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A review by justabean_reads
Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(I can't remember if this was Canada Reads long list, or some kind of CBC reading list about either new books or books by Black authors.)
Another debut novel about growing up in urban Canada written as a series of consecutive short stories. I guess that's a thing these days? Maybe it has something to do with writing workshops or how the short story market works.
I loved this one, the voices were lovely (audiobook value-added: narrator can do a Jamaican accent), and I really liked how the author handled the MC's ambivalence about being the child of immigrants, and a lot of the culture and class issues surrounding that. Her family is basically the all drama all the time channel, but without being a soap opera or making anyone into a caricature. I especially liked the complexity of the relationship between the MC and her grandparents.
I'm 100% going to get Reid-Benta's new novel when it comes out in August. That looks amazing.
Another debut novel about growing up in urban Canada written as a series of consecutive short stories. I guess that's a thing these days? Maybe it has something to do with writing workshops or how the short story market works.
I loved this one, the voices were lovely (audiobook value-added: narrator can do a Jamaican accent), and I really liked how the author handled the MC's ambivalence about being the child of immigrants, and a lot of the culture and class issues surrounding that. Her family is basically the all drama all the time channel, but without being a soap opera or making anyone into a caricature. I especially liked the complexity of the relationship between the MC and her grandparents.
I'm 100% going to get Reid-Benta's new novel when it comes out in August. That looks amazing.