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actual rating 3.5 stars
Okay, so that was another mixed read for me. I went into it initially with high expectations, mostly because O'Brien is one of the most praised authors of the century. I will admit that this is my first book by her, and even though I really really enjoyed her writing, I can't say I was overall impressed.
When I decided that this was going to be my next read, I looked at a few reviews of the book, and most of them addressed the same issue, namely O'Brien being an old, white Irish lady writing about a Nigerian teenager. This is something I'm generally not in favour of, as I find that such depictions lack the nuance, sensitivity, and liveliness of an Own Voices depiction, but I decided to keep an open mind and approach this as objectively as possible. The truth is that those who were apprehensive about this book were right: somehow, despite the power of the story itself, this book is almost entirely forgettable. I just know that in two months time I will barely remember anything from this. I know it's a bizarre thing to say about a book with a premise such as this, but it's the truth. Despite the beautiful prose and the hard-hitting story, it is not a book I am likely to remember.
Many readers seemed to have an issue with O'Brien's writing as well, her use of metaphors or allegorical writing. I had no such issue, and I generally loved her writing style (I read the Greek translation of the book, so this might have something to do with it - once again, a good translation can really elevate a book). Ultimately, I just don't think the author and story were a good fit, but I am definitely not done with O'Brien's books just yet.
Okay, so that was another mixed read for me. I went into it initially with high expectations, mostly because O'Brien is one of the most praised authors of the century. I will admit that this is my first book by her, and even though I really really enjoyed her writing, I can't say I was overall impressed.
When I decided that this was going to be my next read, I looked at a few reviews of the book, and most of them addressed the same issue, namely O'Brien being an old, white Irish lady writing about a Nigerian teenager. This is something I'm generally not in favour of, as I find that such depictions lack the nuance, sensitivity, and liveliness of an Own Voices depiction, but I decided to keep an open mind and approach this as objectively as possible. The truth is that those who were apprehensive about this book were right: somehow, despite the power of the story itself, this book is almost entirely forgettable. I just know that in two months time I will barely remember anything from this. I know it's a bizarre thing to say about a book with a premise such as this, but it's the truth. Despite the beautiful prose and the hard-hitting story, it is not a book I am likely to remember.
Many readers seemed to have an issue with O'Brien's writing as well, her use of metaphors or allegorical writing. I had no such issue, and I generally loved her writing style (I read the Greek translation of the book, so this might have something to do with it - once again, a good translation can really elevate a book). Ultimately, I just don't think the author and story were a good fit, but I am definitely not done with O'Brien's books just yet.