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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Suicide
2.5 rounded up. I really wanted to like this one - I thought the idea for the intersecting storylines of three women born outside of Sweden coming from very different life paths was interesting and original. Unfortunately, the execution fell short - in some parts due to writing and in others not fully flushing out the characters in a realistic or meaningful way.
I’m not a fan of the structure. I’ll revisit in the future
This book was so well written and perfectly paced. Though I could relate more directly to Kemi, I found mirrors of myself in each of the women. The choice to Venn diagram their lives through their connection to Jonny and the isolation they felt due to their race and background was so artful.
The ending was haunting and will stick with me for some time
The ending was haunting and will stick with me for some time
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship
stunning
The ending of this book was maddening.
This book was very well written, and so sad. No one gets a happy ending, and it’s just so true to life.
Muna a Somalian refuge is trying to make her way in the world of Sweden.
Brittany moves her life from a beautiful flight attendant to a beautiful trophy wife with Jonny.
Kemi tries to learn to love herself and think she’s good enough as is without a man. Even if she’s lonely.
I loved this every time I picked it up, but it was not a fast paced read for me. Definitely recommend though.
The ending of this book was maddening.
This book was very well written, and so sad. No one gets a happy ending, and it’s just so true to life.
Muna a Somalian refuge is trying to make her way in the world of Sweden.
Brittany moves her life from a beautiful flight attendant to a beautiful trophy wife with Jonny.
Kemi tries to learn to love herself and think she’s good enough as is without a man. Even if she’s lonely.
I loved this every time I picked it up, but it was not a fast paced read for me. Definitely recommend though.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book made some good points about racism, sexism and fetishization and then immediately ruined it by conflating them with regular adjustment problems that come with moving to Sweden from the US. Muna was the only main character who seemed to have any functioning rain cells and didn’t annoy me to no end. In general, the plot in the last two chapters escalated way too quickly and beyond anything that made sense or was believable. And no matter what the author’s note claims, the way autism is portrayed here, is highly problematic and stigmatizing.
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Violence
This book is a challenge. I wanted to love it but found myself deeply disappointed.
What drew me to the book was the way in which these three women's stories might intertwine; however there is little to no overlap in their stories. It's as if the author had three ideas for a novel, each incomplete, and decided to make them into a single novel hoping that would do the trick. It did not. Each women's story stands alone rather than creating an overarching theme that can be viewed through each's unique lens.
Additionally, the characters grow and develop very little. About mid-way through I began to wonder whether I cared at all about 2 of the 3 women. It was the one character I cared about that drove me to finish the novel. Nevertheless, this turned out to be a novel in which I began to skip the descriptions and head straight to the dialog in the last 100 pages, feeling that no useful information was being shared with me and I needed to get on to the conclusion of all the nonsense.
Alas, despite all my criticism of this book I would read a sophomore novel by this author. While this book did not come together, 2 of the 3 women's stories are furtile ground for a whole and complete novel that would be a worthwhile read. The author's interview at the end of the novel procided valuable insight into whar she was attempting to accomplish and I very much appreciated was attempting to explore. While the books did not move me as a debut novel, the text itself and the author's comments demonstrate her potential and it would be worth it to read her next novel.
What drew me to the book was the way in which these three women's stories might intertwine; however there is little to no overlap in their stories. It's as if the author had three ideas for a novel, each incomplete, and decided to make them into a single novel hoping that would do the trick. It did not. Each women's story stands alone rather than creating an overarching theme that can be viewed through each's unique lens.
Additionally, the characters grow and develop very little. About mid-way through I began to wonder whether I cared at all about 2 of the 3 women. It was the one character I cared about that drove me to finish the novel. Nevertheless, this turned out to be a novel in which I began to skip the descriptions and head straight to the dialog in the last 100 pages, feeling that no useful information was being shared with me and I needed to get on to the conclusion of all the nonsense.
Alas, despite all my criticism of this book I would read a sophomore novel by this author. While this book did not come together, 2 of the 3 women's stories are furtile ground for a whole and complete novel that would be a worthwhile read. The author's interview at the end of the novel procided valuable insight into whar she was attempting to accomplish and I very much appreciated was attempting to explore. While the books did not move me as a debut novel, the text itself and the author's comments demonstrate her potential and it would be worth it to read her next novel.