PositiveThe Miami Herald...an impressive debut ... Gyasi manages to make each story feel intensely personal and shows a willingness to stay in the uncomfortable moments ... In direct opposition to the death, displacement and fragmentation of so many individuals and families as a result of the slave trade, Homegoing serves as a modern-day reconstruction of lost and untold narratives — and a desire to move forward. Having both sides of one family journey home together more than 300 years after the fact is the start of a new truth, a new chapter.
Karan Mahajan
MixedThe Miami HeraldMahajan shows his dexterity in these portraits, portraying the lives of fictional characters who feel real and help us empathize with — rather than gloss over — the reality of dealing with these issues on a regular basis ... The last third of the novel becomes overwrought with new, complicated plots and a focus on minor characters who are far less interesting. The emotional resonance so sharply felt in the beginning dulls and fades away.
Helen Oyeyemi
RaveThe Miami HeraldBy the end of What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, we know that Oyeyemi’s allegiance to books and writing is absolute, and her love of words runs deep. For faithful readers, being granted access to these inventive and ambitious stories is a bit like receiving a gift, one full of strange and private wonders.
Yann Martel
PanThe Miami HeraldThe High Mountains of Portugal feels like Martel’s attempt to create an allegory for sorrow; more often than not, it rings flat because we’re not invested in the characters, nor do we have enough details to care much about them. Much more interesting are Martel’s subtle observations on how humans are able to survive and grow even in times of extreme grief and duress, how sometimes the worst experiences can turn out to be the best.
