Take a photo of a barcode or cover
notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
3.5 stars
Usually I have a pretty good sense of how I’m feeling about a book as I’m reading it, but this one left me questioning my feelings.
The story is about a high schooler named Margot, whose parents are having a longstanding affair. Margot’s mother is a famous theater actress and her father is a prominent politician. She’s known since she was a young girl that her father was married to someone else, but the affair is a secret. Imagine growing up as a child with that kind of knowledge?
This was a quiet and introspective coming-of-age story. It’s told from Margot’s perspective and we can see that there’s a lot simmering beneath the surface, until things boil over a few times. I thought Margot and Anouk, her mother, were extremely fascinating characters. They are close by nature of existing as a unit when her father is not around. However, at the same time, their relationship is strained because Anouk is not the mother that Margot wants her to be. I thought the author did a really good job exploring their mother-daughter relationship.
I was drawn into this story quite quickly and I loved the Paris setting. Paris has always been such an intriguing, sophisticated city to me and I think it made the perfect backdrop for this story.
I did start to lose steam a bit towards the last third or so. At first I couldn’t pinpoint why, but thanks to the discussion with my Literary League chapter, I realized that there were some specific plot points that I really didn’t like. Regardless, I did think this was a well-written, compelling story and a strong debut. Now, who wants to go to Paris with me?
Usually I have a pretty good sense of how I’m feeling about a book as I’m reading it, but this one left me questioning my feelings.
The story is about a high schooler named Margot, whose parents are having a longstanding affair. Margot’s mother is a famous theater actress and her father is a prominent politician. She’s known since she was a young girl that her father was married to someone else, but the affair is a secret. Imagine growing up as a child with that kind of knowledge?
This was a quiet and introspective coming-of-age story. It’s told from Margot’s perspective and we can see that there’s a lot simmering beneath the surface, until things boil over a few times. I thought Margot and Anouk, her mother, were extremely fascinating characters. They are close by nature of existing as a unit when her father is not around. However, at the same time, their relationship is strained because Anouk is not the mother that Margot wants her to be. I thought the author did a really good job exploring their mother-daughter relationship.
I was drawn into this story quite quickly and I loved the Paris setting. Paris has always been such an intriguing, sophisticated city to me and I think it made the perfect backdrop for this story.
I did start to lose steam a bit towards the last third or so. At first I couldn’t pinpoint why, but thanks to the discussion with my Literary League chapter, I realized that there were some specific plot points that I really didn’t like. Regardless, I did think this was a well-written, compelling story and a strong debut. Now, who wants to go to Paris with me?
2.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Sadly, I didn’t love this one as much as I thought I was going to. I read MEET CUTE earlier this year and really liked it, so I was excited to pick up her newest release. This started out pretty rocky for me and I was considering DNFing, but thankfully it did get better about a third of the way in.
I think this was a little too saccharine for me. Especially in the beginning, it was cheesier than I would have liked, the dialogue was a bit cringey, and the characters just felt very flat. It did get better, but I think that was my overall problem with the story- there was not a lot of depth.
There were elements that I really enjoyed, such as Blaire owning a cupcake café and all the descriptions of the various cupcakes she makes (I’ve got a major sweet tooth and now I desperately want a cupcake). I liked learning more about Ronan’s backstory and getting to meet some of his family. The author also dropped a little Easter egg reference to one of the characters from MEET CUTE, which was a fun find when I spotted it.
I struggled somewhat with this book, but there were some cute moments and a couple steamy scenes. Although it didn’t really hit the mark for me, given that I enjoyed MEET CUTE, I would still be interested to read more of the author’s work.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Sadly, I didn’t love this one as much as I thought I was going to. I read MEET CUTE earlier this year and really liked it, so I was excited to pick up her newest release. This started out pretty rocky for me and I was considering DNFing, but thankfully it did get better about a third of the way in.
