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amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Death, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
bandysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
This book follows two characters as they struggle to find their place in the United States post-immigration. They are dealing with the pressures of assimilation, low-income jobs, asylum claims, court appointments, and raising children. It is at once hopeful and heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Alcoholism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
melauffredou's review
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, and Drug abuse
annreadsabook's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jende and Neni Jonga recently immigrated to the United States from Limbe, Cameroon, in search of a better life and greater financial opportunities. After a grueling search, Jende lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers (big yike). Meanwhile, Neni juggles caring for their son Liomi while pursuing her dream of becoming a pharmacist. While life is by no means easy for Jende and Neni, their optimism about what the future holds for them in the United States rapidly crumbles when Lehman Brothers implodes, the U.S. descends into a financial crisis, and Jende considers the precarious nature of his immigration status.
Behold the Dreamers balances the optimism that may flow from moving to the United States with the harsh realities of the immigration system, economic strife, and racism. Running through the book as well is an examination of gendered dynamics both in the Jonga and Edwards families, and the reader is directly shown the tension between the myth of a "post-racial America" in the wake of President Obama's election and the very lived experiences of Black people—specifically, Black immigrants—in the U.S. The novel also shows the ways in which non-immigrant U.S. residents are generally oblivious to the challenges and inequities of the immigration system, and how Black people's needs and desires are often set aside in favor of [wealthy] white individuals' interests.
This is a book in which, while one set of characters is certainly much, much easier to sympathize with, none of the characters are terribly likable—but Mbue constructs these characters well despite their lack of likability because none of the characters fall "flat" in terms of their complexity. The one thing, however, that was a bit strange to me was a particular plot point that felt rather sudden, forced, and unrealistic given the character’s traits (IYKYK).
I definitely enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading Mbue's new book, How Beautiful We Were!
Behold the Dreamers balances the optimism that may flow from moving to the United States with the harsh realities of the immigration system, economic strife, and racism. Running through the book as well is an examination of gendered dynamics both in the Jonga and Edwards families, and the reader is directly shown the tension between the myth of a "post-racial America" in the wake of President Obama's election and the very lived experiences of Black people—specifically, Black immigrants—in the U.S. The novel also shows the ways in which non-immigrant U.S. residents are generally oblivious to the challenges and inequities of the immigration system, and how Black people's needs and desires are often set aside in favor of [wealthy] white individuals' interests.
This is a book in which, while one set of characters is certainly much, much easier to sympathize with, none of the characters are terribly likable—but Mbue constructs these characters well despite their lack of likability because none of the characters fall "flat" in terms of their complexity. The one thing, however, that was a bit strange to me was a particular plot point that felt rather sudden, forced, and unrealistic given the character’s traits (IYKYK).
I definitely enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading Mbue's new book, How Beautiful We Were!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Grief
hkropp's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The way the author captured emotion was amazing. It felt like you knew Jende, Neni and Clark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Xenophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape
machenn's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Domestic abuse
andriayesia's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
ifersinklings's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, other than it was about a immigrant family. This book was so much more than just about that, though. It was about family, the allusion of what the American Dream really is, about money and the cost of having wealth. There were so many different lessons in this story that I was surprised were executed so well, but also subtly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit
kayleyhyde's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
Minor: Homophobia
sowm's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall, I wanted to like the book so bad. I did get very close to DNFing it a couple times while reading it though. I thought the premise was good, and at the beginning, I did think it was interesting. I'm not even particularly mad about the ending, although I do have some opinions on how it could have gone instead, while still showing how the American Dream does not hold for everyone.
The book jumps timeframes every now and then, and there isn't always a clear enough distinction which took me out of the story a few times, although it is a minor thing, and if you don't mind it, you will like it. I found the pacing of the book to be pretty good as well, for my preference.
One major thing that I did not like was that Jende, the main character, was pretty misogynistic. While I understand that different cultures have different standards for things, it really hurt, as a woman who comes from a relatively patriarchal culture, to see Jende's wife, Neni, being prevented from following her dreams just because Jende was making decisions. There was also some physical abuse in there which I really hated. While I understand that it was to make the story impactful, it was something that I didn't particularly enjoy reading. I think it was pretty well placed though, and gave us an insight into why Neni kept going along with whatever Jende said
I think this book is a good book, I just did not enjoy it very much, and that is for my own reasons. I thought the writing was good, and you could see that the characters went on a journey, you just did not see very much emotional development from them, and I wasn't a fan of that in particular.
The book jumps timeframes every now and then, and there isn't always a clear enough distinction which took me out of the story a few times, although it is a minor thing, and if you don't mind it, you will like it. I found the pacing of the book to be pretty good as well, for my preference.
I think this book is a good book, I just did not enjoy it very much, and that is for my own reasons. I thought the writing was good, and you could see that the characters went on a journey, you just did not see very much emotional development from them, and I wasn't a fan of that in particular.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
There's some general misogyny from the main character towards his wife, as well as some drug use/abuse and alcoholism from one of the side characters.
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