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jessbishai's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
franlifer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
katiegilley's review against another edition
5.0
I don't tend to read books set outside of North America and I'm not sure why. I'm a social worker and am very conscientious about diversity, but if you look at my bookshelf (or even my virtual bookshelf here at LT), you'll see mostly authors from the US and Canada. After reading Half of a Yellow Sun, I'm going to be change to this. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie told such a compelling story about a part of the world and during a time that I know close to nothing about. And I believe that part of her argument in this novel was exactly that: the US and other "major" countries tend to be very ignorant about what's going on in the world and look at other countries' struggles through a very simplistic lens.returnreturnThis novel was set in Nigeria during the 60s. Because of interference by the British government, different regions of Nigeria hated each other. Southeast Nigeria seceded from the rest of the country to become the independent nation of Biafra. This book switches back and forth between very different characters and chronicles their pain and their struggles throughout the war. returnreturnI won't go into describing the characters, because you can get that from simply reading the back of the book, but there is one character that I'd like to mention. Richard is a white Englishman who has fallen in love with the country and one of it's inhabitants. He so desperately wants to be considered a Biafran, but that will never happen because of his white skin. There is one passage that really struck me, which happened right as the massacres were beginning. He was in an airport and watched the brutal murders of several people. Afterward, he realized that he was living his life the same as before and he had these thoughts (page 211 in my edition):returnreturnBut he couldn't let himself be. He didn't believe that life was the same for all the other people who had witnessed the massacres. Then he felt more frightened at the thought that perhaps he had been nothing more than a voyeur. He had not feared for his own life, so the massacres became external, outside of him; he had watched them through the detached lens of knowing he was safe. But that couldn't be; Kainene would not have been safe if she had been there.returnreturnIt was this realization that he knew he wouldn't have been hurt simply because of the color of his skin, so he couldn't be one of the people that was being targeted. He could not be an Igbo, so he would be fine. I believe this is an important part of Adichie's story: when we are not the ones being targeted, we're not as affected and we're more willing to turn a blind eye or be silent. returnreturnNow, I realize the irony of singling out the only white person in this entire story, but I think he was put in the story for that very reason - to point out that there will always be people who won't be affected by war and injustice, but that is not reason to be silent or complacent.returnreturnThis was a very powerful book and I recommend to everyone, regardless of age, sex, or nationality.
jluv1220's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and War
jasratchford's review against another edition
Americanah is one of my absolute favourite books and this certainly didn’t disappoint. themes of love, class, the fleeting nature of intellectualism in the face of war. completely heartbreaking and detailed. the ending left me with a really striking sense of loss and emptiness after such a subtly twisting and slowing deteriorating story.
sophieeedj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
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
4.5
meghodg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
emselilly's review against another edition
5.0
Adichie's writing is absolutely addictive in its beauty and wisdom. The characters and narrative leap out the pages. And what an intense and heart breaking story. The kind of book that takes over your life while reading it.
lilia123's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theknightgarden's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25