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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
- We just eat a lot of guavas because it's the only way to kill our hunger, and when it comes to defecating, we get in so much pain it becomes an almost impossible task, like you are trying to give birth to a country. -
- Jesus Christ died on this day, which is why I have to be out here washing with cold water like this. -
- We continue putting up the posters; the thing is, we don't even care about any change, we're doing this only because Bornfree says he has some Chinese yams. -
- It's not the lying itself that makes me feel bad but the fact that I'm here lying to my friends. I don't like not playing with them and I don't like lying to them because they are the most important thing to me and when I'm not with them I feel like I'm not even me. -
- I've thought about it properly, this whole praying thing, I mean really thought about it, and what I think is that maybe people are doing it wrong; that instead of asking God nicely, people should be demanding and questioning and threatening to stop worshipping him. -
- And the adults just returned quietly to the shacks to see if they could still bend low. They found they could bend; bend better than a branch burdened with rotting guavas. -
- Jesus Christ died on this day, which is why I have to be out here washing with cold water like this. -
- We continue putting up the posters; the thing is, we don't even care about any change, we're doing this only because Bornfree says he has some Chinese yams. -
- It's not the lying itself that makes me feel bad but the fact that I'm here lying to my friends. I don't like not playing with them and I don't like lying to them because they are the most important thing to me and when I'm not with them I feel like I'm not even me. -
- I've thought about it properly, this whole praying thing, I mean really thought about it, and what I think is that maybe people are doing it wrong; that instead of asking God nicely, people should be demanding and questioning and threatening to stop worshipping him. -
- And the adults just returned quietly to the shacks to see if they could still bend low. They found they could bend; bend better than a branch burdened with rotting guavas. -
Read it cover to cover on a flight from New York to California; possibly the best book I read this year. I wish everyone who judges immigrants harshly for not learning English, for misunderstanding cultural cues, for their differences, could read this, or at least the short chapter called "How They Lived." Heartbreaking, poetic, illuminating.
this was really good - it’s surprised me how much i enjoyed it. the audiobook was great, and i would recommend this to readers who want to learn more about immigrant experience, diaspora, and sacrifices immigrants have made for their families to have a better life. (definitely some parts in here i want to shove into peoples hands and make them read!)
Didn't feel like I could really get to know the characters.
reflective
medium-paced
This is beautiful.
I love that it is raw, realistic and tackled so many issues. I had a fantastic time being addicted to this story. I loved Darling's unpretentious voice and seeing things through her eyes in Zimbabwe and even when she grew up, I did not tire of her. I love that this story matters. I'm happy I read it. I'm happy it is winning awards. Stay in my mind forever, We Need New Names.
I love that it is raw, realistic and tackled so many issues. I had a fantastic time being addicted to this story. I loved Darling's unpretentious voice and seeing things through her eyes in Zimbabwe and even when she grew up, I did not tire of her. I love that this story matters. I'm happy I read it. I'm happy it is winning awards. Stay in my mind forever, We Need New Names.
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book made me laugh out loud more than a few times. It also made me very sad, as the author tells the truth about "America," i. E. Los Estados unidos. For the funniest quotes and for the saddest ones, also, see my Goodreads review of this.
Very interesting at times, but I never got that invested in Darling, or any of the other characters. There are also some very strange sections that I could have done without (e.g. the lengthy section in which three teenage girls are watching and describing internet porn in vivid detail). I listened to this as an audiobook, so I did appreciate the narrator's change in accent over the course of the book.
I really liked this book, the story was beautifully written and left me with a lot to think about.