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nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
badmom's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Murder, Alcohol, and Abandonment
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
When We Were Birds is lushly written and vividly brings its setting, a fictional town in Trinidad and Tobago to life. The plot centres around Darwin, who is forced to take a job as a gravedigger in a cemetery that harbours some dark secrets, and Yejide, next in a line of women responsible for shepherding dead souls into the afterlife. While a romance eventually develops this is not a romance novel per se. The plot very much centres on their individual storylines and themes like complicated mother-child relationships, inheritance and legacy and the divide between life and death. Rhythmically and stylistically this book felt strongly situated in a tradition of oral storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Violence
bookishcori's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Murder
clarabooksit's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Slavery, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
2treads's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
'...Fair don’t always mean good. Exchange don’t always mean peace. Power don’t always mean free.’ –Petronella
When We Were Birds is a story of transformation, legacy, and family inheritance that not only uses the lush flora and fauna of Trinidad but also our shared history that is rooted in story, belief, and culture.
The relationships here are complicated and as we get to know each character, their experiences heighten our connection and reaction.
Beneath a facade of simple existence, Lloyd Banwo layers a complex and intricate story of death and how it weaves through a community, how it appears and is experienced by individuals.
It is proof of her prowess that we are pulled so effortlessly into the tale of Yejide and Darwin, that we so instantly form a connection to them and their unique individual expression and situation. Trailing them both is the duty that binds them to family, the yearning to find their own way no matter the difficulty, no matter the danger.
Simply woven with terrific effect.
It is not hard to become immersed in a story of death and the closeness of spirits to our physical existence when you've grown up with a mother who has had encounters with the passing souls of her brother, sister, and nephew. Our mother has always held the belief that loved ones can reach out from the beyond with messages for the ones they are leaving and so do we.
When We Were Birds is a story of transformation, legacy, and family inheritance that not only uses the lush flora and fauna of Trinidad but also our shared history that is rooted in story, belief, and culture.
The relationships here are complicated and as we get to know each character, their experiences heighten our connection and reaction.
Beneath a facade of simple existence, Lloyd Banwo layers a complex and intricate story of death and how it weaves through a community, how it appears and is experienced by individuals.
It is proof of her prowess that we are pulled so effortlessly into the tale of Yejide and Darwin, that we so instantly form a connection to them and their unique individual expression and situation. Trailing them both is the duty that binds them to family, the yearning to find their own way no matter the difficulty, no matter the danger.
Simply woven with terrific effect.
It is not hard to become immersed in a story of death and the closeness of spirits to our physical existence when you've grown up with a mother who has had encounters with the passing souls of her brother, sister, and nephew. Our mother has always held the belief that loved ones can reach out from the beyond with messages for the ones they are leaving and so do we.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, and Death of parent
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