I love a short story collection and this was no different. Okonkwo brings to life modern day Nigeria in a very real way. Each story offers a richness I love a short story collection and this was no different. Okonkwo brings to life modern day Nigeria in a very real way. Each story offers a richness in character, culture and themes. I loved how immersive and different each story was. ...more
It is really hard to write a book on love and I feel like Shon Faye did a great job of taking us into their world and I really enjoyed being there. I It is really hard to write a book on love and I feel like Shon Faye did a great job of taking us into their world and I really enjoyed being there. I loved the part about community, being a mother and when the author finally faced themself.
This book is unlike any book I have ever read... in a very good way.
We meet the protagonist who is in the middle of writing their thesis and instead This book is unlike any book I have ever read... in a very good way.
We meet the protagonist who is in the middle of writing their thesis and instead of doing that, he is focused on all his relationships and theorizing who is girlfriends/lovers are and how they experience the world. I had such an amazing time being in his world.
What I will say, this is a book you have to pay attention to and really lock in on. If you do so, you will be rewarded. ...more
If you are looking for a great YA that is steeped in Haitian folklore and with protagonist that you can't help but cheer for, read this!If you are looking for a great YA that is steeped in Haitian folklore and with protagonist that you can't help but cheer for, read this!...more
Who paid to have this on the Booker Prize Longlist? Step forward please, I'd like to have a word!
If you are thinking about reading this book, don't. Who paid to have this on the Booker Prize Longlist? Step forward please, I'd like to have a word!
If you are thinking about reading this book, don't. I read it so you don't have to and yes, I will leave a list of other books you should read instead of this one.
In Claire Adam sophomore novel Love Forms we meet 58-year-old Dawn who is living in London after being divorced from her husband of many years. While married they had two sons together, one is living in the US and the other as a Doctor in the UK. While Dawn was growing up in Trinidad and Tobago in the 80s she got pregnant and was sent to Venezuela by her parents to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Forty years later, Dawn is still looking for the baby girl she gave up. She is on all Facebook group hoping for a chance to meet and reconnect. This is secret continues to haunt her, but she hasn't given up looking, much to the displeasure of her family.
The book starts out with us being taken into the mind of Dawn and what she is going through. It kicks off with a strong start and goes downhill 20 pages in. After that we are treated to the ramblings of a 58-year-old woman who left Trinidad and Tobago years ago, but spends an extraordinary amount of time telling us the deep inner workings and history of the country and that of Venezuela. It is one thing for the author to want to situate their character in history, it is another thing for us to be "treated" to pages upon pages of the history of a country that does nothing to move the plot along or help with character building.
It is clear that Claire Adam, Trinbagonian, did not write this book for Trinis or Caribbean reader, even though the book was book set in Trinidad and Tobago, with Trinbagonian characters. You see this when the writer painstakingly spent paragraphs explaining: 1. what a "steups" is 2. what it means when someone says "the spirit take them" 3. what it means when someone says "it is not easy" Also, in 2025, I am shocked that an author is taking about "good hair". Because... what exactly is "good hair"? What constitutes "bad hair"?
The book itself read like a very bad travel guide for Trinidad and Tobago. Written from the perspective of someone who have not spent a lot of time on the island or left at a very early age. I can't help but wonder, “who was this book written for and why?". Last thing I will say, is that the book felt very unfinished and lacked a strong editor. Every time we got into Dawn's story, we were taken on a historical journey of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
As someone who supports reading Caribbean, I would say skip this book and read these other books instead. These books will give you a better appreciation for strong writing with a side of a love letter to Trinidad and Tobago: When We Were Birds by Ayanna Banwo Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed Hungry Ghost by Kevin Hosein Where There Are Monsters by Breanne Mc Ivor Ibis by Jusin Haynes The Lost Love Songs Of Boysie Singh by Ingrid Persaud Till The Well Runs Dry my Lauren Sharma
These are just a few books off the top of my head that are miles better than this and would give you a stronger appreciation of Trinidad and Tobago as a country, and much much stronger storytelling and plot.
For more book recommendations, follow me @bookofcinz
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