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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
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:
Complicated
Important read for Americans. Themes of race and blackness, immigration and love, so eye opening to read from the perspective of a non-American black. That part was Wow and it would have been a 5 star read for me if I had found the plot more engaging. At first it seemed like I would zip right through it, but the middle really dragged for me and it took me MONTHS to finish. But like I said, the themes of this book are so important and in the end it really is a good story. So I'm very glad I finished it.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was such an important read. The discussion of race was so refreshing and honest, not clouded by the petty but worldly and personal at the same time. I strongly identified with the main character, to the point that our ethnicities were unimportant - but the contemplation of race was.
I really enjoyed following Ifemelu's story from Nigeria to the U.S. and back. I found her takes on how
American people get so weird around race to be really humorous. Her observational and distanced descriptions of "awkward" situations were pretty interesting. I also found really funny the non-chalance of African people in the US, the way they just have no time for pretenses made me cackle several times. I also liked how, to me, Ifemelu felt real. Not everything everyone does has to be in character. Sometimes we do things on impulse, or out of curiosity. It's like a line somewhere in the book that says something along the lines of "a man kills someone, and americans will say it's be cause he was beaten when he was three years old." I don't know, I felt like her criticisms of american society match up really well with my thoughts whenever I meet an american lol, the (imagined) absurdity of living there.
There were also moments where things were really intense, such as Obinze's stay in the U.K., which i really enjoyed, and felt a longing suffering hoping that it all would go alright for him.
American people get so weird around race to be really humorous. Her observational and distanced descriptions of "awkward" situations were pretty interesting. I also found really funny the non-chalance of African people in the US, the way they just have no time for pretenses made me cackle several times. I also liked how, to me, Ifemelu felt real. Not everything everyone does has to be in character. Sometimes we do things on impulse, or out of curiosity. It's like a line somewhere in the book that says something along the lines of "a man kills someone, and americans will say it's be cause he was beaten when he was three years old." I don't know, I felt like her criticisms of american society match up really well with my thoughts whenever I meet an american lol, the (imagined) absurdity of living there.
There were also moments where things were really intense, such as Obinze's stay in the U.K., which i really enjoyed, and felt a longing suffering hoping that it all would go alright for him.
One of the best books about race and place I've read. Fabulous.
If I could rate this book more than 5 stars, I would.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid 4+ book. I appreciated the self-aware moment in the book when a character comments about how it's impossible to write a novel about race in America. Well done.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
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:
No