I think this was a little too saccharine for me. Especially in the beginning, it was cheesier than I would have liked, the dialogue was a bit cringey, and the characters just felt very flat. It did get better, but I think that was my overall problem with the story- there was not a lot of depth.
There were elements that I really enjoyed, such as Blaire owning a cupcake café and all the descriptions of the various cupcakes she makes (I’ve got a major sweet tooth and now I desperately want a cupcake). I liked learning more about Ronan’s backstory and getting to meet some of his family. The author also dropped a little Easter egg reference to one of the characters from MEET CUTE, which was a fun find when I spotted it.
I struggled somewhat with this book, but there were some cute moments and a couple steamy scenes. Although it didn’t really hit the mark for me, given that I enjoyed MEET CUTE, I would still be interested to read more of the author’s work.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Normally as I’m reading a book, I have some sense of what I’ll want to mention in my review, but this book has me a bit stumped. Guys, it was wild. So let me just say that I don’t have any nostalgia around this book. I know a lot of people read it when they were teens, but I’d actually never heard of it until recently. Was it entertaining? Yes, definitely. I almost wish I had my reactions on video because I was making all kinds of faces when reading this book. Was it difficult to read at times because of the sexist and problematic comments made by some of the characters in the book? Also, yes.
The main character, Winter, is selfish and manipulative. The only people she cares about are herself and her family, but mostly herself. She’s flawed and difficult to like, but she’s still the center of this story, and there’s power in that. I feel like the author was trying to tell a story about a young Black girl growing up in the hood, and I appreciated that. And given how popular it was, it seems like many people connected with that aspect of the story.
So I don’t quite know how to feel about this book. I imagine I would have felt differently if I had read this book when I was younger, but reading it as an adult, I thought it was an entertaining story, but also felt like a product of its time.
Normally as I’m reading a book, I have some sense of what I’ll want to mention in my review, but this book has me a bit stumped. Guys, it was wild. So let me just say that I don’t have any nostalgia around this book. I know a lot of people read it when they were teens, but I’d actually never heard of it until recently. Was it entertaining? Yes, definitely. I almost wish I had my reactions on video because I was making all kinds of faces when reading this book. Was it difficult to read at times because of the sexist and problematic comments made by some of the characters in the book? Also, yes.
The main character, Winter, is selfish and manipulative. The only people she cares about are herself and her family, but mostly herself. She’s flawed and difficult to like, but she’s still the center of this story, and there’s power in that. I feel like the author was trying to tell a story about a young Black girl growing up in the hood, and I appreciated that. And given how popular it was, it seems like many people connected with that aspect of the story.
So I don’t quite know how to feel about this book. I imagine I would have felt differently if I had read this book when I was younger, but reading it as an adult, I thought it was an entertaining story, but also felt like a product of its time.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
“As kids, we learn we are lesser people only to spend the rest of our lives unlearning it.”
“At some point, all black people in conversation with white culture are asked to perform their blackness so it is easier for white people to categorize them.”
“We stay in our boxes because we are told to stay in our boxes, because we are told we are not enough outside them.”
I really enjoyed this collection of essays about being a dark-skinned Black girl, and then Black woman in America. Lawson writes about the difficulty of growing up in spaces where you are not expected to succeed. She also writes about the unworthiness that many young Black girls feel and how we are taught not to feel pain. We are taught to confine ourselves, or grouped into certain stereotypes, but Black women cannot be contained and we still find ways to rise.
Lawson is clearly very intelligent and a poet as well. This makes sense to me as her writing is excellent and I liked the way that she played around with the structure of some of these essays. I connected with the introduction immediately when she brought up American Girl dolls (oh how badly I wanted one as a kid!). Aside from the introduction, my favorite essays were “For Colored Girls,” “Names for ‘Black’ and What Year It Was,” “‘Black Lives Matter’ Yard Signs Matter,” “Let Her Be Laughter,” and “Diana Ross is Major.”
