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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
emotional
fast-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
I struggled to find the rhythm here, the very different lives and characters, remembering who everyone was as there weren’t any connections or overlap at first and I couldn’t tell whether to expect any. I think I also without realizing it was waiting for the book to tell me how it related to me- not realizing until much later the story is largely a commentary on Swedish culture even tho I read it in English. Just an interesting moment of disorientation in realizing that even though I’m always actively looking for more diverse experiences to read, they can require some work on my part to grasp, rather than the typical experience of being centered to such a degree that everything goes down easy. Nothing profound to remark on this, just noted and was grateful for and interested in the experience.
Ultimately very moving and arresting; having invested some effort into imagining these three women it was easy to feel their anguish and ambivalence. I read the author’s notes at the end and feel like her points come across very clearly in the narrative- I think you come away with the impressions she wants you to have via empathizing with these characters, especially their internal turmoil. Each one is constantly reaching for something yet drawn away from it or pulled to conflicting desires…it so clearly evokes that feeling of gleefully fleeing while also wishing to be home, never fully able to do either.
Ultimately very moving and arresting; having invested some effort into imagining these three women it was easy to feel their anguish and ambivalence. I read the author’s notes at the end and feel like her points come across very clearly in the narrative- I think you come away with the impressions she wants you to have via empathizing with these characters, especially their internal turmoil. Each one is constantly reaching for something yet drawn away from it or pulled to conflicting desires…it so clearly evokes that feeling of gleefully fleeing while also wishing to be home, never fully able to do either.
This was giving The Good Doctor vibes although it took me forever to realize what they meant by different. 3 different lives weaved together in passing. Viewing Jonny from different perspectives gave creep vibes from jump. Brittany was kidding herself from jump. If it seems too good to be true… I would have loved a solid ending for Kemi and Brittany and felt so bad for Luna in the end. Good read.
Scores as high as a three because it was genuinely compelling (above all, Muna's story, TBH). Scores as low as a three because the writing, especially the figurative language, was at times painfuly amateur.
Also, the ending was definitely...an ending.
Also, the ending was definitely...an ending.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"As a Black woman, her radar never took a break."
This book was full of fresh perspectives to make you think and challenge assumptions about what makes an expat or an immigrant, a trailblazer or a token, and where you are from vs where you feel you belong. I most enjoyed Kemi's storyline but appreciated the different viewpoints and experiences. I've long been a fan of Lola's travel writing and photography and this novel was just as transformative.
This book was full of fresh perspectives to make you think and challenge assumptions about what makes an expat or an immigrant, a trailblazer or a token, and where you are from vs where you feel you belong. I most enjoyed Kemi's storyline but appreciated the different viewpoints and experiences. I've long been a fan of Lola's travel writing and photography and this novel was just as transformative.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
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
Have your translator app handy! Unless you can read Swedish. The writing style is what really kept me reading. The stories were sooo good but they just, ended. Like we were running at a great pace with some hills and valleys and then dropped. It was one of those reads where I’m actually upset with the author because why would you give me that bland ending???