Reviews

I loved the patois in this book and found myself having to read much of the dialogue aloud - what a treat. That said, I struggled with much of the writing. The flashbacks in the middle of paragraphs were jarring and confusing and didn’t add anything for me. Also, I wish the jacket hadn’t said anything about the challenges of being a lesbian in Jamaica - I just kept waiting for it. Lastly, why is the sister such a bitch?! No thank you, I’m not here for that.

rendezvousgirl's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is ultimately a novel about grief, especially how it manifests in interpersonal relationships. I quite liked how grief is portrayed, and the immature and almost childlike qualities in Akúa and her relationships with her family. I found her character to be lovable though complicated, and she felt realistic. The writing style was easy and compelling, and the use of imagery results in an amazing establishment of setting.
I agree with other reviewers about the day countdown being unnecessary, and there is quite a lot of onomatopoeia especially in the beginning, which gets annoying. I really wish there were paragraph breaks or clear markers between present and flashback because it was confusing and could’ve easily been fixed.
My biggest complaint is that I wish it had been longer, to allow for more character development and depth especially in the side characters. The ending felt rushed, and the last third of the book felt disjointed from the first two.
Despite some issues, I enjoyed this and think it had a lot of potential, and I hope to see more from this author.

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