I felt seen while I was reading this collection and I also felt for the author and the experiences that she’s had to go through.
“As kids, we learn we are lesser people only to spend the rest of our lives unlearning it.”
“At some point, all black people in conversation with white culture are asked to perform their blackness so it is easier for white people to categorize them.”
“We stay in our boxes because we are told to stay in our boxes, because we are told we are not enough outside them.”
I really enjoyed this collection of essays about being a dark-skinned Black girl, and then Black woman in America. Lawson writes about the difficulty of growing up in spaces where you are not expected to succeed. She also writes about the unworthiness that many young Black girls feel and how we are taught not to feel pain. We are taught to confine ourselves, or grouped into certain stereotypes, but Black women cannot be contained and we still find ways to rise.
Lawson is clearly very intelligent and a poet as well. This makes sense to me as her writing is excellent and I liked the way that she played around with the structure of some of these essays. I connected with the introduction immediately when she brought up American Girl dolls (oh how badly I wanted one as a kid!). Aside from the introduction, my favorite essays were “For Colored Girls,” “Names for ‘Black’ and What Year It Was,” “‘Black Lives Matter’ Yard Signs Matter,” “Let Her Be Laughter,” and “Diana Ross is Major.”
I felt seen while I was reading this collection and I also felt for the author and the experiences that she’s had to go through.
I devoured this book in one day. I’d heard such good things about Emezi’s writing and now I know for myself they are a wonderful storyteller.
I loved that this book was set in Nigeria. I’ve only been to Nigeria a few times, so I enjoy learning more about the country and the culture through books. I appreciated the way that Emezi incorporated some Igbo phrases without explaining them, and Pidgin English. I knew what most of the phrases meant and it made the dialogue feel very realistic.
The story unfurls slowly. We start with the knowledge that Vivek Oji is dead, and then layer after layer is peeled off until we are left with the truth. Some chapters are written from Vivek’s perspective, some from his cousin, Osita’s perspective, and the rest from a third-person narrator. I thought the pacing was really well done, especially given that it’s a short book.
Emezi writes about the cyclical nature of life and about discovering your true self. I’m being vague about the plot/themes because I really feel like you should go into this book blind and just let the story take you.
The opening chapters in particular felt very cinematic to me- I could see this being a quiet and beautifully shot film. It’s just a beautiful and heartbreaking story and now I am even more excited to read the rest of Emezi’s work.
I loved that this book was set in Nigeria. I’ve only been to Nigeria a few times, so I enjoy learning more about the country and the culture through books. I appreciated the way that Emezi incorporated some Igbo phrases without explaining them, and Pidgin English. I knew what most of the phrases meant and it made the dialogue feel very realistic.
The story unfurls slowly. We start with the knowledge that Vivek Oji is dead, and then layer after layer is peeled off until we are left with the truth. Some chapters are written from Vivek’s perspective, some from his cousin, Osita’s perspective, and the rest from a third-person narrator. I thought the pacing was really well done, especially given that it’s a short book.
Emezi writes about the cyclical nature of life and about discovering your true self. I’m being vague about the plot/themes because I really feel like you should go into this book blind and just let the story take you.
The opening chapters in particular felt very cinematic to me- I could see this being a quiet and beautifully shot film. It’s just a beautiful and heartbreaking story and now I am even more excited to read the rest of Emezi’s work.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I thought this was so good! I really enjoyed this book and I felt the tension throughout. I appreciated that a lot of that tension comes from the fact that this is based on real life issues. I loved that this book was set in Brooklyn and focused on the topics of gentrification and Black communities. It felt like Cole was able to draw attention to gentrification by dramatizing it somewhat, but the events that take place in this book are sadly quite believable.
When I started this book, I immediately felt like the narrator had such a strong voice. I really liked Sydney, our main character, and also felt for her since she had to put up with/deal with a lot. Her struggles made me think of a topic that’s been discussed a lot recently- Black women do so much to protect others, but who is out there looking out for and protecting them?
