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reeyabeegale's review against another edition
3.0
This book was great because of its own-voice. I have never read any book that's been set in Congo or Kenya. It was a very refreshing aspect to see.
The first part was good, I love how Tina was described as one of the best thieves in Sangui City. However, the pacing was too slow, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the book.
The plot was intriguing enough; but not as much as I prefer.
My biggest problem with this is the fact that the plot twist or the big reveal was done with more than 100 pages left in the book. Why this is a problem?
1. It felt too forced. Like the author thought she needed something exciting, so she revealed the mystery and yet, it wasn't heart racing. I felt nothing with the reveal even though I wasn't one of the people who guessed what that is.
2. If the twist was revealed the way it was, what else was there to push me into reading the book. I already know that things will go well, so there's no nothing more for me to look forward to after reading the reveal.
More in depth thoughts in my blog soon!
www.archivesofenigma.com
The first part was good, I love how Tina was described as one of the best thieves in Sangui City. However, the pacing was too slow, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the book.
The plot was intriguing enough; but not as much as I prefer.
My biggest problem with this is the fact that the plot twist or the big reveal was done with more than 100 pages left in the book. Why this is a problem?
1. It felt too forced. Like the author thought she needed something exciting, so she revealed the mystery and yet, it wasn't heart racing. I felt nothing with the reveal even though I wasn't one of the people who guessed what that is.
2. If the twist was revealed the way it was, what else was there to push me into reading the book. I already know that things will go well, so there's no nothing more for me to look forward to after reading the reveal.
More in depth thoughts in my blog soon!
www.archivesofenigma.com
slsj_'s review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars to this lovely book that taught me a lot about the Democratic Republic of Congo. I love when a book manages to teach me more about history or current life events while still giving me an entertaining read. Tina was a great protagonists who's character development was phenomenal. She starts out this book as a heartless thief who is bent on revenge and as the book progresses she learns more about who she is and decides not to let revenge blind her and make her into a person she will end up hating.
The other characters are great. I loved Boyboy and his love for Tina and his flamboyant attitude, and I truly felt disgust for Ketchup this whole entire book and I'm sure that was the authors intent.
Micheal fell a bit flat for me, I felt like he had no personality or purpose other than fighting with Tina from time to time.
The development of the plot was great and it kept me entertained and wanting more.
One thing I didn't like was that some of the Swahili words used were not in the glossary, so if I really wanted to understand something that was said I had to look it up online and that just took me out of the story.
Otherwise this book was terrific. It was fast passed, diverse, educational, intriguing, fun and everything I want in a book marketed Oceans 11 meets Blood Diamond.
The other characters are great. I loved Boyboy and his love for Tina and his flamboyant attitude, and I truly felt disgust for Ketchup this whole entire book and I'm sure that was the authors intent.
Micheal fell a bit flat for me, I felt like he had no personality or purpose other than fighting with Tina from time to time.
The development of the plot was great and it kept me entertained and wanting more.
One thing I didn't like was that some of the Swahili words used were not in the glossary, so if I really wanted to understand something that was said I had to look it up online and that just took me out of the story.
Otherwise this book was terrific. It was fast passed, diverse, educational, intriguing, fun and everything I want in a book marketed Oceans 11 meets Blood Diamond.
edshara's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really good. I feel like most books that I read, that are set in an African country, usually deal with slavery. So to find a book that was a present day murder mystery was nice.
City of Saints and Thieves had my attention from the first page and lately that has been a rare thing for me. Tina was a pretty solid character, with flaws and vulnerabilities, that were understandable and believable. Yet despite her issues, she wasn't entirely closed off and she seemed to welcome growth. I mean even though she was seeking revenge, she was still willing to listen to reason and hear alternate possibilities. Her loyalty was nice to see, even though for most of the book, she claimed she had no friends. I enjoyed reading her interactions with her sister, BoyBoy and Michael.
This was a good take on revenge, friendship, and loyalty and I am very happy I read it. Yet another book I would recommend.
City of Saints and Thieves had my attention from the first page and lately that has been a rare thing for me. Tina was a pretty solid character, with flaws and vulnerabilities, that were understandable and believable. Yet despite her issues, she wasn't entirely closed off and she seemed to welcome growth. I mean even though she was seeking revenge, she was still willing to listen to reason and hear alternate possibilities. Her loyalty was nice to see, even though for most of the book, she claimed she had no friends. I enjoyed reading her interactions with her sister, BoyBoy and Michael.
This was a good take on revenge, friendship, and loyalty and I am very happy I read it. Yet another book I would recommend.
sare1125's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Infidelity
tamaraalkh's review against another edition
slow-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? Yes
3.0
grace_emc's review against another edition
3.0
The first 70% moved very slowly. Information about Tiny Girl's thefts and the city she lived in were interesting, but the author seemed to struggle with maintaining any sort of danger. The corruption was heavily established and then just a few short paragraphs later the characters acted as if there was no danger at all. The action and plot resolution near the end increased what would have otherwise been a very low opinion of the book, and the characterization of Tiny Girl is pretty solid most of the way through, besides a few very key moments. The attempt at romance is tacky.
christiana's review against another edition
3.0
I recognize that this was a decent story but I never fully cared or could invest in the story the way I wanted to.
tellalltales's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
Amazing! No notes 🤎
welpitzlexi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Holy shit. Just wow.