Scan barcode
qqjj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War
dana_in_denver's review
3.0
This book is hard to rate with the star system. It unfolds slowly and it is so dark it is hard to find "entertaining." However, it is a book I am glad that I read in that I learned a lot about the civil war in Sierra Leone and about PTSD. 99% of the population of Sierra Leone was considered to have PTSD after the war.
krissy1's review against another edition
2.5
โโ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐! ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐."
About the book: ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ 3 ๐๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ ๐พ๐ค๐ก๐, ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ง, ๐ผ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ, ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ.
Thoughts: ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐.
๐บ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
๐พ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ท๐บ, ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐ถ๐ฝ.
denimbaobab's review
5.0
I stayed up until 2h30 one Monday morning in order to find out how this tale would end. Mamakay, Kai, Agnes, they filled my dreams for days.
sophiewilliams's review
2.0
This made me really uncomfortable in parts - very graphic, nonromanticised sex scenes make for difficult reading especially when it's asentences dropped in with very little warning.
Found the relationship between Elias and Safia v odd, and quite stalkerish.
Just didn't suit the mood I was in while listening to it and nearly became a dnf
Found the relationship between Elias and Safia v odd, and quite stalkerish.
Just didn't suit the mood I was in while listening to it and nearly became a dnf
booktwitcher23's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
burrowsi1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
adrienneturner's review against another edition
I just could not bring myself to care about Elias or Adrian (kinda hate Elias tbh) and life is just too short to keep muddling through this.
nqcliteracy's review
5.0
Beautiful, raw, thought-provoking, intricate, poignant, interesting, heavy, and ambitious: I loved this story. It snuck up on me. Deeply adored the characters, felt enraptured by Sierra Leone, and fell in love with the weighted, direct nature of the narration. Everything about the book spoke love, nostalgiaโ the trauma of feelingโ from the title to the descriptions to the images evoked. Not without its horrors, Forna tells of rebel violence and resulting PTSD with grace and honesty. Family saga with evolving and surprise connected storylines. Raw and wrenching at times but won my heart ten times over. Gorgeous, gorgeous read from an importance voice I want never to forget. Highly recommend.