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dorothygrace's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Suicide, Miscarriage, Rape, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Suicide attempt
nfp's review
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book did a good job of switching between timelines with a finesse I haven't seen before. The setting and build up of story is rich and well paced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Mental illness
toksyk27's review against another edition
1.0
One of the worst books I've ever read! The writing was all over the place and I didn't much like the way the storyline kept jumping between time and place and characters. It read like it was trying to do what Helen Oyeyemi did in The Icarus Girl but I wasn't just feeling it. Struggled to read and only finished out of sheer curiosity of just how bad it could get and how it was going to end.
elainarkk's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is so confusing in such a good way. Okojie's prose is beautiful! I mean, drop dead gorgeous! Her reckoning with a modern London and historical Benin is brilliant, and her expert weaving of magical realism into the story is so well done. A startling, sad, frightening, humorous, and tumultuous tale--certainly an epic in its own right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
Moderate: Rape and Incest
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Suicide, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Medical content, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Addiction
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
4.0
A strange (intimate, open-ended yet emotionally satisfying) story told in luscious and intriguing prose. The style is free-wheeling yet controlled, overall, although there are some garden path-esque sentences. It creates an effect where meaning is constantly squirming away from you, and you reach for it willingly, because the meaning when parsed turns out to be consistently nuanced. A joy to read.
I liked that there was a distinctive style difference when the chapters alternated time and place. The parts in historical Benin, in particular, have a storytelling feel; they seem to be begging to be read aloud. Weaving/braiding together the narratives of the characters from three generations of the same family works very well with the magical realism genre, because the storytelling feel bleeds through into the recognisably contemporary world of Joy - already inflected by her mental illness.
Also very much appreciated Okojie's fantastically developed female characters. My favourites were Adesua and Mrs Harris.
I will say that I do not usually appreciate stories that contain sensitive content, but in this case I found it was often necessary to create the texture of the novel: a feeling of ragged survival, sort of. If you're thinking of reading this novel but are in need of trigger warnings first, I've compiled major ones here: I list these plot elements not to sensationalise the novel (because they are portrayed for a reason!) but for your safety.
A last note. Not something Okojie can help, but I do wish her publisher had put a little more effort into getting a good proofer in. There were a lot of punctuation mistakes, especially commas and quotation marks, and typos too; many more of each than usually appear even in contemporary first editions. (I am eagle-eyed and cannot help but notice these things.) It hindered my enjoyment somewhat. Maybe these errors will be fixed in subsequent editions?
I liked that there was a distinctive style difference when the chapters alternated time and place. The parts in historical Benin, in particular, have a storytelling feel; they seem to be begging to be read aloud. Weaving/braiding together the narratives of the characters from three generations of the same family works very well with the magical realism genre, because the storytelling feel bleeds through into the recognisably contemporary world of Joy - already inflected by her mental illness.
Also very much appreciated Okojie's fantastically developed female characters. My favourites were Adesua and Mrs Harris.
I will say that I do not usually appreciate stories that contain sensitive content, but in this case I found it was often necessary to create the texture of the novel: a feeling of ragged survival, sort of. If you're thinking of reading this novel but are in need of trigger warnings first, I've compiled major ones here:
Spoiler
There is a non-graphic suicide attempt (sensitively rendered, I found) right at the start. There is brief dubious consent choking during one sex scene; the choker stops immediately. There is one instance of incestuous rape (father and daughter; he is deluded and thinks she is his wife) resulting in conception and birth. An army general's gay lover, one of the soldiers, is killed for discretion.A last note. Not something Okojie can help, but I do wish her publisher had put a little more effort into getting a good proofer in. There were a lot of punctuation mistakes, especially commas and quotation marks, and typos too; many more of each than usually appear even in contemporary first editions. (I am eagle-eyed and cannot help but notice these things.) It hindered my enjoyment somewhat. Maybe these errors will be fixed in subsequent editions?
akp123's review
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape and Incest
Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse
nourjaljuli's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Incest
sharonb's review
DNF’d after 30 % I usually enjoy multiple time lines but this was confusing. Also didn't like the writing style
ellen_desmond's review
5.0
I first discovered this book having heard the author speak at a book festival and was moved by her discussion. I was not disappointed when I picked up Butterfly Fish. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. It covers such an expanse of topics with such ease and grace of plot, I couldn't put it down.