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pr1ncessbooks's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
starr_szn's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Feeling of rage, bitterness, anger for how Ephraim tried to drown out Nani.
taniii's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
The middle daughter is a heavy, heartrending book about a family of three daughters and the tragedy of grief, centering the pain of Nani, the middle daughter.
Nani's rosy life with her family tragically comes to an end when she looses her sister, Udo and father to death. Taught to accommodate people with an open mind without judgement she meets Ephraim who becomes her greatest source of tragedy.
The middle daughter teaches you about grief, pain, fear, disappointment and resilience.
The author's use of words in this book was as elegant as it was painful. A very beautiful work of writing.
I was very angry for Nani and proud of her. Ugo and her mother were so annoying I wanted to slap them!
This is a book everyone with a heart for women and their pain should read.
Nani's rosy life with her family tragically comes to an end when she looses her sister, Udo and father to death. Taught to accommodate people with an open mind without judgement she meets Ephraim who becomes her greatest source of tragedy.
The middle daughter teaches you about grief, pain, fear, disappointment and resilience.
The author's use of words in this book was as elegant as it was painful. A very beautiful work of writing.
I was very angry for Nani and proud of her. Ugo and her mother were so annoying I wanted to slap them!
This is a book everyone with a heart for women and their pain should read.
tianaosuoha's review
5.0
This book made me feel many emotions. Anger. I didn't understand why she married him, why she stayed. Tried as I wanted to, I couldn't understand.
This story was brilliantly written. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I'm content that admist the storm, there was a glimmer of hope at the end.
This story was brilliantly written. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I'm content that admist the storm, there was a glimmer of hope at the end.
bookofcinz's review
3.0
A heartbreaking read in every sense of the word…
Chika Unigwe’s novel The Middle Daughter centers a wealthy Nigerian family. The father owns a printing business, the mother is a doctor in the public health system and they have three daughters- one is currently in America studying and the other two attends a private school in Nigeria. They are a very happy family, filled with hope and happiness for the future… that is until one night they get a call from America that changes the trajectory of their family and upends life as they know it.
The novel focuses on the middle daughter Nani, but is told from the perspective of the other daughter as well so you get a layered look into what is happening with the family. With dead circling the family, Nani grieves and thinks her mother and sister is not hurting because of how they decide to “move on with life”. She meets and forms a friendship with a Ephraim, a guy who is deeply religious, quotes the Bible and has a very verbose vocabulary that he loves to show off. What started off as a bit of a joke, morphs into something dark.
First let me say- I was warned twice before reading this book that is was very heavy and covered dark themes that will leave your soul aching. I am not sure I was prepared enough because in reading this I got very angry. The writing of this book will have you feeling a lot of different ways and I guess that is the mark of a good writer.
I am going to go ahead and say this, yes I believe women- but I feel like this was not believable Nani did not explore ALL her options and I think that is what left me feeling so MAD and ANGRY with her as a character. She just went right with it- didn’t talk to her Aunty, her sister anyone. Yes I get that there was a lot of shame- BUT for her to fall into that other option it just didn’t seem to make sense to me. Maybe it is not for me to make sense of this. I also felt that the book wrapped up entirely too fast and the author needed an additional 75 pages to really end the book properly.
Overall, is just heartache, pain, sadness and darkness.
Chika Unigwe’s novel The Middle Daughter centers a wealthy Nigerian family. The father owns a printing business, the mother is a doctor in the public health system and they have three daughters- one is currently in America studying and the other two attends a private school in Nigeria. They are a very happy family, filled with hope and happiness for the future… that is until one night they get a call from America that changes the trajectory of their family and upends life as they know it.
The novel focuses on the middle daughter Nani, but is told from the perspective of the other daughter as well so you get a layered look into what is happening with the family. With dead circling the family, Nani grieves and thinks her mother and sister is not hurting because of how they decide to “move on with life”. She meets and forms a friendship with a Ephraim, a guy who is deeply religious, quotes the Bible and has a very verbose vocabulary that he loves to show off. What started off as a bit of a joke, morphs into something dark.
First let me say- I was warned twice before reading this book that is was very heavy and covered dark themes that will leave your soul aching. I am not sure I was prepared enough because in reading this I got very angry. The writing of this book will have you feeling a lot of different ways and I guess that is the mark of a good writer.
I am going to go ahead and say this, yes I believe women- but I feel like this was not believable Nani did not explore ALL her options and I think that is what left me feeling so MAD and ANGRY with her as a character. She just went right with it- didn’t talk to her Aunty, her sister anyone. Yes I get that there was a lot of shame- BUT for her to fall into that other option it just didn’t seem to make sense to me. Maybe it is not for me to make sense of this. I also felt that the book wrapped up entirely too fast and the author needed an additional 75 pages to really end the book properly.
Overall, is just heartache, pain, sadness and darkness.
sammisaysread's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booklovers_space's review against another edition
3.0
I do not have the words to describe this book actually, I read everything and tried to make it mean more to me the reader, what kept me going is curiosity.
I do not wish what Nani went through on anyone.
If you do find yourself in her situation or related stuff, please know that it is not your fault….
“Even if you had walked into his house naked, even if you were lying in his bed naked, and told him you did not want sex, he should have respected it. It is your body. He lured you. He raped you. He tricked you into marrying him.”
Loss.Grief.Family.Abuse.Justice.Rape.Death.Pain.
I do not wish what Nani went through on anyone.
If you do find yourself in her situation or related stuff, please know that it is not your fault….
“Even if you had walked into his house naked, even if you were lying in his bed naked, and told him you did not want sex, he should have respected it. It is your body. He lured you. He raped you. He tricked you into marrying him.”
Loss.Grief.Family.Abuse.Justice.Rape.Death.Pain.
kellcalista's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.0
I enjoyed the first ten to twenty pages in, but afterward, everything fell really flat. I honestly did not enjoy this book, any further analysis will include spoilers.