Reviews tagging 'War'

Small Island by Andrea Levy

12 reviews

phoevincent's review against another edition

emotional funny sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Pregnancy and Infidelity

howtogobeijing's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racial slurs, and Racism

beckyalbon's review against another edition

challenging funny informative fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and War

sophtanda's review

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, War, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Death, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Sexual content

bumble_abi's review against another edition

emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

I started out a little frustrated with the structure - I wanted us to stay in 1948! - but once I'd figured out the novel's puzzle-piece he-said-she-said structure I started to enjoy the Before passages much more.

The multiple perspectives really help to nail home the novel's key themes about the utterly ludicrous nature of racist British attitudes, particularly against the historical backdrop. I really loved that all our narrators are flawed in some way or another - all equally human, with weaknesses that overlap in really resonant ways (the way Hortense and Bernard both jump to conclusions, how Queenie and Hortense both consider themselves a little above those they grew up with, how Gilbert and Bernard both naively cling to hopes of heroism and harebrained schemes for riches, how Queenie and Hortense and Gilbert all get married for primary reasons that aren't love). There's a wonderful subtlety to Levy's characterisation, and her characters are so believable.

I don't think the novel necessarily needed the

Michael's-the-father plot twist.

It felt a little forced and a slightly outlandish coincidence. I thought the broader plot and the book's ending would have been equally impactful if

the father was just someone Queenie met during the war who had nothing to do with Hortense

. It brought me out of the story a little, which is a shame - but nonetheless, a contemporary classic, and (Oprah voice) YOU should read it and YOU should read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and War

Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Colonisation, Infidelity, and Gore

Minor: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Child death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

nyne's review

emotional funny reflective medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, War, and Xenophobia

catrickbateman's review against another edition

4.0

this was such a refreshing & solid book. the british education system rarely, if at all, mentions black soldiers, jamaican migration to england or black women’s roles in the war and it was good to hear about it through this story so intricately and informatively (without becoming non-fiction or fact centred). a really simple but enthralling read with great storytelling and an emotional full-circle ending that i really loved. i liked this a lot!!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and War

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really liked this book. I was a bit unsure at first but slowly it got a grasp on me that was getting tighter by the page and towards the end I read it with one breath, I didn't want it to finish. 
I liked the characters, they could all be my next door neighbours, people I meet everyday at my kids school. They were very well developed,  with good and bad moments, with flaws and virtues. They could be real humans. And that, in combination with a good story, is what makes a great book. 
The story itself is quite interesting, the pre and post WWII English society, with the not so subtle racism towards the citizens of their colonies, who were obviously good enough to exploit and use and have them fight in the war but not good enough to walk in the pavements of "the mother country", work and live and prosper. 
It does show the ugly face of England, that mentality and argument used by the brexit supporters against immigrants. And that ugly face is portrayed brilliantly. 
A great book, a worthy winner of the awards that it received. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, War, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

pia_h's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Genocide, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Violence

Minor: Blood and Grief

hot_water's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Death

Minor: Excrement and Cancer