A review by aunticles
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

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

4.0

This is a compelling read and Lola Jaye is a brilliant storyteller. As many other readers have mentioned, the sections about Lowra were less engaging than those narrated by Dikembe. The merging of the dual storylines worked for me and I liked the ending. The main story was fascinating, full of historical detail, the depiction of brutal colonialism and the pride that white people took (and still take) in it was deeply enraging and moving. The dialogue and some of the writing was rather stilted and formal. This worked ok for the historical parts but I think contributed to Lowra's character being less sympathetic and relatable in the modern parts. She and Monty never quite came to life for me as Dikembe did. It's a big book, tackling big themes and started slowly, but by midway it had become a real page-turner and I raced to the finish.
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