I thought this was such a compelling read and I really couldn’t put it down for the last 100 pages or so, which were action-packed. I will say that the pacing is slower for a good chunk of the book and then it really ramps up at the end. I believe that Cole primarily writes romance, so I’ll be really interested to see if her writing style is similar when I read one of her romances (I’m probably going to start with A PRINCESS IN THEORY, which has been on my TBR for ages). If you’re looking for a suspenseful book that ties in with current issues, then I would recommend this one.
I thought this was so good! I really enjoyed this book and I felt the tension throughout. I appreciated that a lot of that tension comes from the fact that this is based on real life issues. I loved that this book was set in Brooklyn and focused on the topics of gentrification and Black communities. It felt like Cole was able to draw attention to gentrification by dramatizing it somewhat, but the events that take place in this book are sadly quite believable.
When I started this book, I immediately felt like the narrator had such a strong voice. I really liked Sydney, our main character, and also felt for her since she had to put up with/deal with a lot. Her struggles made me think of a topic that’s been discussed a lot recently- Black women do so much to protect others, but who is out there looking out for and protecting them?
I thought this was such a compelling read and I really couldn’t put it down for the last 100 pages or so, which were action-packed. I will say that the pacing is slower for a good chunk of the book and then it really ramps up at the end. I believe that Cole primarily writes romance, so I’ll be really interested to see if her writing style is similar when I read one of her romances (I’m probably going to start with A PRINCESS IN THEORY, which has been on my TBR for ages). If you’re looking for a suspenseful book that ties in with current issues, then I would recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I knew I was going to like this book, but I was not really prepared when I started this book. It really delivered and I loved it!!
I was listening to the first episode of the podcast Dreaming in the Dark, and the hosts were talking about Black characters they identified with in their childhood. It got me thinking about my own experiences. I read plenty of fantasy when I was a kid, and I don’t even remember any specific Black characters in them. Granted my memory is pretty terrible, but it’s also highly likely that Black characters were not included in the fantasy I read growing up, or if they were, not featured enough to be memorable. But in LEGENDBORN, you have Bree, a young Black girl, who is the main character of this story and a reflection of real Black girls. That is so powerful.
I loved Bree as a character. She is strong-willed, but she is also in so much pain over her mother’s death. We see her being brave, but we also see her break down and be vulnerable, shattering the myth that Black women are strong and can handle anything. I saw a quote the other day that said something along the lines of, “Just because you carry the burden well, does not mean you are well,” and that made me think of Bree.
Bree deals with both micro and macroagressions when she’s in predominantly white spaces. We feel her pain when she realizes there’s a monument on campus that was built to honor a man that enslaved people, or as she walks into old buildings at her school when she knows the founding fathers of that school never intended for those spaces to include Black people. Phew, it’s a lot, but it’s necessary to see these things being called out, to shed a light on a fraction of what Black people experience every day in this country. Bree’s story is also about grief as she searches for meaning in her mother’s death and tries to understand who her mother really was.
Gosh, there’s so much to love in this book. We get a King Arthur reimagining, a bit of school/campus life, a secret society, some romance, death, grief, mother/daughter relationships, a quest for the truth, and more. This book was jam-packed and the writing really pulled me in. From the beginning I was invested in Bree’s story and I enjoyed following along on her journey.
It was a story full of action and emotion and heart, which made it so entertaining and so much fun to read. I didn’t want it to end, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading. When I finished the book, I was absolutely buzzing- I needed to know what happens next! I’m so happy this book exists and I’m so ready for the sequel (seriously, when is it coming out??).
///
Ahhh, it was SO good. I need the sequel, stat!!!
I knew I was going to like this book, but I was not really prepared when I started this book. It really delivered and I loved it!!
