703 reviews for:

Blessings

Chukwuebuka Ibeh

4.16 AVERAGE

kirbyreadsss's review

3.0

emotional reflective 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: No

leah_r94_reads's review

3.5

sad slow-paced

emilyrpf's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective sad 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

vanluna's review

3.0

dark reflective sad tense 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: Complicated

mtslau22's review

3.75

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

frankukdk's review

5.0

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

kruemelwiwi's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence

Minor: Cancer, Drug use

jhodges31's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional sad 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

tyatwood's review against another edition

4.0

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A tender coming-of-age debut about a young man in Nigeria who is sent to boarding school when his father finds him in an intimate moment with another boy. Ibeh’s compassion for his protagonist, Obiefuna, is evident, and he captures both the innocence of youth and the heaviness of hiding in revelatory, beautifully rendered prose.

Admittedly, I came away from this book feeling more heartbroken than hopeful, which I absolutely attribute to having read it in January 2025. I felt deeply for Obiefuna and his inner struggles as he faced — and in some ways resigned himself to — the harsh injustices of the world. Aren’t we all just seeking love and acceptance? Why does it seem sometimes ike the world offers so little of either?

I usually enjoy an unresolved ending, but in this case, and for my own peace of mind, I do wish I knew where this character is now. I hope he’s somewhere dancing.

flipper_flips_pancakes's review

4.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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