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flightlessfinch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book so much. The way memories were used to jump around time was really clearly done and didn't confuse me at all which is so rare lmao and I was so emotionally attached to every character. The perspectives alternating between members of the family we follow and the children of the village is stunningly done and I would've been sobbing if I didn't finish this book in sight of the public at work sdkjfds
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Child death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Incest
nfoutty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Police brutality, Colonisation, Grief, Murder, Child death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, War, and Violence
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Infertility, Sexual content, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Incest, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Classism, Kidnapping, and Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment
noahsingh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
This was really well-written, I enjoyed the character perspective jumps (which I normally don't to be honest), I love how they were used to expand upon a singular familys perspective on both each other and the events in Kosawa and it's a really heartbreaking but realistic depiction of neo-colonialism/capitalism/etc
The reason this was only four rather than five stars for me is this (spoilers ahead and tw for rape/sexual assault):
1. What was the need to write the twins doing that to Thula? Seriously. It doesn't help the cause if any real way, she doesn't even end up realizing she's pregnant or having the child, she isn't even aware anything happened to her. Instead we just get the off-screen sexual assault of the main character with the complicity of some of the people she trusts most. Is the point just that women suffer from the short-sightedness of misogynistic men? If so, that was already made clear throughout the rest of the book. It was just upsetting for no reason in my opinion.
2. By the end of the book you're stuck with only Juba's perspective and the children who didn't rebel. I understand that the ending was realistic in terms, things like this often don't get fixed. What I didn't understand was the need to finish the book with the perspectives of those who conform to, and even benefit from, the oppression of people who they were once like. There was just, a bit too much sympathy for the oppressors in this book, I mean, what was the need for the Leader to have a tragic backstory as well? I'm sure lots of people who participate/benefit from oppression had some tragedy in their past, that doesn't make being complicit in the deaths of dozens of children okay? People do desperate things in desperate situations, sure, but why not focus more on solidarity? On potentially building resistance with the labourers at the oil pipes, rather than against them? I suppose my issue with this book is that despite the fact that I loved 90 percent of it, those last 40 or so pages of the book really lets it down. There's also quite a bit of skipping key/plot-important moments in the novel while instead lingering in the moments of depression/fear/terror. Which wouldn't be a problem if there was any payoff at the end, even if that had just been seeing the Five/Thula fight back against the soldiers, rather than hearing about it all third hand. Yes its brilliantly written, but the ultimate perspective jumps into Juba and the other Children, means that the final message of the book seems to be one of assimilation into systems of western/capitalism/neocolonial oppression. It lets down the rest of the book.
The reason this was only four rather than five stars for me is this (spoilers ahead and tw for rape/sexual assault):
1. What was the need to write the twins doing that to Thula? Seriously. It doesn't help the cause if any real way, she doesn't even end up realizing she's pregnant or having the child, she isn't even aware anything happened to her. Instead we just get the off-screen sexual assault of the main character with the complicity of some of the people she trusts most. Is the point just that women suffer from the short-sightedness of misogynistic men? If so, that was already made clear throughout the rest of the book. It was just upsetting for no reason in my opinion.