I was listening to the first episode of the podcast Dreaming in the Dark, and the hosts were talking about Black characters they identified with in their childhood. It got me thinking about my own experiences. I read plenty of fantasy when I was a kid, and I don’t even remember any specific Black characters in them. Granted my memory is pretty terrible, but it’s also highly likely that Black characters were not included in the fantasy I read growing up, or if they were, not featured enough to be memorable. But in LEGENDBORN, you have Bree, a young Black girl, who is the main character of this story and a reflection of real Black girls. That is so powerful.
I loved Bree as a character. She is strong-willed, but she is also in so much pain over her mother’s death. We see her being brave, but we also see her break down and be vulnerable, shattering the myth that Black women are strong and can handle anything. I saw a quote the other day that said something along the lines of, “Just because you carry the burden well, does not mean you are well,” and that made me think of Bree.
Bree deals with both micro and macroagressions when she’s in predominantly white spaces. We feel her pain when she realizes there’s a monument on campus that was built to honor a man that enslaved people, or as she walks into old buildings at her school when she knows the founding fathers of that school never intended for those spaces to include Black people. Phew, it’s a lot, but it’s necessary to see these things being called out, to shed a light on a fraction of what Black people experience every day in this country. Bree’s story is also about grief as she searches for meaning in her mother’s death and tries to understand who her mother really was.
Gosh, there’s so much to love in this book. We get a King Arthur reimagining, a bit of school/campus life, a secret society, some romance, death, grief, mother/daughter relationships, a quest for the truth, and more. This book was jam-packed and the writing really pulled me in. From the beginning I was invested in Bree’s story and I enjoyed following along on her journey.
It was a story full of action and emotion and heart, which made it so entertaining and so much fun to read. I didn’t want it to end, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading. When I finished the book, I was absolutely buzzing- I needed to know what happens next! I’m so happy this book exists and I’m so ready for the sequel (seriously, when is it coming out??).
///
Ahhh, it was SO good. I need the sequel, stat!!!
Well this was one wild ride. As I was reading, I kept stopping to relay what was happening in the book to my boyfriend because I just couldn't wrap my mind around it and needed to tell someone about it!
If you're late to the party like me, this is a memoir written by a woman who grew up in a Fundamentalist Mormon household. Her parents didn't believe in vaccinations, going to the doctor, and sending their kids to school, among other things. We discussed this in a book club that I just started going to, which did color my thoughts on this a little before I'd had a chance to fully form them in our own. But it was such a good discussion because there is so much to unpack in this memoir.
Reading this book brought to mind how I felt after the 2016 election. It reminded me that there are things going on in other parts of the country that I know nothing about. It blows my mind that people can be living with such beliefs in this day and age, and yet here we are.
The author writes, "It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you," and I thought that was such a powerful statement. This memoir is about her taking control of her own life and telling her story in her own words.
As I write this, I'm a little torn how to rate it. While I did enjoy the writing, it felt at times like she had imposter syndrome and was overcompensating a bit (and I'm not blaming her for this, just stating how it came across to me). I'm also not sure what to make of her as a narrator. I believe what she has written is true, but she does doubt herself sometimes and admits that memory is a tricky beast. That doubt does not detract from her story, but to me it's an indication that some parts were definitely left unwritten and unsaid. Overall, I thought this was a really powerful and eye-opening memoir and I'm glad that I finally read it.
If you're late to the party like me, this is a memoir written by a woman who grew up in a Fundamentalist Mormon household. Her parents didn't believe in vaccinations, going to the doctor, and sending their kids to school, among other things. We discussed this in a book club that I just started going to, which did color my thoughts on this a little before I'd had a chance to fully form them in our own. But it was such a good discussion because there is so much to unpack in this memoir.
Reading this book brought to mind how I felt after the 2016 election. It reminded me that there are things going on in other parts of the country that I know nothing about. It blows my mind that people can be living with such beliefs in this day and age, and yet here we are.
