A review by kirsten0929
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

4.0

[1985] Notes to self… Coming of age story. Annie John is a fascinating and compelling young character, confident yet confused, difficult and rebellious yet wanting to please, bold yet insecure. I found the story did not flow smoothly, but Annie’s arc and the relationship with her mother shone through anyway. The author keeps us in Annie’s head and we understand her every move, in ways that we don’t understand her mother’s every move. Felt like I was in Antigua the whole time, through the food they ate, the clothes they wore, the way they did their hair, the sea, the weather. Very little story, and what there was didn’t flow, felt a little choppy, but that’s okay. The main character’s growth was interesting and compelling, and the writing and atmosphere kept me in it.