Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

10 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? N/A

5.0

Second reread (December 2023): 5 stars*
I received this as a gift from someone.
"The Attic Child" follows two characters born decades apart but bound together by their time spent locked away in the same attic. In the early 1900's, Celestine is taken from his home village in Africa to live in England with an explorer named Sir Richard Babbington. Celestine wants nothing more than to go back home, and he tries desperately to cling to his African identity, even though he is encouraged to embrace English ways. Lowra was a young orphan when she was first locked away in the attic. But what kept her hopeful was a doll and a necklace she found underneath the floorboards. Now, as an adult, she has rightfully inherited her family home, and she is determined to finally figure out where that doll and necklace came from.
I absolutely devoured this story, and once I got into it, I did not want to put it down. Both Celestine's and Lowra's stories were captivating, devastating, and inspiring on their own, but seeing their stories weave together to create the masterpiece that is "The Attic Child" was beautiful beyond words.
Celestine faced unbelievable odds at every turn in his life and he faced brutal racial injustice that was infuriating to read about. However, despite all of his hurdles and all of the adversity he always found himself in, he remained positive, hopeful, and determined to build a life for himself. He was such a strong character, and he embodied resilience. What I think is most interesting, and most important about his character, is that history would have never remembered him and the great life he led. He changed so many lives, but because he was black, no one knew his story except for his own family. It is through Lowra's search for the owner of the necklace that it is revealed how remarkable Celestine is. I think this inspires some interesting discourse about how easy it is to forget the people who paved the path before us. People's lives matter, and it is through listening to their stories that we remember them.
At the end of the story there was a note from the author where she talked about her inspiration for writing this story. She shared that history often remembers the hunter, but never the lion, and she wanted to write a story about the lion. I think this is so profound, and so crucial to remember when we study history. History is so often told through the eyes of the victor, but there are always more sides to the story. People without a voice, or who are oppressed do not get remembered in the same way, but their stories are just as valuable and shed important light on their time in history.
Lola Jaye is an immensely talented writer. She was able to weave together two stories seamlessly to create a beautiful tapestry of a bigger picture. Her writing is sharp, intelligent, and does not shy away from sharing the harsh truths.
I cannot recommend this book enough, and I look forward to picking up ore from Lola Jaye in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Confinement, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is such a beautiful novel. While the subject matter is very dark, the storytelling is captivating, and there is a thread of hope and survival.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Alcohol, Excrement, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Gore, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

moriahleigh's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Colonisation, and Hate crime

jackieom4's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault

burnourhistory's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Classism, Racism, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Abandonment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcoholism, Bullying, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

wherethewildreadsare's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Trafficking, Child abuse, Violence, Slavery, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent

veronicats's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, Violence, War, Colonisation, Confinement, Trafficking, Genocide, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

alisha94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Child abuse, Violence, Slavery, Racism, and Rape

shelfofunread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Alternating between the early 1900s and the mid-1990s, The Attic Child follows the interconnected stories of Dikembe – renamed Celestine by his British ‘benefactor’, Sir Richard Babbington – and Lowra, a young woman who has come into an unexpected – and unwanted – inheritance following the death of her estranged stepmother. What unites them is a house: 109 Ranklin Road. Or, more specifically, the attic room of 109 Ranklin Road where, under different but equally traumatic circumstances, Lowra and Dikembe find themselves spending much of their time.

Uncovering the connections between these two characters takes the reader on a heart-breaking journey across both continents and time, moving from the Belgium occupation of the so-called ‘Congo Free State’ (in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo) – and the ruthless exploitation of native peoples that followed – to the museums of contemporary Britain: and to the legacies of occupation and mistreatment that the objects within them all-too-frequently represent.

Saying any more about the plot of The Attic Child would be to spoil the gradual unfolding of the tangled connections that link Dikembe and Lowra however, amidst what is often a challenging and brutal tale of survival and loss, Lola Jaye has also managed to weave a remarkable story of hope. Though The Attic Child is unflinching in its depictions of what its protagonists have to endure (content warnings for death of a parent, death of siblings, murder, child loss, child abuse, child sexual abuse, racial stereotyping/slurs, and racism), it is also a powerful story of identity, belonging, love, and family.

Combining a deeply emotive story with evocative descriptions of time and place, The Attic Child is a powerful read that demands the attention of its reader. I was fascinated – and, due to the nature of the experiences Dikembe undergoes, also horrified – to learn that Dikembe is inspired by a real child, Ndugu M’Hali, who became a ‘companion’ to the explorer Henry Morton Stanley. The novel also illuminates a grim period of Congolese history by examining the brutality of life under the regime of King Leopold II of Belgium. Finally, the book speaks powerfully to current debates about the commemoration and interpretation of the national past and, in particular, the colonial and imperial past.

As you can probably tell, The Attic Child is packing a lot into its narrative and, even at 464 pages, there were times – especially towards the end of the book – where I felt as if I wanted a little more detail. On occasion, the narrative jumps several months or even years, before moving into sections where events are described in more detail and slowly. This meant that, for me, the pacing was a little uneven although the narrative held my interest in spite of this and, despite it being a relatively chunky book, I finished The Attic Child in just over a week.

An unflinching and emotive read, The Attic Child is a movingly told and emotive story about the personal legacies of colonialism. Set against a fascinating backdrop and with two interesting lead characters, the novel is sure to appeal to fans dual-narrative historical fiction as well as to anyone interested in knowing more about Britain’s hidden histories and colonial connections. 

NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Child abuse, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Rape