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A review by richa_singh
Three Rooms by Jo Hamya
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I had been drawn to the book because of the potential themes it would explore. However, the Execution if the said themes were rather lackluster. The most interesting and engaging bits were the parts were the unnamed narrator would narrate to us the constantly tenuous living arrangements and how she had to adjust her own desires and personality traits to somehow belong to any space. But such narration was sparce throughout the text.
Instead, excessive focus was given to the political backdrop of Brexit. This choice could also have been impactful, but only if one already knew the nuances regarding the issue. Otherwise, the text felt rather alienating and stifling. Personally, I felt that the issue of Brexit was overused - especially when pages after pages of political commentary were dumped into the text without any nuanced attempt at integrating this backdrop with the main plot.
Another major issue was the insufferable nature of the main character. Additionally, she was also very bland as a character. I would like to read a book about any of the other side characters who appear in the text - Ghislane, the neighbour or even the mother of the narrator flatmate. The main character had almost no original personality of her own and had too constantly rely upon Twitter posts and Instagram posts to articulate herself. The ending too was quite a letdown. In short, although the initial premise were quite promising, the sheer lack of original thought on the part of the narrator and the lackluster Eexecution was what compromised the integrity and potential of the book.
Instead, excessive focus was given to the political backdrop of Brexit. This choice could also have been impactful, but only if one already knew the nuances regarding the issue. Otherwise, the text felt rather alienating and stifling. Personally, I felt that the issue of Brexit was overused - especially when pages after pages of political commentary were dumped into the text without any nuanced attempt at integrating this backdrop with the main plot.
Another major issue was the insufferable nature of the main character. Additionally, she was also very bland as a character. I would like to read a book about any of the other side characters who appear in the text - Ghislane, the neighbour or even the mother of the narrator flatmate. The main character had almost no original personality of her own and had too constantly rely upon Twitter posts and Instagram posts to articulate herself. The ending too was quite a letdown. In short, although the initial premise were quite promising, the sheer lack of original thought on the part of the narrator and the lackluster Eexecution was what compromised the integrity and potential of the book.