docedeleite 's review for:

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

4.0

emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This book is beautifully written and Adichie doesn't skimp on the details. Her prose is excellent. I felt like I couldn't put this book down. I really empathized with Kambili and Jaja, and the abuse they suffered was so visceral it was hard to read. This book tackles so many themes - colonialism, religion, white supremacy, political violence/terrorism, etc. But it's also a kind of coming of age novel for a young teen girl: how her sheltered upbringing kept her from truly living and how she grows to look forward to the future and have hope.