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A review by spinesinaline
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.0
This was so delightful! It’s billed as romance short stories, though heads up that these aren’t all straight romance as they don’t all have happy endings.
I love retellings and Babalola has such an immersive and creative way of retelling these stories, not to mention the added agency that she gives the female characters. Her intention in empowering the women in these tales is immediately clear and it gives the stories so much more depth. She also highlights a lot of folk tales that aren’t well-known in the Western world, particularly African legends, so it’s a chance for new audiences to engage with these stories.
Personal favourites were “Naleli” for a truly inventive take on the original and “Thisbe” for the cute university twist on the crack in the wall.
I love retellings and Babalola has such an immersive and creative way of retelling these stories, not to mention the added agency that she gives the female characters. Her intention in empowering the women in these tales is immediately clear and it gives the stories so much more depth. She also highlights a lot of folk tales that aren’t well-known in the Western world, particularly African legends, so it’s a chance for new audiences to engage with these stories.
Personal favourites were “Naleli” for a truly inventive take on the original and “Thisbe” for the cute university twist on the crack in the wall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Car accident