cleoreads's reviews
90 reviews

These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What a peculiar, yet original book. 

Where we begin with this book, is not where we end. Through a non-linear timeline, the author pulls the reader in so many different directions. I was constantly on my tippy-toes, leaning in towards the story, interested to see where the author will take me. But I must admit I lost my footing at times. 

This is a generational family saga like no other. Seeing as at times, the title is to be understood as both literal and figuratively. As someone who prefers not to dabble with demons, I preferred the chapters in this book where we dealt with figurative ghosts. 

What would you do if the haunting actions and choices of your past showed up at your doorstep, ready for a reckoning? The characters were forced to face their ghosts that were seeking answers for years of lies, betrayal, abuse and abandonment committed. Very messy, but very entertaining. 

This novel travels borders and centuries, as the author navigates vignettes sometimes set in Jamaica, sometimes Harlem, sometimes the 1800s, sometimes the 2000s. I have to applaud the author for exploring themes such as slavery, patriarchy, migration and repentance in such an unconventional way, but the ending left me truly confused as to how it fit into the whole story. Even after watching interviews of the author, I am still not convinced. 

However, that first chapter alone was enough to put this author on my radar. I am looking forward to their next offering. 

She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

emotional funny relaxing tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Stressful. 

Augustown by Kei Miller

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Travelers by Helon Habila

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”  

I’ve been struggling summarising my experience of this book. Every time I start thinking about it, I’m consumed with rage. Even though the quote above is a fairly popular one that I’ve seen around before reading this book, it never stops leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. The insidious nature of it all will never cease to stun me. 

There’s a part where Onkwonko asks Oberieka if the “white man understands our custom about land” and he replies “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue?”. This shows that the colonisers never came here with the intent to listen or have a conversation. Their only intent was pacification and destruction. The audacity. 

And then Onkwonko. DEEP SIGH. The most toxic male character I’ve come across. The man who gives more care to the yams he plants and harvests than to women. The man who sees vulnerability and gentleness as a weakness, and further associates weakness with womanhood. As infuriating as he was, it was jarring reading his life being reduced to a mere paragraph at the end. 

I’m glad this book is being taught to high school students. Achebe gifted us with a book that at first beautifully portrayed Igbo culture - bright and colourful - but then slowly revealed to us how whiteness came and dullness settled.