NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names
I tend to like books about immigrants adjusting to the weird American way of life, and this was no exception. I will say that the first half, set in Zimbabwe and primarily featuring protagonist Darling getting into shenanigans (and dealing with more awful things) was a lot stronger than the second, which takes place in Michigan. I really felt like there could have been more to the story there, plus a couple of sections really read like completed short stories inserted into the text (they are excellent short stories though). Bulawayo is a GREAT writer and has a really strong sense of place (for both places), I just wanted there to be a little bit more going on here. And the final image of the book really put me off, and is unfortunately going to haunt me for the next little while. Now I need to read something completely fluffy. B/B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in May.
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