mbejjani 's review for:

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
4.0
emotional hopeful 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: Yes

A tender and intentional exploration of the American Dream and what it can (and can’t) look like. Mbue manages to make all of the characters likable enough - none of them is the “villain,” rather, the system itself that they are striving in and against is the villain. The book relays a grounded and human critique of capitalism without any heavy-handedness.