A review by jess_always_reading
Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Well... I so wanted to love this book, the story seemed like it had so much potential. However, it was a struggle to get through it, I was constantly feeling like I was left wanting more. Herrera introduces some excellent critiques of foreign aid and the saviourism that often goes with it but it feels very surface level, there's one character who's almost a caricature in his obvious plot-device state that takes a lot of the critique as if this would ever be an individual problem and not a systemic issue. Also, Desta's own saviourism is barely touched on and immediately forgiven with very little reflection or reparations.

Additionally, while I have loved complex characters who are deeply flawed in the past, Desta just comes across as completely self-absorbed to the point where Elias loses dimensionality. There's very little I could tell you about Elias because we just don't see a lot of exploration of his character despite this apparently incredible love they have for each other and the complex experiences he has had (the unsafe environment for queer people feels like it's treated as a convenient plot device).

There are also several instances where Elias could really use Desta's support and he ends up being the one to comfort and support Desta, exceptionally problematic when you consider that Desta wants to become a social worker (I'm one myself so this was really upsetting).

Honestly, I also really wanted more of Ethiopia! This was supposed to be a love letter to the country and I don't feel like the setting was explored enough. We get some surface-level descriptions and really inconsistent ones at that.
they're constantly described wearing sweaters and cooler weather clothes but then we find out at the end that it's actually been summer this whole time, as someone who's been in this part of the world this doesn't track at all
I had really been hoping for something more like Julian Winter's approach to describing and integrating Santa Monica into his novel The Summer of Everything (rich description with emotion). 

Lastly, the writing/character voices were rough. It felt very juvenile for two adult characters and we (the reader) were constantly being force-fed information (telling instead of showing). 

I know this is Herrera's first novel so I have hope for her later work. I'm just left wanting so much more with Finding Joy. 

Would not recommend. 
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