Reviews

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

digitalcage's review

5.0

A sharp and sensitive novel about home, identity, love and immigration. Each chapter takes a different character's discreet perspective on a story that centers around the death of a father in an immigrant family. The central crime investigation is a strong enough thread to hold the entire project together, but it's the close observations and astute characterizations that bring it to life. Each chapter has its own very distinct voice and perspective, and the entire work comes together with the feeling of a mosaic, in which each tile is distinct and artful, while the overall design is profound in its larger effect. Beautifully written.

aimeereadsthebooks's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

hillaryreadseverything's review

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

mollyb13's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.25

The audio version is great because there are so many POVs and each one gets it's own narrator. That being said, there were a lot of characters and it wasn't until almost halfway through the book that I finally sorted out who everyone was. There were a lot of storylines that didn't get closed up or revisited which was a bit frustrating to me. But overall I liked how all the stories intertwined and felt that getting the ideas and perspectives of the incident from each character brought a lot of realism to the story. Every single character was flawed and had depth which is impressive for how many characters were present. I had been recommended this book YEARS ago and can't believe it took me so long to get to it!

pensiona's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

conbini's review

4.0

3.5 stars

andrewspink's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What I really liked about this book was that each chapter is from the perspective of a different character (the main ones returning later), and they are linked one to the other, in sometimes mysterious ways that you don't realise until later what the connection is. I thought that was very nicely done. Not only does the different perspectives give more insight into the story itself, but it works very well in making the characters much more rounded. A.J. is not just a racist bully, but has his own troubles and issues, for example. 

sarah_guido's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

bexellency's review against another edition

2.75

I was intrigued making it easy to return and listen frequently.  But I didn’t unreservedly like it.  There are a ton of characters; it’s a lot and the shifting viewpoints are a lot, constantly taking you between voices and potentially from a style you like to a style you don’t.  Of course, all those lives intersecting is what the book is about.  There are also a ton of themes all shoved in there together, too much for my taste.  Again, that’s what the book is about, all the complexities people bring into each situation.  But because there are so many people and so many themes, a lot of doors get opened and just left there, with little treatment within the story.  A case in point is Selma, who pretty clearly fulfills the trope of the  dutifu l sibling, who does what’s expected precisely because their sibling doesn’t, but who is desperately unhappy.  At least, that was my take, the author starts to take on Selma, then backs away.  There are a lot of characters who are unlikeable for various reasons (Jeremy for his obliviousness on how his military service past intersects with Nora’s cultural background; Nora for her obliviousness on the logistics of not selling the diner and her desire to blame others for her relationship problems around infidelity; AJ for his desire to blame everyone else for his business loss; etc.  Realizing it’s lots of people who are oblivious or unwilling to take ownership, in various ways.). The end of the book seemed very rushed - starting from where Nora leaves to go back to San Francisco.

Interesting as an audiobook primarily because I knew so many of the narrators from other audiobooks.  Several voiced similar characters to where I’d heard them elsewhere (The Stationary Shop, The Book fo Unknown Americans).  One voiced something very different, and I never got used to it (We Came, We Saw, We Left).

ekfmef's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

I both loved and hated this book so that makes it a great book! 

I loved the setting and the characterizations. I hate it that the writer didn't get to expand on her story for 500+ pages like some white male writers are allowed to do. That made the ending feel a bit rushed. Why do the characters behave like they do? Yes the story comes full circle but it's still rather unsatisfying to be drawn into these colorful and complex lives to have to say goodbye just when you got to know them. 

Five stars for the terrific writing. I don't really like reading whodunnits, but this one was really well done.