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A review by liesbethvv
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I read this book for a Reading Around The World bookclub and after our discussion, I kept my rating of 4 stars.
The Girl with the Louding Voice is the story of Adunni, a teenage girl being married off to an old man as a third wife who endures many hardships (do check the trigger warnings) but keeps insisting on trying to make life beter for herself and fighting for her education. She talks us through her experiences in her broken English, that gets better as she learns towards the end of the book. This is a gimmick that takes some getting used too, but certainly helped to transport me to Nigeria and Adunni's reality.
Sometimes Adunni broaches societal issues in a way that I feel is too unrealistic for a 14yo girl with a basic education and that made it feel a little forced sometimes, with social criticism being mentioned too literal to my taste. On the other hand, some of her returns are quite insightful or just plain funny.
Adunni's story captivated me, moved me and made me hope for better for her and many others in her life.
One thing to note is that this book was written for a western audience, published in the UK and might not be very representative of Nigerian literature.
The Girl with the Louding Voice is the story of Adunni, a teenage girl being married off to an old man as a third wife who endures many hardships (do check the trigger warnings) but keeps insisting on trying to make life beter for herself and fighting for her education. She talks us through her experiences in her broken English, that gets better as she learns towards the end of the book. This is a gimmick that takes some getting used too, but certainly helped to transport me to Nigeria and Adunni's reality.
Sometimes Adunni broaches societal issues in a way that I feel is too unrealistic for a 14yo girl with a basic education and that made it feel a little forced sometimes, with social criticism being mentioned too literal to my taste. On the other hand, some of her returns are quite insightful or just plain funny.
Adunni's story captivated me, moved me and made me hope for better for her and many others in her life.
One thing to note is that this book was written for a western audience, published in the UK and might not be very representative of Nigerian literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Abortion, Classism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking
Minor: Religious bigotry, Racism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Murder