Reviews

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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kitkat962's review against another edition

5.0

If the sun refuses to rise, we will make it rise
Clay pots fired in zeal, they will cool our feet as we climb

My knowledge on African history and Biafra is essentially nonexistent, but Adichie made me care deeply for the struggle of Nigerian. I couldn't compliment enough on the magic of her writing: her characters are brought to life with humane complexities. Each of them harbors their prides and insecurities, each of them owns their mistakes and flaws. Ugwu, the village boy who later became an author; Odenigbo, the professor with his "self-assured eccentricities" and "fierce moralities"; the charming Olanna with her insecurities; the strong-headed Kaleine.
I love the culture portraited, of raffia bag and jollof rice, of wine carrying in wedding and ori-okpa festival.
And the prose's fluidity, the strength lies in her words. Some of the highlight for me
Odenigbo: I am Nigerian because a white man created Nigeria and gave me that identity. I am black because the white man constructed black to be as different as possible from his white. But I was Igbo before the white man came
Olanna wondered to herself "If perhaps she lacked a certain strength that would compel him to include her in his pain" and her grief is described as "stretches of raw pain, and then a surge of faith would make her hum under her breath, until the downward slide came and she would be crumpled on the floor weeping"

laveena's review

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? No

4.25

janada59's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful 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? No

4.0

No one tells a story quite like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. From the first sentence to the last, the story of the Nigeria-Biafra War as experienced through two sisters is gripping, and had me thinking about them when I wasn't reading the book. I hold out hope that Olanna will find out what happened to Kainene.