Reviews

Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield

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drtamikamichelle's review

4.0

This was a good book but a GREAT Audio. The singing, Jamaican accents, and the overall energy of the audio book was AMAZING. The storyline was good and the historical context regarding the civil unrest in Jamaica in the 1970's was spot on. I enjoyed this book.

thebookishnarwhal's review against another edition

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5.0

A powerful coming-of-age novel, Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of 1970’s Jamaica. It's a testament to the strength of friendship, the power of music, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Jamaica is ablaze with political tensions. The upcoming elections have widened the divide between the poor and the wealthy. The streets are a battleground. In the midst of this chaos, two young women find an unlikely connection through their shared love for Reggae music.

Meet Irie, who comes from the heart of Kingston, where street fights are commonplace. Her father owns a record store and this is where she (and us readers) meet Jilly. She lives in the hills, behind the safety of gated mansions nestled within lush gardens. Their backgrounds couldn't be more different, yet their bond grows as they spend time together immersed in the rebellious sounds of Reggae.

This story is a poignant tale of friendship, love, and resilience amidst the chaos of civil unrest. Bromfield's writing captures the essence of a pivotal moment in Jamaican history, where music becomes a lifeline and love faces impossible odds. The characters come alive, and their struggles resonate deeply with me, especially as someone who is of Trinidadian heritage. My family came from (and still resides in) a community much like the one of Jilly and her family.

Bromfield brings her Afro-Jamaican heritage to the forefront. She fearlessly tells these stories, infusing them with authenticity and redemption. She invites Jamaican (and Caribbean) women to find solace in shared humanity and reminds us that our struggles matter. We matter. This sweeping novel deserves a spot on your reading list. Dive into the rhythms of Jamaica and witness the spirit of Irie and Jilly as they navigate love, revolution, and the echoes of rebellion.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

tariana's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

What an intense book! I had no idea about the history of Jamaica, now I’m about to deep dive on it. The only reason for giving it 4 stars is that I though the end confusing: how did Gillian knew where to find Irie when it says that Irie itself didn’t know where the club was? Also it doesn’t explain how Kojo died, how Gillian’s family heard about her death, how they reacted, if they retaliated somehow, and why the radio station was called Irie?

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soleade's review

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

peax33's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

deereadingwallflower's review

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

kaylajcj's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-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

This was a beautifully written, heart wrenching story about the political unrest in Jamaica during the 1970s, the impact of music on the climate, and two girls from different social classes trying to explore their feelings for each other despite everything. I loved the story and highly recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by the author to hear the songs in the book.

ello_emme's review

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challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

jess_always_reading's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? N/A

5.0

This is an incredible story of love, family, and freedom. Definitely a must-read/listen. The love between Irie and Jilly is somehow both wonderfully innocent and complex, shaped by the forces around the two of them. The setting in Songs of Irie is itself a character, and we are hooked by it just as much as the characters.

10/10 would recommend.

"history is the great leveller of artists and activists alike"

Content Warnings

umibozus's review

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Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I enjoyed the first half of the book, by the second half I wasn't rooting for their relationship at all - especially Jilly. I originally read because it was marketed as a lesbian story, but

both Irie & jilly had men they had crushes on as well - or at least that how it was alluded throughout? Jilly's character was awful to her supposed best friend. Her dying made no sense, it was if she had a revelation about her parents being evil just because she found out her father hired bad men, but they were evil before that....she didn't care how they treated irie. Her complacency was double sided. The end got very dramatic on election night. Suddenly Jilly is looking for Irie, Irie's father was killed, her sister got trafficked, she "rescued" her then boom 15 years later....the POV throughout also switched from Irie to Jilly, but then her sister for like 2 chapters, it was unnecessary and took away from the little interest I had left for this book at the end.

I did listen to the audiobook, I skipped the singing sections, but it was cool to hear and I liked that concept (I just personally get a cringe feeling so I couldn't).

I really wish I liked this book more, but it fell short and missed several marks for me. I will definitely try to read Asha's other work(s)

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