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babsbee's review
- 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
4.75
It's a challenging read but also a very fast one, and one that I highly recommend for everyone to read.
Graphic: Classism, Abandonment, Abortion, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Racism, Grief, Misogyny, and Rape
obfuscatress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Abortion
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Incest
baileyanabella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Incest
readalongwithyasmin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, and Classism
balladofreadingqueer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This story addresses friendship, family, reputation, expectations and life plans.
Minor: Rape
amy_park's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the originality of the book being separated by the first half being told by Akorfa and second half from Selasi's perspective. I found it engaging and having both perspectives you really digged deeper into the characters and storyline.
Many heavy areas were explored, which emotionally drew me in. I would read more from this author and definetly would recommend reading via audiobook.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Abortion
booksillremember's review
- 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
3.5
The novel is a commentary on #metoo, racism and classism in Ghana and to a lesser extend the US. Towards the end, it feels really quite preachy, as if the author doesn't trust her characters to convey the message or she doesn't trust her readers to understand it otherwise (there's a few pages where Akorfa mentally lists all the pros and cons of living in Ghana vs the US as a black person, almost like a school essay).
I feel the author relies too much on 'tell, don't show' instead of letting the character's actions speak for themselves. I also wish more time had been spent on the main characters coming to term with their pasts.
That said, the writing style is very accessible and I enjoyed learning a bit about Ghana (and really want to try the food now), so I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you need a break from more challenging reads.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Rape, Abortion, Classism, and Racism
claire_p's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Rape
linda_elaine's review
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, and Racism
emziesreads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Rape