'd thought he'd never find. Someone with his penchant for manifesting dreams. Someone with a need for a life of wonder. Someone ripped so violently from all roots that they needed the whole world to feel like home."
-----
"Connecting Africa to American Blackness in the 1940s, or any decade for that matter, was like staring at your own reflection at your own reflection in a bowl of water and waiting for another face to show."
Summary:
Mansour, a well-known musician, and Bonnie, his manager and fiancé, are expecting their first child together, when Mansour goes missing after leaving for a show in Spain. We look back at their histories and the histories of their mothers and see how generational trauma has affected each of them and how various people in their lives are tied to them. In present day Bonnie is determined to find out what happened to Mansour, though she fears the worst.
Themes:
Cultural identity - being part of the African diaspora, specifically. Family trauma. Generational trauma.
TL;DR:
I really enjoyed the way things tied together and tied up in the end... the journey there was mostly enjoyable but a bit meandering in parts in the middle. Would not recommend the audiobook.
Writing:
I quite enjoyed the writing style overall, though it was a bit existential/abstract for my taste in parts.
Characters:
I quite liked Bonnie overall. And Mansour, I suppose. I don't have all that much to say about them though, other than that I enjoyed following them and their stories and I was rooting for their happiness and healing.
Plot/Pacing:
This did feel a bit meandering throughout the middle section -- the popping around to various timelines back and forth and then adding new POVs without much explanation... however, things came together in the end in a way that made things make sense for me personally.
This was really a character study of what made Bonnie and Mansour the way they were, and how they could try to heal and repair the generational trauma.
Memorable Quotes/Standout Moments:
"On the first night they met, he saw in her what he'd thought he'd never find. Someone with his penchant for manifesting dreams. Someone with a need for a life of wonder. Someone ripped so violently from all roots that they needed the whole world to feel like home."
-----
"Connecting Africa to American Blackness in the 1940s, or any decade for that matter, was like staring at your own reflection at your own reflection in a bowl of water and waiting for another face to show."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Murder
For the chronic illness, it's a character who has regular seizures (unknown diagnosis).
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the way the stories intertwined. It explored relationships and the definitions of family. Themes about black experience in different parts of the world and about young people that have already lived a lifetime.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
No
bonnie & mansour's story was so strong - it should have been protected more. the jumping around and unnecessary plot and characters were a distraction.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
No
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes