Reviews with content warning for Abortion - Nightbloom

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Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie

19 reviews

babsbee's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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

4.75

I got pulled into this novel from the first page, and I stayed up late way too many nights telling myself I'd read just a few more pages. There were so many times reading the story of Akorfa and Selasi (and the various other people around them) that I wanted to scream my rage at the people who kept trying to silence them, to remind them that they should not bring dishonor or embarrassment to their families. A look into racism (for Akorfa in the US), into a corrupt government trying to silence Selasi when she stands up for another young woman (in Ghana), dealing with deaths and abandonment of family members, and the rape they both experience made me so angry for them. But yet, Akorfa and Selasi (especially Selasi) also gave me hope. They are strong women and they know their strength and will not be silenced.

It's a challenging read but also a very fast one, and one that I highly recommend for everyone to read.

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obfuscatress's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

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baileyanabella's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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amy_park's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

Read this book via audio and really enjoyed the journey and writing style. We follow two cousins in Ghana for a span of 30 years and the fallout of their friendship break down and how their lives progressed separately and finally join back together. This book is very emotional and passionate which really resonated within the audio book.
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.

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booksillremember's review

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dark emotional informative sad 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

3.5

An interesting story, and I like the idea of showing it through two POVs. Complex family dynamics and intergenerational trauma were described in an insightful and mostly nuanced way.

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.

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alisonannk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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bookswithlydscl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative 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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. I swapped between the ebook and audiobook, and honestly, both were a fabulous way to consume the story. The narrators are wonderful, but the words themselves are beautiful and flowing, making it an absorbing and enjoyable read.
The subject matter at times is tough, and it's so endlessly frustrating in many ways, but that's what makes this such a human and enriching story.
I liked the split POV and feel that it was so strongly written that even when we were covering Selasis's side of the same story encountered in Akorfa's narrative that it didn't feel repetitive.
I wanted to take this book slowly and did that during Part One, but once we got to Selasi and started catching up to their adult lives, I just couldn't stop reading. I wanted to see how the story would close, and Part Three brought everything together perfectly and gave me the ending that I hoped we would get. Much like real life, there is an element of ambiguity and openness to the closing of this novel, but I also felt this chapter of their lives had the conclusion it needed.
I'm so glad I picked this up due to its Women's Prize Longlisting and feel that I could come back to it again in the future.

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carolines's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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morybaby's review against another edition

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3.5

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arsenelouppain's review

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a finely-crafted narrative with vibrant characters that popped off of the page. They were all so full of life and emotion, even those with minor appearances.

It was intriguing to see the same set of events unfolding from two different perspectives. Peace Adzo Medie did an excellent job of creating realistic protagonists that were sympathetic despite their faults. Though I do wish there had been more distinction between their unique voices.

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