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

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

5.0

Half of a Yellow Sun quickly became one of my favourite books. The reviews make out that the book’s main focus is the Biafran War, but I think the book is more about feminism, privilege, love and friendship. This is perfectly demonstrated by how interwoven these characters lives became towards the end of the book. There are so many perspectives to be dissected in this book - from the dichotomy of Ugwu, the houseboy, who feels protective over his master Odenigbo and mistress Olanna despite being their “slave” and sent away to sleep in the boys quarters every night with the rest of the houseboys. And the carefully written Richard, who falls in love with both Igbo art and his Nigerian lover, Kainene. He never tries to claim Nigerian culture as his own and uses his white privilege to write to the British press about the atrocities of the Biafran War. I could write a whole other book just talking about the nuances of each character.
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