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sundayray's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Outing, Biphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, Miscarriage, War, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
hanreadin's review
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Outing, Religious bigotry, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, War, Sexism, and Sexual assault
bites_of_books'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
4.0
We follow Ijeoma, from her childhood, living through civil war in Nigeria, the aftermath, her coming of age, and learning that she's in love with another girl, all the way through to her adulthood. Her mother leans heavily into religion as she mourns her husband and that has a very strong impact in Ijeoma's life and is a heavy theme throughout the book. Another big theme is folktales. We get multiple short folktales told by various characters at different points in the story, those were my favorite parts.
I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a book that portrays the history of how queer people are treated in Nigeria through the eyes of a lesbian girl who grows up in that culture. There's a lot of shaming, emotional abuse, homophobia, war, etc. so do read with care!
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Abandonment, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
rachela_7'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
4.0
Graphic: War, Homophobia, and Violence
sapphicsolace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage and Rape
toofondofbooks_'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Child death, Child abuse, Gore, Suicide, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, War, Murder, Grief, Rape, Body horror, Hate crime, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death, Classism, and Infidelity
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
i def appreciate okparanta's goal in writing this novel. the horrible plight - both historical and present day - of lgbtq+ folks in nigeria depicted is emotional and harrowing, and i like how the unlikable characters are surprisingly multidimensional. however, i somehow cant quite connect to the characters, esp ijeoma, who always feels a distance removed despite being the narrative voice, thereby affecting my enjoyment of the book overall.
it also feels like many things happen while also not, particularly the novel's last 2/3, after the marriage. focus also seems to be misplaced on certain inconsequential things while important points can feel glossed over.
all in all, though i appreciate the sentiment behind writing this book, ultimately i dont find it to be an enjoyable one.
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: War, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
laurareads87'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? No
5.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Death, Grief, Rape, Death of parent, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Ableism and Miscarriage
Minor: Islamophobia
sarahrosea's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Outing, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, and Suicide
Minor: Child death
bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Medical trauma, Grief, Homophobia, War, Death, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Misogyny