Reviews tagging 'War'

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

45 reviews

mbichaela's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

ENG
exquisite writing, powerful story and i've learned about nigerian civil war. this book is also special to me because i have annotated it for my friend for her birthday (hopefully she will like it as much as i did).
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simone_k's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

I really loved this book, especially the ending. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the LGBTIQ+ community deserve happy endings in books, and so I'm so glad that turned out to be true for this book. Plus it wasn't just a simple happy ending, the protagonist Ijeoma really fought and struggled for that happy ending. Also, it wasn't cliché or over the top, there was still an element of sadness as queer people in Nigeria don't have much freedom to be who they are and love who they are.

That's another thing I loved about this book; I learnt so much! I've never really read or watched anything about Nigeria, so I loved learning about another country and its culture. I also appreciated how Okparanta explored themes of sexism and how it intertwines with the specific experience of being a lesbian. I also really enjoyed Okparanta's writing style, it was easy to read and easily grabbed my attention. Her vivid descriptions were also so immersive.

Towards the end during Ijeoma's marriage, the pacing dragged on a bit, but overall, it was a fantastic book that I'd highly recommend.
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askard's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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stellenelcielo's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Undoubtedly, it took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I definitely enjoyed it.

However, it was a difficult read.

Trigger warning for intense homophobia, religious trauma, and marital rape. 

For those reasons, it was a hard to read, and at some points upsetting, especially if you (like me) are apart of the LGBTQ+ community.

Other than that, I could not recommend this enough, it is beautifully written, and it’s a valuable perception into queer life in places other than the West. It’s so easy to become engrossed in the way our own struggles and acceptances are here, that we don’t consider how they are elsewhere.
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gm_vak's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective 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

4.0

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