Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

3 reviews

rionstorm's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Really well written, but very heavy. The story is told in an almost dissociative, hazy, slow way. Gorgeous descriptions of flora that were all unfamiliar to me, so I got to learn about lots of new plants/fruits/etc. There's only very shallow exploration into any character other than the narrator, which is perhaps by design but left me feeling a bit disconnected from the story. Not exactly my cup of tea but a well written book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Infidelity, War, Misogyny, Outing, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Miscarriage

midnightmarauder's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

4.5

I really enjoyed reading this book; so much, that I could barely put it down once I began reading it.

Under the Udala Trees tells the story of Ijeoma, a girl who lived in Nigeria during the Biafran war. After

losing her father in an attack

, she and her mother split up, as her mother is distraught about how to live raising a child by herself. This is what ends up with Ijeoma moving away, where she meets Amina.

Amina and Ijeoma are in love with each other, during a time where homosexuality was very looked down upon in Nigeria (and still is today). One night,

as they make love to each other, they are found out by the family they're staying with

, and get split up.

Ijeoma knows in her heart that she is a lesbian, but it isn't allowed by the citizens of Nigeria, nor her mother. So, she is led into years of self-hatred and loathing, wanting so desperately to be allowed to be who she is, but instead being forced to pretend to be something she isn't.

I found myself sympathizing deeply with Ijeoma. As a black lesbian myself, I know what it's like to be at war with yourself, being both so sure of your own feelings, yet conflicted about them, all at the same time. Just wanting to fit in and be like everyone else, but also struggling with it because you're not like everyone else, and not comforming should be allowed. 

Chinelo Okparanta, the author, leaves an author's note about the current stance on which Nigeria has on homosexuality. They have criminalized it, and are listed as the second most religious country in the world. It makes me wonder how many more people like Ijeoma live in that country, forced to hide their love from the world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, War, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Misogyny, Hate crime, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault

fruya's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, and Medical content

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, and Child abuse