Reviews

Small Island by Andrea Levy

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kh2912's review against another edition

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reflective 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? Yes

3.75

eunicek82's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad

4.5

I loved this book and 1 I discovered through Sara in her 2023 Paperback Summer Reading Guide. It was a bit slower and required some patience for me, but by the end, I was completely invested in the characters. I really felt for them, especially when they were misunderstood. The alternating POVs and timelines were effectively used both for impact and for keeping the reader going. This was an absorbing and satisfying read. While Levy tackles some really big topics, she never loses sight of the 4 central characters.

emdnuofuoy's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

Livre très lent, c’est dommage car des notions historiques importantes se mêlent à une jolie histoire de destins croisés. C’est une histoire de guerre, de famille et de racisme : des sujets pas faciles et parfois très crus qui rappellent la dure réalité de l’époque et qui est sans doute encore aujourd’hui bien ancrée.

Le livre aurait vraiment été excellent pour moi s’il n’avait pas été aussi lent.