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A review by jenne512
Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique
2.0
Let's start with the positives. The writing in this book is beautiful and dramatic. Sometimes, I would reread lines because Yanique has a way with words that enthralls the reader. Yanique's writing kept me engaged. Additionally, I listened to this as an Audible book, and the readers did a great job bringing Yanique's words to life. Yanique does set up some fascinating characters, such as Eona with her devotion to being a proper lady and Anite with her wild, impulsive personality. They all begin with such promise and intrigue to make a reader need to keep reading. Learning about Caribenean culture was also a highlight; I haven't read a book based on this culture so this was a fun new experience. I loved reading about the Virgin Islands and how the shift in colonial rule influenced the lives of the islanders for generations.
But the biggest problem was that the arc of many of these interesting characters doesn't feel satisfying in the end. They go through trauma, only to repress it. They part take in big events in their island community, only for their role to be glossed over by the narrative. I think this is most highlighted by Jacob's storyline, where he goes into army training in New Orleans, witnessing racism in American for the first time. His rebellion is apparently for nothing in the end, yet it felt like a major event of its kind during that time period. Plus it appeared to barely impact the character later in the book. These overall arcs for these characters felt disappointing, and I just wanted more...I don’t know..development? Plot details? I’m not exactly sure to be honest. In the end, the book felt like a left down since the writing occasionally did keep me at the end of my seat.
But the biggest problem was that the arc of many of these interesting characters doesn't feel satisfying in the end. They go through trauma, only to repress it. They part take in big events in their island community, only for their role to be glossed over by the narrative. I think this is most highlighted by Jacob's storyline, where he goes into army training in New Orleans, witnessing racism in American for the first time. His rebellion is apparently for nothing in the end, yet it felt like a major event of its kind during that time period. Plus it appeared to barely impact the character later in the book. These overall arcs for these characters felt disappointing, and I just wanted more...I don’t know..development? Plot details? I’m not exactly sure to be honest. In the end, the book felt like a left down since the writing occasionally did keep me at the end of my seat.