2. By the end of the book you're stuck with only Juba's perspective and the children who didn't rebel. I understand that the ending was realistic in terms, things like this often don't get fixed. What I didn't understand was the need to finish the book with the perspectives of those who conform to, and even benefit from, the oppression of people who they were once like. There was just, a bit too much sympathy for the oppressors in this book, I mean, what was the need for the Leader to have a tragic backstory as well? I'm sure lots of people who participate/benefit from oppression had some tragedy in their past, that doesn't make being complicit in the deaths of dozens of children okay? People do desperate things in desperate situations, sure, but why not focus more on solidarity? On potentially building resistance with the labourers at the oil pipes, rather than against them? I suppose my issue with this book is that despite the fact that I loved 90 percent of it, those last 40 or so pages of the book really lets it down. There's also quite a bit of skipping key/plot-important moments in the novel while instead lingering in the moments of depression/fear/terror. Which wouldn't be a problem if there was any payoff at the end, even if that had just been seeing the Five/Thula fight back against the soldiers, rather than hearing about it all third hand. Yes its brilliantly written, but the ultimate perspective jumps into Juba and the other Children, means that the final message of the book seems to be one of assimilation into systems of western/capitalism/neocolonial oppression. It lets down the rest of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Infertility, Grief, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Classism
Minor: Animal death
emzireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, Colonisation, and Death
signeskov's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This is a solid read - but not for the lighthearted. The topics this story deals with are heavy and given the realities that it takes inspiration from, you cannot expect a happy ending no matter how much you hope for the village to persevere . At first, I was a bit thrown by the multiple and almost omnipresent narrators, but towards the end, you start to realize how it made sense - I only wish I would have gotten more opportunity to return to the perspectives of some characters throughout instead of being constantly carried through by “The Children”. As a consequence of the multiple narrators, we also skipped over some quite uncomfortable gender roles or realities - while it makes perfect sense to get an insight into the various mindsets and traditions within the village, it would have been nice to see even more emphasis on the strong female characters in the story, as they could have made for an excellent and more obviously pronounced feminist storyline. Overall though, a nice read - albeit one should prepare for sadness more than happiness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism and Violence
carol_c26's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
dark and sad and mysterious but was sometimes difficult to keep moving through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Genocide, Violence, Child death, Mass/school shootings, and War
alanaefarrell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, War, Police brutality, Death of parent, Child death, and Miscarriage
Minor: Rape
booksonadventures's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
“If not for solidarity, what would we do with all this anger.”
This stunning novel introduces a chorus of voices in the fictional town of Kosawa, where big oil company Pexton has destroyed the land and lives of the local community. Frustrated by their inability to protect their families, the people decide to take drastic action, kidnapping some of Pexton's men to demand their health and safety be taken seriously.
Starting this book felt like a punch in the gut, but the writing drew me in completely. I'm not usually one to shy away from heavy books, and I tend to feel a sense of responsibility to bear witness to the harm and exploitation "Western" countries have caused, but I knew this story wouldn't be easy. The environmental racism described here is infuriating. Mbue uses a variety of first person perspectives, but perhaps the most heart-wrenching is the collective (we) voices of the village children.
And yet... How Beautiful We Were transcends trauma. Mbue deftly explores the balance of greed, guilt, and grief that surround capitalism and colonialism. And yes, this is heavy and slow-paced but there's power in the way Mbue gives a voice to the people and plants the seeds for a better future.
How Beautiful We Were is a reminder that although the world makes me so damn angry, there’s strength in solidarity and power in resistance even when it feels futile.
This stunning novel introduces a chorus of voices in the fictional town of Kosawa, where big oil company Pexton has destroyed the land and lives of the local community. Frustrated by their inability to protect their families, the people decide to take drastic action, kidnapping some of Pexton's men to demand their health and safety be taken seriously.
Starting this book felt like a punch in the gut, but the writing drew me in completely. I'm not usually one to shy away from heavy books, and I tend to feel a sense of responsibility to bear witness to the harm and exploitation "Western" countries have caused, but I knew this story wouldn't be easy. The environmental racism described here is infuriating. Mbue uses a variety of first person perspectives, but perhaps the most heart-wrenching is the collective (we) voices of the village children.
And yet... How Beautiful We Were transcends trauma. Mbue deftly explores the balance of greed, guilt, and grief that surround capitalism and colonialism. And yes, this is heavy and slow-paced but there's power in the way Mbue gives a voice to the people and plants the seeds for a better future.
How Beautiful We Were is a reminder that although the world makes me so damn angry, there’s strength in solidarity and power in resistance even when it feels futile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Child death, Police brutality, and Racism
waybeyondblue's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Homophobia
nikolas_fox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
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
5.0
This book is absolutely a must read. Please please read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Sexual assault