The author writes, "It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you," and I thought that was such a powerful statement. This memoir is about her taking control of her own life and telling her story in her own words.
As I write this, I'm a little torn how to rate it. While I did enjoy the writing, it felt at times like she had imposter syndrome and was overcompensating a bit (and I'm not blaming her for this, just stating how it came across to me). I'm also not sure what to make of her as a narrator. I believe what she has written is true, but she does doubt herself sometimes and admits that memory is a tricky beast. That doubt does not detract from her story, but to me it's an indication that some parts were definitely left unwritten and unsaid. Overall, I thought this was a really powerful and eye-opening memoir and I'm glad that I finally read it.
I’m learning that sometimes it’s better to put a book down and come back to it. TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM was probably my most anticipated book of 2020 and I consider HOMEGOING to be one of my all-time favorite books. I was so excited when I started reading this and expectations were high. But then as I delved into the story, I saw themes that I find difficult and I was resisting. I wasn’t in the right headspace, so I put it down. I read a few books in between that suited my mood better, and then I decided to come back to this one with a fresh perspective, and I’m so glad I did.
Gifty, a neuroscience candidate, narrates this story about her parents immigrating from Ghana to America, specifically Alabama, about her brother dying of an overdose, and about her mom struggling with depression. As she tells this story, she grapples with her faith, her brother’s death, and her relationship with her parents, trying to understand how all the pieces fit together.
It’s a heavy book. I read the second half in a couple days and I had to take mini breaks while reading. I saw some of myself in Gifty, which was not entirely a pleasant experience, and related to aspects of her story, mainly in terms of having immigrant parents and the way she was raised. Reading about Gifty’s journey with her faith was somewhat uncomfortable for me and I think that’s part of what I was resisting. Like Gifty, I was raised in a very Christan household and raised to believe in God. Now as an adult, I don’t love reading about religion because it brings up feelings that I don’t want to examine yet.
With Gifty and her mother, I saw a mother-daughter relationship that was distant and at times strained, but also full of love. These characters are so flawed and human. Even though her mother is not warm and affectionate like Gifty may have wanted, we can see that she loves Gifty in her own way. And Gifty resents her mother at times, but she also takes care of her when her mother truly needs her. That’s Gifty’s way of showing her love.
Family, addiction, mental health, race, science, faith. These can be difficult topics to explore, but of course Gyasi handles them with grace, respect, and tenderness. The pain and suffering that Gifty and her family feel leaps off the page. I felt it in my gut, and it all felt too real.
The more I think about this book, the more I feel that it was brilliant and that my reading experience with it was very personal. When you’re not used to being seen, when you’re often in the background, it can be a strange feeling to see yourself reflected back at you. The reflection is not exactly the same, but has enough similarities that you recognize yourself. I think that’s part of what I struggled with in the first half- I saw some of myself when I wasn’t ready to.
Of course I can’t help but compare it to HOMEGOING. Although the storyline of HOMEGOING was much more in my wheelhouse, I feel like this book was similar with its emotional devastation. Gyasi’s writing is so powerful. She ends chapters with sentences that knocked the wind out of me. She humanizes addiction for those who don’t believe it’s a real disease and she shines a light on mental health, two topics that I think have a history of being shunned in Black communities.
After I finished the book, I was reeling a bit and all up in my feelings. It’s a quiet and heart wrenching book. While reading I was grappling with my own personal questions, like Gifty, that I don’t have answers for yet. If I had any doubts, this book cemented Gyasi as one of my favorite writers and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
4.5 stars
//
Wow, this book. I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Full review to come.
Gifty, a neuroscience candidate, narrates this story about her parents immigrating from Ghana to America, specifically Alabama, about her brother dying of an overdose, and about her mom struggling with depression. As she tells this story, she grapples with her faith, her brother’s death, and her relationship with her parents, trying to understand how all the pieces fit together.
