A review by salesforce
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A haunting read about what a civil war looks like for people who lived it. Adichie writes about the war in a way that plainly states what happened without outright glorifying or demonizing, and the small details she includes evoke very poignant imagery. The characters were all compelling without being cast as overly good or bad and I could see myself living and dying the same ways they did, with all their virtues and faults. It's profoundly difficult to read because of how dark the context is but I'm really glad I read the novel.

Also special shoutout to the edition I read (ISBN 9781400095209) which is excellently made. The pages are thin and flexible without being fragile and the book feels fantastic to flip through. Super easy to turn the pages and the cover feels good to hold and doesn't attract fingerprints. The cover art is also amazing.
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