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hollyd19 's review for:
Behold the Dreamers
by Imbolo Mbue
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A contemporary fiction story that follows a Cameroonian couple, Jende and Neni Jonga, through their experience of coming to and working in NYC. Jende gets a job working as a chauffeur for a Lehman Brothers executive, Clark Edwars, in the fall of 2007. What follows juxtaposes the Jongas’ struggles against the Edwards’ — one family being wildly wealthy and the other barely scraping by.
My rating of this book is more reflective of my experience of reading it than a critique of the writing. The book is interesting and engaging. I learned a lot about Cameroonian culture. But I found myself upset with nearly every character and found some of their choices confusing given the preceding character development. I particularly struggled with the trajectory of Jende and Neni’s relationship. Ultimately, reading this novel gave me some clarity around some of my preferences as a reader, specifically needing at least one character I can get behind, and some sort of redemptive storyline.
My rating of this book is more reflective of my experience of reading it than a critique of the writing. The book is interesting and engaging. I learned a lot about Cameroonian culture. But I found myself upset with nearly every character and found some of their choices confusing given the preceding character development. I particularly struggled with the trajectory of Jende and Neni’s relationship. Ultimately, reading this novel gave me some clarity around some of my preferences as a reader, specifically needing at least one character I can get behind, and some sort of redemptive storyline.