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amandabethslibrary'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: Torture, Racism, Colonisation, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Violence
beetree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, and Rape
bookedatheart_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Racism, and Child abuse
birdbeakbeast's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia
annie_brewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
READ FOR BOOKCLUB - My choice!
One of my favourite reads for the year!
This is a very powerful story with some excellent characters. Buried in the colourful voice of young Dikembe, the colonization documented in this book felt so personal and was so emotionally evocative it was hard to read at some points. The narration of both characters as children was so well done and interesting and I was consistently wondering how their paths could cross.
My only qualm with this book is that while the mirrored circumstances of the Attic provided a connection for while they were young, and represented so much personal pain for both of them as they grew up, the characters and the book seemed a bit lost without this commonality of storylines around the midway point and the diverging (and aging) of the characters as they emerged into seperate societies. While I understand why the author decided to end the novel in a heartwarming way, I think that through all of the heartbreak within the novel the characters had lost come of their charm and it leads me to believe these characters may not have realistically had such a celebratory finale.
Graphic: Colonisation and Confinement
kimveach'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Alcohol, Excrement, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Gore, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Colonisation, and Hate crime
aunticles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Confinement, Colonisation, and Child abuse
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Rape
emilily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Confinement
rebeccaelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Colonisation, War, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Emotional abuse