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kalynaobyrne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.25
I wanted to like Send Her Back More than I did. The author had a strong voice but both her voice and the stories got repetitive and were missing a cohesiveness. Each short story was told in different tenses and from new characters but the voices of many of the characters were very similar. Especially listening to this on audio if I wasn’t paying attention it could be hard to tell when a new chapter started. I think I would have enjoyed the collection more if the stories had felt more different from each other.
It was easy to forget these stories were works of fiction while you were reading. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and thought they were extremely powerful and some fell flat for me. As a white American I do think there is value in reading this.
This book is extremely thoughtful and I can’t deny the value in these stories even though overall this book was not my favorite. This book was a 3.25 for me.
It was easy to forget these stories were works of fiction while you were reading. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and thought they were extremely powerful and some fell flat for me. As a white American I do think there is value in reading this.
This book is extremely thoughtful and I can’t deny the value in these stories even though overall this book was not my favorite. This book was a 3.25 for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Sexual assault
2treads's review
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
- He stares at his youngest in my arms, her head resting comfortably on my shit hole shoulder - excerpt from the story Send Her Back
Kaseke's stories are rife with immigrant experiences, questions of identity, belonging, and home. Stories that use characters in this way to question leaving and returning to their homeland, yearning for equal footing as immigrants, will always resonate with me.
But as she takes us through each scenario, each relationship, we see the common thread of reaching back, trying to hold on to parts of what/who was left behind, what can be kept and passed on, and the struggle that is inherent in just being not from there.
The stories drip with honesty and vulnerabilities, of how women and girls lose their voices in relationships, are used up and objectified by men, the sexualisation of young feminine bodies, the imbalance of power in marriages, homes, and social gatherings; yet still there is a defiance and strength that is evident in these women, who move towards a life of independence and self-actualization.
Kaseke's stories are rife with immigrant experiences, questions of identity, belonging, and home. Stories that use characters in this way to question leaving and returning to their homeland, yearning for equal footing as immigrants, will always resonate with me.
But as she takes us through each scenario, each relationship, we see the common thread of reaching back, trying to hold on to parts of what/who was left behind, what can be kept and passed on, and the struggle that is inherent in just being not from there.
The stories drip with honesty and vulnerabilities, of how women and girls lose their voices in relationships, are used up and objectified by men, the sexualisation of young feminine bodies, the imbalance of power in marriages, homes, and social gatherings; yet still there is a defiance and strength that is evident in these women, who move towards a life of independence and self-actualization.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault
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