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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved the way this was written, darling and her friends felt so real
The first half of this book - the half set in Zim - blew me away. It was deceptively easy to read and emotionally devastating. Part of it was the incredibly evocative exploration of race through the eyes of children - one of many potentially devastating subjects which were gracefully handled here through the lens of naïveté. The second, American, half was still an outstanding book but it lacked some quality which the first half had in abundance. A part of this might be related to the fact that I read We Need New Names almost immediately after finishing Adichie's Americanah, which tackles many of the same topics. Adichie is a true master, and it feels unfair to hold Bulawayo's debut novel up against hers - but I can't help it. And it says a lot about the strength of the writing that much of the book does more than hold its own - it mesmerizes. I can't wait to see what this author writes next.
I liked this book a lot. The contrast of life in the two countries without putting one above the other was real and I liked it. The voice of the storyteller was funny and not overdone in the way that a lot of adults write children characters as. I recommend it.
the book is about wanting something, getting it, and then living with the problems of the thing you wished for. I dont mean this in a glib way. Its a saddening account of people who have come from horrendous poverty to the relative prosperity of a new life only to find that that prosperity is full of grief for the life before. Gave me a lot to think about in terms of the cultural and refugee experiences it depicts. I also appreciated the sense of humor of the author.
I have a lot of feelings about this book, but no clear way of wording them. (This may be because I wrote a full essay about this book, and I am all worded out.)
I really love the characters, strong and real and messy as they are. I love that there's no real clear resolution or ending for Darling, and that the story doesn't need there to be one.
It has hard and gruesome parts, and I really don't know why it needed, but it's an intriguing read. Don't let the length of time it took me to finish it fool you--it only took me that long because I was writing a paper and taking notes, etcetera. If you're just reading it for fun, it should catch you well before the halfway mark.
Four stars.
I really love the characters, strong and real and messy as they are. I love that there's no real clear resolution or ending for Darling, and that the story doesn't need there to be one.
It has hard and gruesome parts, and I really don't know why it needed
Spoiler
the child rapeFour stars.
Loved the first bit! So funny and interesting hearing that situation from the child’s point of view. Didn’t like it as much when they went to America. Read better books about the experience of that.
Wonderful in every way. The violent political landscape of Zimbabe and the unsettling experiences of being a new comer to America is brilliantly told through the voice of an honest and funny ten year old.