I plowed through this novel earnestly; it was a page turner for me because, well, how many times have I come across a female African protagonist living and observing race in the United States? When people say there are no more stories to tell, I can give them this book for a quite original story (even though it really shouldn't be, sadly it is). There are many stories out there, many voices.

Americanah follows Ifemelu back and forth through time and continents -- she's been in American 13 years and she's heading back to Nigeria -- and she traverses a lot of physical and mental territory. So much of this novel made me think, made me look at many every day things different, and enlightened me to a lot of things I simply did not know.

And while the structure is ebbs and flows over time, it's not as seamless as it might seem. I was jolted at times, but it's a tiny fault. I'm excited that Lupita Nyong'o bought the rights to this novel and hopefully will present a great adaptation of this on film.


4.5/5!

I feel like I'm still processing the ending of this series, two days after finishing. This book found the characters aging and Lenu still trying to grapple with all the self-doubt she battles with in all areas of her life. And then, tragedy. Tina's disappearance was heartbreaking, as was the aftermath in Lila. When I paused to consider all that Lila had gone through in her life in Naples, I thought: no wonder she's such a jerk most of the time. And the push and pull between her and Lenu could become so brutal; reading these from Lenu's point of view made me wonder how reliable she was as a witness to Lila's feelings. I loved these complex characters that could not be categorized as 'good' or 'bad' but only human. Ferrante has such a talent for seamlessly writing in the passage of time in people and places. The books are a marvel.

There was much left to the reader to hypothesize in the end, and I look forward to meeting with a friend to discuss what happened to Tina, to the Solara brothers, to Lila. Until then, it still feels like the characters in this series are alive somewhere in the back of my mind.

As it ended, I understood that I will one day go back and read these books again. Ferrante was able to conjure a world so true to life: there are things that stick with us over years and decades, things that we can't let go of and help to inform our fates. When I first read A Brilliant Friend there seemed so much that perhaps mattered then to little girls that would not matter again; but Ferrante recalls those moments in ways throughout the next three books. I know when I re-read that first book again it will have so much more depth for having already finished the series.

I love this book. I LOVE THIS BOOK. I felt bad having to put it down and was always eager to pick it back up. I loved the first book in this series, My Brilliant Friend, but I love this one even more. It continues the story of Lila and Lenu and how they are navigating adulthood amidst circumstances out of their control... and some very much in their control. Their friendship feels so realistic at times and I often think of my own friendships while reading.

Must go to start the next book in the series now...

A book that started a bit slow, but soon I was fully engrossed in Naples, in the lives of their inhabitants. I haven't read many novels about young girls that are quite so bleak or un-flowery, and I loved that. I liked reading about these richly painted characters and their complicated friendship. It is a novel about a time, place, and characters, but I was self-reflective of my own friendships growing up as I read. I loved this book and I'm eager to read the rest of the series... it's been months since I read it but I haven't been able to shake Elena and Lila off yet. I'm so glad there's more to read.