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notesofacrocodile's Reviews (254)
informative
reflective
challenging
sad
tense
short play that touches upon racial and class tensions in the time of thatcher's britain and a young gay interracial couple at the center of it. it would be so amazing if this play were novelised and the themes were explored in greater detail, especially in regards to the class tensions.
dark
funny
lighthearted
fun fast-paced collection of short stories that features an octogenarian woman with an inclination towards murder; i desperately need more from this genre.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
challenging
informative
reflective
i need to read more essays from isabella hammad !
dark
reflective
tense
perhaps it was the timing (i read this book over the period of my exams) or it could have also been the characterisation, but i just did not feel anything too strong about it. however, i did really like the writing style of the author.
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
a very interesting semi-autobiographical novel that explores themes such as race and gender in 1960s zimbabwe, then rhodesia. the focus on how colonisation affects an individual down to the level of interpersonal relationships and relationships with the self in this specific context was also explored through the fascinating characters of this story. tambu as a character was very likeable but ultimately also very frustrating, as she would often give into regressive norms (although from her perspective it made sense, to an extent).
overall this book is a great start to the trilogy; however, i do wish nyasha's issues were explored better rather than wrapping up in a rush at the end. the mental debates and dilemmas from both nyasha and tambu were worth looking into in this regard.
overall this book is a great start to the trilogy
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
the writing style of this book was so absorbing, it felt even lesser than the 320 pages that it amounted to. i really liked the way the coming-of-age tale of the narrator was handled and the nuance that went into the handling of the civil war as a backdrop, at least as much was possible through a child's lens.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is no secret, Tom, or else there are hundreds of them, and none of them interesting enough for you. The secret is that we’re a family, we’re just an ordinary family, with ordinary unhappiness like yours.
such a thoughtful, painful little book. it definitely delivered on the premise, going through topics of ordinary unhappinesses such as the difficulties faced by irish immigrant families in england, especially when they're of a working class nature, a teenage pregnancy, alcohol abuse, loneliness, and the neglect of a child, amongst others. not to say they aren't terrible, just that they wouldn't be interesting enough for newspapers and the media, their unhappinesses too routine and frequently seen for it to hold any sustained attention. i really liked this novel and - dare i say - much more than acts of desperation; i do think however, that this is also due to the fact that dysfunctional families are one of those features of a plot/novel that really pull me in. the only thing i could not get on board with was the fact that some of the themes mentioned in the novel were not explored as well as they could have been, a longer length could have definitely helped this story's case for the better.
but i still really liked it, it's an interesting perspective into this subject.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
i really love that jewelle gomez created such a creative and unique take on vampire fiction; if more vampire fiction was inspired from this one i definitely would have delved more into this subgenre. she incorporates black & indigenous people and their struggles into the narrative, exploring racism, misogyny, queerness, & the concept of community, particularly among queer people. i find it so cool that she inverted the popular perception of vampires as being selfish/draining into a state of growth and learning instead. i just want to give gilda and her friends a big, huge hug.