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Abi Daré has weaved magic through a story which is painful and realistic. She has created a character in Adunni I don't think I will ever forget.
The book takes place only over a matter of months but it feels much longer because the way you are pulled into Adunni's life. From the richness of the earth, to the smell of the shit, the feelings of the crowd in Lagos, to the depths of despair and joy, humour and sadness... It hooked me in and took me along as if I was with Adunni every step of the way. Outstanding.
CW: rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking
The book takes place only over a matter of months but it feels much longer because the way you are pulled into Adunni's life. From the richness of the earth, to the smell of the shit, the feelings of the crowd in Lagos, to the depths of despair and joy, humour and sadness... It hooked me in and took me along as if I was with Adunni every step of the way. Outstanding.
CW: rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking
I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but.. Wow.
Written mainly from the perspective of Lauren, a 10 year old who lives with her father in the Highlands, it hooked me in from the beginning. The addition of the supernatural undertones, alongside some of the best descriptions of the Highland land - the trees, air, and the people within - it was superb but distinctly unsettling.
Its still making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up even though I've finished reading.
Written mainly from the perspective of Lauren, a 10 year old who lives with her father in the Highlands, it hooked me in from the beginning. The addition of the supernatural undertones, alongside some of the best descriptions of the Highland land - the trees, air, and the people within - it was superb but distinctly unsettling.
Its still making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up even though I've finished reading.
I wanted to read this because it was about a plus size woman navigating her life. That's all that pulled me in..but it ended up being so much more. As a small Fat woman I found some of the internal dialogue Bea had with herself pretty realistic. Yes, we might look like we have our shit together and we are confident but basically most of that is bullshit for me, most of the time.. Or at least it has been. Most fat women do have to go on a "journey" to become truly comfortable in our skin.
There are issues surrounding some of the racial stereotypes of the men, for example Asher being the smart, bookish Asian and even though Sam came from a rich family, he was still written like a young, lazy Black man and I felt that trope was not anything that added to his storyline.
In the end, there are a lot of us who have thought too long over a partner who was too ashamed of our fat bodies to acknowledge them and who put themselves first when it's time to move on. The story with Ray felt so real it made me want to scream every time he was on the page. Its not perfect. Bea definitely could have been written better. She could have ordered groceries that weren't exactly what straight sized people think fat people eat. There could have been some hiking in the hills because actually, if I was Bea living that life I probably would be up there every weekend.
It actually gave me similar feelings to The Flatshare. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the style of the book interspersed with Slack chats, TMZ reports, emails.. Perfect tonic to these covid times. 3.5 stars rounded up for fun.
There are issues surrounding some of the racial stereotypes of the men, for example Asher being the smart, bookish Asian and even though Sam came from a rich family, he was still written like a young, lazy Black man and I felt that trope was not anything that added to his storyline.
In the end, there are a lot of us who have thought too long over a partner who was too ashamed of our fat bodies to acknowledge them and who put themselves first when it's time to move on. The story with Ray felt so real it made me want to scream every time he was on the page. Its not perfect. Bea definitely could have been written better. She could have ordered groceries that weren't exactly what straight sized people think fat people eat. There could have been some hiking in the hills because actually, if I was Bea living that life I probably would be up there every weekend.
It actually gave me similar feelings to The Flatshare. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the style of the book interspersed with Slack chats, TMZ reports, emails.. Perfect tonic to these covid times. 3.5 stars rounded up for fun.
About halfway through this I thought I was going to have to give up. It was like wading through words to get anywhere, however I was glad I persevered.
On reflection, it think the book should be read slowly, seeping into your brain, the emotions raw and confusing, because they are so realistic. I read another review which said it would benefit from a family tree, and I wholeheartedly agree. The complexity of the story is so mirrored in the nature of the history of Maoist China. A timeline of contradictions and difficulty, reflected in beautiful writing.
Having spent time in China with the Children of this generation, I found the writing absolutely enthralling and transportational. It is genuinely a work of art. Ai-Ming's story came to life in the last third of the book and turned the book into a real classic. Most people have probably very little understanding of what happened in China from the 1960s onwards, and Thien captured not only the depth and violence, but the beauty and loss. I definitely found the women of the story to be it's beating heart, while Sparrow the bird that we were chasing right to the end.
Really fantastic.. If only it wasn't for the extremely long chapters in the middle where I felt like I was wading through the story it would have been 5 stars.
On reflection, it think the book should be read slowly, seeping into your brain, the emotions raw and confusing, because they are so realistic. I read another review which said it would benefit from a family tree, and I wholeheartedly agree. The complexity of the story is so mirrored in the nature of the history of Maoist China. A timeline of contradictions and difficulty, reflected in beautiful writing.
Having spent time in China with the Children of this generation, I found the writing absolutely enthralling and transportational. It is genuinely a work of art. Ai-Ming's story came to life in the last third of the book and turned the book into a real classic. Most people have probably very little understanding of what happened in China from the 1960s onwards, and Thien captured not only the depth and violence, but the beauty and loss. I definitely found the women of the story to be it's beating heart, while Sparrow the bird that we were chasing right to the end.
Really fantastic.. If only it wasn't for the extremely long chapters in the middle where I felt like I was wading through the story it would have been 5 stars.
