Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
This book was hard for me to get through as I was listening on audio. Perhaps, hard copy would have been better. This was the first time I had listened to a book where the narrators had accents.
It was good for me to be exposed to a story with an international setting. I learned that women’s relationship challenges are universal.
I liked Brittany and Kemi’s storylines. Luna’s, not so much. This book was recommended to me as a favorite from the past year. I don’t share that sentiment.
It was good for me to be exposed to a story with an international setting. I learned that women’s relationship challenges are universal.
I liked Brittany and Kemi’s storylines. Luna’s, not so much. This book was recommended to me as a favorite from the past year. I don’t share that sentiment.
i never, ever pick up a random book in the library. so glad i did for this book. great, great story.
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Islamophobia
I was left feeling very conflicted about this book. While reading the section following the book provided some context for the author’s choices, I’m still grappling with some of the themes. I picked up on the fact that Jonny was autistic coded throughout the book and I am disappointed in the way he was portrayed. The author said she was trying to illustrate what can happen when families ignore a family member’s needs, but that would not have been my take away point had I not read her explicit motive. From the way the book is written, Jonny is perceived as being the problem and there is no mention of systemic factors related to ableism within the narrative of the book. I worry that people who read this book would leave with a very narrow and misinformed view of autistic people.
I know one of the author’s purposes was to explore fetishism and racism towards Black women, but it felt like there could have been more character growth and portrayal of strength in Brittany and Kemi in particular. As a white woman, I do not have the first hand perspective, so my view may be limited. However, it really didn’t sit right with me that Kemi ended up almost going home with Ragnar (who is written as blatantly racist), although I did appreciate that she stopped it from happening.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book for the fact that it gave some insight into the experiences of Black women in Sweden. But I was waiting the whole time for a more explicit character growth and more exploring of Black identity from a strength mindset.
I know one of the author’s purposes was to explore fetishism and racism towards Black women, but it felt like there could have been more character growth and portrayal of strength in Brittany and Kemi in particular. As a white woman, I do not have the first hand perspective, so my view may be limited. However, it really didn’t sit right with me that Kemi ended up almost going home with Ragnar (who is written as blatantly racist), although I did appreciate that she stopped it from happening.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book for the fact that it gave some insight into the experiences of Black women in Sweden. But I was waiting the whole time for a more explicit character growth and more exploring of Black identity from a strength mindset.
challenging
informative
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:
No
I would actually give this a 3.5 rating (I rounded up) even though this is the first time in quite a while that I read a book of this length in one day. The stories of three Black women were told by a narrator -- I would have preferred that their stories told in first person. The setting was in Sweden, which was novel (no pun intended) and forced me to think differently, in a good way. The connection among the women was a rich Swede of generational wealth who brought them into the country for different reasons. Kemi became his employee, Brittany-Rae became his wife and Muna was a refugee -- each were in a different station in their lives. There were parts of each characters' development that weren't fully developed or rushed. This is an ambitious first novel by the author and I look forward to her next work.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
This book was... interesting. What I thought it would be and what I got are very different. It felt as if each of these women, namely Kemi and Brittany relied way too much the appeal and approval of white men which made it uncomfortable to read at times. Especially when said white men in the story are fetishizing black women. I thought there was maybe a lesson it it but there wasn't. Muna had the nost interesting story but It didn't mesh well as a whole with everything else going on.
Overall, this book felt like ideas on a notebook that never were fully fleshed out. Part 4 left us with more loose ends than we started with, and concluded with such an abrupt ending that I kind of feel like the author got bored.
Overall, this book felt like ideas on a notebook that never were fully fleshed out. Part 4 left us with more loose ends than we started with, and concluded with such an abrupt ending that I kind of feel like the author got bored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Abortion
Minor: Racism