It’s a heavy book. I read the second half in a couple days and I had to take mini breaks while reading. I saw some of myself in Gifty, which was not entirely a pleasant experience, and related to aspects of her story, mainly in terms of having immigrant parents and the way she was raised. Reading about Gifty’s journey with her faith was somewhat uncomfortable for me and I think that’s part of what I was resisting. Like Gifty, I was raised in a very Christan household and raised to believe in God. Now as an adult, I don’t love reading about religion because it brings up feelings that I don’t want to examine yet.
With Gifty and her mother, I saw a mother-daughter relationship that was distant and at times strained, but also full of love. These characters are so flawed and human. Even though her mother is not warm and affectionate like Gifty may have wanted, we can see that she loves Gifty in her own way. And Gifty resents her mother at times, but she also takes care of her when her mother truly needs her. That’s Gifty’s way of showing her love.
Family, addiction, mental health, race, science, faith. These can be difficult topics to explore, but of course Gyasi handles them with grace, respect, and tenderness. The pain and suffering that Gifty and her family feel leaps off the page. I felt it in my gut, and it all felt too real.
The more I think about this book, the more I feel that it was brilliant and that my reading experience with it was very personal. When you’re not used to being seen, when you’re often in the background, it can be a strange feeling to see yourself reflected back at you. The reflection is not exactly the same, but has enough similarities that you recognize yourself. I think that’s part of what I struggled with in the first half- I saw some of myself when I wasn’t ready to.
Of course I can’t help but compare it to HOMEGOING. Although the storyline of HOMEGOING was much more in my wheelhouse, I feel like this book was similar with its emotional devastation. Gyasi’s writing is so powerful. She ends chapters with sentences that knocked the wind out of me. She humanizes addiction for those who don’t believe it’s a real disease and she shines a light on mental health, two topics that I think have a history of being shunned in Black communities.
After I finished the book, I was reeling a bit and all up in my feelings. It’s a quiet and heart wrenching book. While reading I was grappling with my own personal questions, like Gifty, that I don’t have answers for yet. If I had any doubts, this book cemented Gyasi as one of my favorite writers and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
4.5 stars
//
Wow, this book. I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Full review to come.
When I got this book back in April, we were already a month into quarantine. Given the title, I really wanted to save it to read on the beach on a summer day, even though that seemed extremely unlikely a few months ago. Fast forward to this past week, when I went on a safe and socially distanced trip down to the shore with my boyfriend for a much needed change of scenery. Of course, I had to pack BEACH READ and I did get to read it on the beach after all, which was such a wonderful feeling. Something that seemed impossible a few months ago, had become possible again, and that gave me a bit of hope (and I want to acknowledge the privilege I have in even being able to go on that trip at all).
Now for the book itself: I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I loved the premise of it, but my main issue was that I never got as emotionally invested as I would have liked. I’m not sure if my expectations were too high or if I just wasn’t in the right headspace when I picked this up, but I felt like key emotional moments didn’t hit me the way they were meant to.
I did enjoy the ending though and the idea that there’s something brave about giving someone else your heart, even when you’ve seen other love stories go wrong, and even though you’re essentially giving them the power to destroy you. It’s a risk, a leap, an act of trust, and it can be extremely terrifying, but also extremely rewarding. That theme, in particular, spoke to me, but what can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic too.
Now for the book itself: I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I loved the premise of it, but my main issue was that I never got as emotionally invested as I would have liked. I’m not sure if my expectations were too high or if I just wasn’t in the right headspace when I picked this up, but I felt like key emotional moments didn’t hit me the way they were meant to.
I did enjoy the ending though and the idea that there’s something brave about giving someone else your heart, even when you’ve seen other love stories go wrong, and even though you’re essentially giving them the power to destroy you. It’s a risk, a leap, an act of trust, and it can be extremely terrifying, but also extremely rewarding. That theme, in particular, spoke to me, but what can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic too.