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rooks_books's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Right off the bat, it's a very white savior-y book about racism and prejudice, but aside from that, I though it was solid. Peekay is a bit too perfect and excels too readily at everything he tries, but he's still a fairly compelling character, and faces enough adversity to distract from the fact that he never actually fails at anything. The cast of side characters is much better, with plenty of variety and nuance, and they really are the beating heart of the story.
The writing is solid as well. The plot is fairly episodic, jumping between locations and chapters of Peekay's life, but it works well right up until the very end, which felt rather rushed and disconnected from everything building up to it. The imagery and descriptions, by contrast, are vivid all the way through, and the writing flows well. As a martial artist, I thought the boxing scenes (of which there are many) especially were handled well, providing a good amount of technical detail while keeping things snappy and easy for a layman to follow.
I certainly wouldn't look to this book for an education on South African history, but it's a long and entertaining read, and I was glad to have it ready in my glove box for slow work days.
The writing is solid as well. The plot is fairly episodic, jumping between locations and chapters of Peekay's life, but it works well right up until the very end, which felt rather rushed and disconnected from everything building up to it. The imagery and descriptions, by contrast, are vivid all the way through, and the writing flows well. As a martial artist, I thought the boxing scenes (of which there are many) especially were handled well, providing a good amount of technical detail while keeping things snappy and easy for a layman to follow.
I certainly wouldn't look to this book for an education on South African history, but it's a long and entertaining read, and I was glad to have it ready in my glove box for slow work days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racial slurs and Antisemitism
Minor: Sexual assault
joshmack's review against another edition
Idk
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Outing, Racial slurs, and Racism
brownoxfords's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Hate crime, Child abuse, and Animal death
drizzlybear's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
i loved this book when i read it at a tender age but had difficulties with other of the author's books; this one does still hold up though! there's always something so compelling about the talented underdog to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Excrement, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, and Violence
myworldtoread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
By far one of the best books I've read! Powerful, insightful, unforgettable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Confinement, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization
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