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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
so, i'm a little torn between 2 and 3 stars. this is really not a novel. it's a collection of short stories loosely tied together. if it was presented that way, i think i would have liked it better.
while the stories themselves were ok, they lacked direction and i think she could have done a lot more with it. i kept questioning where it all was going. if she had taken the first and last chapters and tied them together with a middle, i think it would have been wonderful.
oh well . . . moving on.
while the stories themselves were ok, they lacked direction and i think she could have done a lot more with it. i kept questioning where it all was going. if she had taken the first and last chapters and tied them together with a middle, i think it would have been wonderful.
oh well . . . moving on.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence
I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of Haiti's politics but it was super confusing. I had difficulty figuring out who was talking, when it took place, how they related to the Dew Breaker, etc. I don't think I'd have finished it if it were any longer.
A quiet Haitian man in NYC with an artist daughter, a secret he and his wife have been hiding from her from their time in Haiti is slowly unearthed: this is the basic plot of Danticat’s beautifully written novel. The nine parts could stand alone as short stories, but they work together to show the effects of revolution, violence, and the choices made during those times on all the people around you, whether you’re aware of them or not. The stories and the topics in this novel cover kept calling to mind the visual of a ripple in a pond.
Some people have complained about the disjointed nature of the novel but I found it wonderful, especially as a reflection of memory, which is never linear.
Some people have complained about the disjointed nature of the novel but I found it wonderful, especially as a reflection of memory, which is never linear.
As usual Danticat writes beautifully. I didn't enjoy this one as much as Breathe, Eyes, Memory. This book was written from the perspective of multiple people, which might be why I didn't enjoy it as much as her other books.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Danticat is an excellent writer, and I really got a sense of place during a specific era in Haiti. However, I think I would have liked this book better if I read it in a couple of sittings. The characters were often not named, and it often took me a while to figure out who they were and how they fit into the story, or even where we were in the story. There was lots of jumping back and forth, which I am usually fine with, but there was a lack of contextual clues when picking up this book after putting it down for a couple of days, so I found myself going back and rereading parts just to figure out what was going on.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i hate to rate it so low because it wasn’t BAD, but i just could not get into the stories and the characters were very dull imo
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes