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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the story of an emigrant who feels alienated in their new country while simultaneously drifting apart from their country of origin.
The writing is easy to understand.
The writing is easy to understand.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This took me a bit to get into, and upon reflection, I think that is because this was more like a series of short stories centered around the same person than a novel.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A compelling read - and quite a stunning debut novel - this story begins in a shanty called Paradise with a group of children making up their own games, dreaming of living in other paradises such as America, Dubai, Europe. As they grow up and find ways to make new homes, the dreams are not quite what they hoped for. Sometimes funny, often heart-breaking, with strong themes of home and exile.
There's two chapters that stood out for me - How They Left, and How They Lived. How They Left is two pages, lyrical and poetic, it's very moving.
Have you ever read a book that told your own story so well it seems almost like you whispered the words to the author?
Read my review here : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2013/07/we-need-new-names-book-review.html
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
very beautiful and well written!! i always love when i think adults capture perfectly the voice and feelings of childhood so i particularly enjoyed the first half of this book. i suppose i didnt completely love the pacing of it - something felt a bit disjointed about it but that’s about it otherwise i really enjoyed the story and i love noviolet bulawayo’s writing.
!!! http://africanbookaddict.com/2015/10/03/we-need-new-names-by-noviolet-bulawayo/
Hmmmm... I think appreciated this story as a whole. I read NoViolet's short story that rightfully won the Caine Prize back in 2011. The first chapter of this book is actually that Caine Prize short story. But I was really tired of the shanty life storyline in the beginning. There seemed to be no plot and I was struggling to get into the book. In 2013, I remember when this was popular and how I was only into 'Americanah' at the time. A few friends told me this book was boring, and I get where they were coming from hahaa. I enjoyed the story more once Darling moved to Michigan (which is like, after page 150). Some stuff Darling was getting into after she moved to the US was stupid to me though - why was she so into watching porn with her friends? That was a bit random, even though I guess that's what young girls of today are into? I don't know! That bit of the book was awkward...
Darling became a brand-new person after she lived in America for some time and I was over her new attitude. Towards the end of the book, I was over the plethora of stereotypes NoViolet dumped onto the pages. In Zim, all the people in the shanty town were stereotyped (abject poverty - while I know poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor is terrible back in Zim, the lack of a solid plot made it hard to ignore the excessiveness of the sad living conditions); all the people Darling encountered in Michigan were stereotyped too - especially Mr. Eliot's daughter who just had to be white, rich, spoiled, in an Ivy League school, had an eating disorder (bulimia), was generally depressed and had a cute dog that donned designer fashions.
I have a feeling this book was nominated for several awards and won some because this is what the West loves - to read a story on African struggles with excessive stereotypes (this is just MY opinion!). Don't get me wrong, there is a uniqueness to this book, especially in the writing style... I wouldn't say this is written 'beautifully' as everyone claims, but it is surely unique.
My favorite chapter is chapter 16 - 'How They Lived' where NoViolet speaks in general on the African immigrant experience in the West. It seemed pretty spot on and I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed how Darling's English changed from her time in Zim to her stay in the US. The diction of the book changed from broken english to 'standard' english. It was also interesting to witness Darling practice her American accent etc etc. Other than that, this book was a struggle for me to get into and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. If I wasn't buddy-reading this with Zainab, I would have given up after the first 30 pages. This is more 2.5 stars for me. [MORE ON THE BOOK BLOG SOON!]
Hmmmm... I think appreciated this story as a whole. I read NoViolet's short story that rightfully won the Caine Prize back in 2011. The first chapter of this book is actually that Caine Prize short story. But I was really tired of the shanty life storyline in the beginning. There seemed to be no plot and I was struggling to get into the book. In 2013, I remember when this was popular and how I was only into 'Americanah' at the time. A few friends told me this book was boring, and I get where they were coming from hahaa. I enjoyed the story more once Darling moved to Michigan (which is like, after page 150). Some stuff Darling was getting into after she moved to the US was stupid to me though - why was she so into watching porn with her friends? That was a bit random, even though I guess that's what young girls of today are into? I don't know! That bit of the book was awkward...
Darling became a brand-new person after she lived in America for some time and I was over her new attitude. Towards the end of the book, I was over the plethora of stereotypes NoViolet dumped onto the pages. In Zim, all the people in the shanty town were stereotyped (abject poverty - while I know poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor is terrible back in Zim, the lack of a solid plot made it hard to ignore the excessiveness of the sad living conditions); all the people Darling encountered in Michigan were stereotyped too - especially Mr. Eliot's daughter who just had to be white, rich, spoiled, in an Ivy League school, had an eating disorder (bulimia), was generally depressed and had a cute dog that donned designer fashions.
I have a feeling this book was nominated for several awards and won some because this is what the West loves - to read a story on African struggles with excessive stereotypes (this is just MY opinion!). Don't get me wrong, there is a uniqueness to this book, especially in the writing style... I wouldn't say this is written 'beautifully' as everyone claims, but it is surely unique.
My favorite chapter is chapter 16 - 'How They Lived' where NoViolet speaks in general on the African immigrant experience in the West. It seemed pretty spot on and I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed how Darling's English changed from her time in Zim to her stay in the US. The diction of the book changed from broken english to 'standard' english. It was also interesting to witness Darling practice her American accent etc etc. Other than that, this book was a struggle for me to get into and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. If I wasn't buddy-reading this with Zainab, I would have given up after the first 30 pages. This is more 2.5 stars for me. [MORE ON THE BOOK BLOG SOON!]