Scan barcode
noemi_sc's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I think the premises of the book were great - the idea that the history of slavery could have gone in the complete opposite way and absolutely nothing would have been different, meaning that deep down human beings are just inherently flawed in their desire to oppress others regardless of race, gender, etc. - but the execution was somehow lacking for me. I did enjoy the humour/irony/sarcasm/cinism, however I found it a bit emotionally dry in certain points and I felt like the point of the book wasn't really coming across in the way the author was perhaps meaning to. I also found the timeline of events and spacial developments a bit confusing.
There were some points where the story reminded me of "The Power" by Naomi Alderman, but without that underlying rage and sense of injustice that history went in a certain way while it could have easily gone the opposite.
There were some points where the story reminded me of "The Power" by Naomi Alderman, but without that underlying rage and sense of injustice that history went in a certain way while it could have easily gone the opposite.
katykelly's review
3.0
Nearer 3.5 stars really.
This was a little like the idea behind 'Noughts and Crosses': the subversion of history to make a point and shock.
Slavery happened, but to the white races. Great idea. Gets the attention. The plot involves Doris, stolen from her home in England and taken away to work as a slave for a master. We hear from her master as well as herself, and see the effects of slavery on those forced into it.
And there are good ideas here, I just didn't feel it always worked. The anachronisms just jarred and didn't make sense (why are corsets and britches alongside skateboards and Glamazons?! I didn't see the point). Especially as the epilogue describes what happens to the descendants of the characters in 'the twentieth century'.
Novels about slavery are powerful enough I'd just written well. YA read Chains is excellent, as is The Long Song and others. It felt as though once the shock factor melted away it was 'just' another slave story with nothing else new to add.
That's not to say it's without merit. I did enough listening to the audiobook of it, and think this helped with what other reviewers call annoying slave patois.
This is a good one to try if you're interested in original stories about slavery, but less if you're concerned with historical accuracy :)
This was a little like the idea behind 'Noughts and Crosses': the subversion of history to make a point and shock.
Slavery happened, but to the white races. Great idea. Gets the attention. The plot involves Doris, stolen from her home in England and taken away to work as a slave for a master. We hear from her master as well as herself, and see the effects of slavery on those forced into it.
And there are good ideas here, I just didn't feel it always worked. The anachronisms just jarred and didn't make sense (why are corsets and britches alongside skateboards and Glamazons?! I didn't see the point). Especially as the epilogue describes what happens to the descendants of the characters in 'the twentieth century'.
Novels about slavery are powerful enough I'd just written well. YA read Chains is excellent, as is The Long Song and others. It felt as though once the shock factor melted away it was 'just' another slave story with nothing else new to add.
That's not to say it's without merit. I did enough listening to the audiobook of it, and think this helped with what other reviewers call annoying slave patois.
This is a good one to try if you're interested in original stories about slavery, but less if you're concerned with historical accuracy :)
rhianh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kariah's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
gracerider's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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? No
3.75
daylightgate's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t think this is Evaristo’s best written novel, but it’s clever in what it does and how malleable the perception of it can be. It’s occasionally quite intense when read line by line, but it turns into a very effective satire at a distance. I can’t think of many books that accomplish that.
I see that this gets a lot of white reader’s hackles up, but there has to be an element of self-reflection as to why that is without just taking a knee-jerk reaction as one you’ve got to stick by because a book has made you uncomfortable.
I see that this gets a lot of white reader’s hackles up, but there has to be an element of self-reflection as to why that is without just taking a knee-jerk reaction as one you’ve got to stick by because a book has made you uncomfortable.
tessyoung's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the premise and the execution of this novel. The sheer intensity and concentration of the effectively counter-factual, demonstrates just how thoroughly our present is shaped by the very particular racial politics of colonialism and slavery. If anything, I do think the narrative arc is a little overwhelmed by the continual cognitive dissonance of this reversal, but this itself may be a telling reflection my own social and cultural background. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone I know so I could discuss this further.
lored's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
andrew_j_r's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book that I heard of through the Simon Mayo Radio 5 Live book review show that is released as a podcast, and it sounded intriguing: a role reversal book set on an Earth where the Africans became the slave traders and the Europeans the slaves. The narrative jumps about all over the place – the first third of the book tells the story of Doris, a slave for a major slave trader, Chief Kaga Konata Katamba, and her escape attempt, whilst being interspersed with flashbacks that tell the story of her capture. The second part is the story of Chief Kaga Konata Katamba’s life, how he got into slaving, and ends roughly about the same time Doris is kidnapped. The final part is how the escape attempt by Doris fails, and how she ends up on a plantation.
It is an awesome book. The characters are very rich, and the violence in the story is utterly brutal, whilst not being dwelled upon – a less is more approach which makes it seem all the more real. It is quite short, but brilliant.
It is an awesome book. The characters are very rich, and the violence in the story is utterly brutal, whilst not being dwelled upon – a less is more approach which makes it seem all the more real. It is quite short, but brilliant.