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A review by zonderling
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is a story about a young man growing up as the only living child of a secretive mother in Nigeria. He longs to fulfill his (shallow) dream of having a blonde girlfriend, but also of escape.
This book is about complex relationships (human/country, mother/son, friend/lover, deceased/survivor, beauty/ugliness, poetry/wreckage, hope/defeat... I could go on), but significantly the struggle between the body and the brain.
I found it to be heartbreaking and hilarious, and very smart. The poetry throughout was never flowery, but always impactful, giving us a glimpse into the heart of our beloved Andy Africa, full of intellectual curiosity, and carrying the burden of his mothers ruin from the very start, without fully comprehending why.
I love a book that teaches me, and I was soon researching foods, anti futurism and massacres. What I found in researching the terms and events of a culture I'm largely ignorant of was compelling, curious and heartbreaking -- just like this unforgettable novel. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to read and review this in advance without obligation.
This book is about complex relationships (human/country, mother/son, friend/lover, deceased/survivor, beauty/ugliness, poetry/wreckage, hope/defeat... I could go on), but significantly the struggle between the body and the brain.
I found it to be heartbreaking and hilarious, and very smart. The poetry throughout was never flowery, but always impactful, giving us a glimpse into the heart of our beloved Andy Africa, full of intellectual curiosity, and carrying the burden of his mothers ruin from the very start, without fully comprehending why.
I love a book that teaches me, and I was soon researching foods, anti futurism and massacres. What I found in researching the terms and events of a culture I'm largely ignorant of was compelling, curious and heartbreaking -- just like this unforgettable novel. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to read and review this in advance without obligation.