A review by missbear
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

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

3.0

I picked this book specifically because I was looking for a book set in Haiti and written by a Haitian author, in order to fulfill a challenge prompt. I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about Haitian literature and had no ideas for what to read (well, except for The Kingdom of This World, which I read in school), so I had to do some googling to find something that would work.

Krik? Krak! was an interesting read — a collection of short story that were somewhat interwoven, which I didn't realize when I chose it. I think I would have preferred a regular novel, because it's just hard for a whole collection of short stories to be winners! I did quite like some of the stories in this collection and found others to be a bit more forgettable.

Overall, this collection did have a distinct emotional tone, a sort of dark twist of resignation and hope. I liked this tone, but I think something about Danticat's writing style keeps the characters seeming just a little distant, as though their suffering numbs them slightly to the world. But that's not to say that individual moments from these stories won't stick with me.
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