Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Nightbloom

Nightbloom is the story of Akorfa and Silasi, cousins so inseparable when they were young girls that they were more like sisters or best friends. But then circumstances changed, they changed and their bond that was once so strong frayed and eventually broke.

The storytelling was wonderfully engaging and the structure, whereby we first learn Akorfa’s story and then Silasi’s, was really effective at highlighting how no one person necessarily knows the complete true story, and that different people can interpret the same information in totally different ways. As a reader I thought I knew what story this book was telling, but adding Silasi’s perspective which included new information, meant the actual story was very different from my first impression.

In many ways this was a difficult book to read. Not only does it deal with child sexual abuse but the casual way the children were neglected, abandoned, emotionally abused, held responsible for the actions of adults, and used as pawns in adult disputes was really confronting. I can only hope the featured behaviour isn’t the cultural norm.

The story was rich and layered, exploring so many additional themes - racism in America, sexism and misogyny, political corruption in Ghana, family structure and dynamics, intergenerational trauma, class, wealth, personal and cultural values - yet they always felt intrinsic to the story; never heavy handed nor shoe-horned in.

The characterisation was excellent. Both Akorfa and Silasi as well as many of the minor characters leapt of the page - flaws and all. And all the characters were flawed. Many grew over the story, some more than others, yet their essential temperaments, personalities and associated flaws remained, which added to the authenticity in my opinion. Which brings me to the ending. It may not necessarily have been realistic and is definitely not to be recommended or emulated. And yet in the context of the story I could totally understand the reasoning and may even have cheered silently.

Content Warnings

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.

Content Warnings

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

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? Yes

4.0

Generational trauma really will have you not see your daughter as her own person and see her cousin who’s literally a child as out to get you when it’s the reverse

Specific review to the audio book: over all enjoyed and liked it but I found the woman who narrated the first part a bit too soft spoken for me but my earphones are also a bit busted so maybe it was that. The third narrator also has a very bad French accent which barely came up when Phillip is such a. Minor character and doesn’t talk for most of his scenes but it was very surprising how bad the French accent was for those two lines lol.

My biggest issue with Medie’s writing is always pacing bc I think her writing can drag (though here the first part is very intentionally slower then the second or third that both pick up) also bc I don’t think she excels like some others literary writers especially other women in talking about violent mundane social issues and also the mundane joys and comedy of life that the lack of can make the books sometimes feel suffocating and unbearable at parts even when I adore her protagonists for this one. So that’s a major pacing issue for me especially when I both get and like the point of how suffocating machismo is! That said I know I didn’t not really pick up or enjoy the comedy elements in His Only Wife i know others did so I might not be appreciating elements in asking for that are in this and her debut book that others might.

At other points I felt like that for all that I wish her books were more anticapitalist bc it feels like her characters only get through their lives by becoming very wealthy despite her excellent criticism of corruption and violence in elite institutions and organizations it feels ironic that a lot of her characters who suffer ultimately get their lives were worth it because of money even if we both agree the world does listen to money over women.

also I couldn’t really believe a woman who’s aware how corrupt the government and country is and whose husband is a politician wouldn’t be aware she cannot hit a politician who sexually harassed her and her young female employee and hit them both so I wish that was written from a different angle to have the events happen but more believable

. Still while I like and appreciate that I do feel her books are not aimed at women and men who would just agree with her about violence against women especially since none of her protagonists ever call themselves feminists and I don’t think it’s good writing to expect a fiction book to address everything or be a manifesto I do think she got to explicitly heavy handed about those themes and social criticism at times. However I also appreciated how aware she is of the roles other women play as agents of patriarchy because I have heard women of every age and supposed political background regardless how progressive they claim to be or not saw the same suffocating victim blaming things to get away from confronting violent men or their own malicious sexism.

Akorfa in my honest opinion never really learned to be more thoughtful of others interpersonally even if she’s truly not that bad a person and does develop over the book and I would say is actually her positive to people. But her never truly addressing trivial to serious problems her friends had with her was so funny.

Selasi deserved her complimentary comparison to Jesus :). My favorite girl/woman

Also I’ve been to Washington DC and Georgetown and lived in Pittsburgh and been to university of Pittsburgh and it was so much fun hearing those cities described and the library staircases I’ve also been to.

Content Warnings

litletters's review

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emotional 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

Content Warnings

jessicablehman's review

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dark emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

internationalreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I LOVED her first book but this one was a disappointment. Way too long and overly explained (telling rather than showing). I did like the narrative shift halfway through though.

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