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A review by samarakroeger
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
I listened to the Adjoa Andoh audiobook version, which I’d give a higher rating on its own (~4.5/5), simply because Andoh did a fantastic job bringing Adunni to life.
However, the story itself is one giant Africa Cliche™️ that is inspiring and compelling, sure, but made the plot and hardships she went through pretty predictable. Would anyone write a book about a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is forced to marry an old man instead of going to school and dreams of a better life and end the book as dire as it started? Didn’t think so, and the feel-good nature of it got a bit old to me. (Can you tell that I hate inspirational books?)
I’d seen this book in bookstores but hadn’t gotten it because the whole thing is written in dialect (and a very broken version of the dialect at that, meant to reflect her semi-literate ness). I find dialect of any kind hard for me to read in print because I don’t hear words spoken in my head when I read. However, fear not! I found that the audio version was pretty clear to understand, especially given Andoh’s masterful use of tone and inflection. Some of Adunni’s word mixups were pretty funny, in an Amelia Bedelia sort of way.
I would love to read more from Abi Daré, as this was still a pretty solid debut despite all the cliches. I think she did a great job with the voice/tone/thought process of Adunni, the 14 year old narrator. It was believable in a way that many teen protagonists written by adults are not (looking at you, John Green). You can’t help but root for her.
plot: 2.5/5
main character: 4/5
narration: 4.5/5
However, the story itself is one giant Africa Cliche™️ that is inspiring and compelling, sure, but made the plot and hardships she went through pretty predictable. Would anyone write a book about a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is forced to marry an old man instead of going to school and dreams of a better life and end the book as dire as it started? Didn’t think so, and the feel-good nature of it got a bit old to me. (Can you tell that I hate inspirational books?)
I’d seen this book in bookstores but hadn’t gotten it because the whole thing is written in dialect (and a very broken version of the dialect at that, meant to reflect her semi-literate ness). I find dialect of any kind hard for me to read in print because I don’t hear words spoken in my head when I read. However, fear not! I found that the audio version was pretty clear to understand, especially given Andoh’s masterful use of tone and inflection. Some of Adunni’s word mixups were pretty funny, in an Amelia Bedelia sort of way.
I would love to read more from Abi Daré, as this was still a pretty solid debut despite all the cliches. I think she did a great job with the voice/tone/thought process of Adunni, the 14 year old narrator. It was believable in a way that many teen protagonists written by adults are not (looking at you, John Green). You can’t help but root for her.
plot: 2.5/5
main character: 4/5
narration: 4.5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Trafficking