Reviews

Not too many books have me tearing up but the end but this book did. Their were so many layers to every character of the book and so many pieces to the story. The book kept me constantly engaged and honestly I just couldn't put the book down.

nae15's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

zasou_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this historical fiction told in dual POV. Although I do understand why we couldn't really, I wish we saw more of Celestine's life past the years that were first presented. This was an important story that need to be told, but it didn't feel as powerful to me as it should've been.

chakgilbert's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I’m still gathering my thoughts. This book was great. We follow Dikembe and Lowra, children separated by time who spent formative years locked in an attic. These timelines converge and the author delivers a compelling story full of pain, love, and hope. At first glance, it could be seen as a black trauma book but it’s anything but. It shows the resilience, the strength, the courage, and constraint of black people. I also loved the shared experiences that I think a lot black people will resonate with. While it does suffer from some pacing issues, I think a lot of it was necessary to understand the story. Also, Monty was very prevalent in the story but I don’t think k he was very fleshed out. I really enjoyed this book and can see myself rereading.

conniew's review against another edition

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challenging 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

5.0

carollynnw's review against another edition

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4.0

Dual timeline, two children trapped in an attic in London.

Powerful story written by a first time novelist born in London and raised in Nigeria.

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

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5.0

A poignant but necessary look on the lives of Black individuals forcibly taken from various countries within Africa during the 1800's to venture into England. While the last quarter felt a little bit too rushed, I did appreciate the extensive look into one particular child and the all too real emotions, events and cruelty that possibly occured during this time period.

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