A review by txikimandy
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

This novel is incredible. The pacing is very interesting and the ending feels like the climax, which is a unique structure that I really enjoyed. It was a challenging read and I really enjoyed puzzling out meaning in various areas. The character arcs are interesting because of the large time jump between parts one and two, but I appreciated the care put into shaping each character across that jump.

I love magical realism and this novel was amazing at it. It was accepted that there was something weird about mirrors, as the synopsis on the back alludes to, but the characters accepted that weirdness as their normal. The concept of the mirrors in this novel is incredible and all I want is to know more about Oyeyemi’s vision for the novel. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings