We Need New Names

Title: We Need New Names

Author: NoViolet Bulawayo

Genre: YA Fiction

Year of Release: 2014

Review: Darling dreams of moving to America with her aunt where she will have dolls and she’ll never be hungry. But she’s a world away, in Zimbabwe where she lives in a shack and her best friend is pregnant at age 11. Yet in these circumstances, she still has a mostly happy and safe childhood.

That doesn’t mean, however, that when the opportunity to move halfway across the world is offered, that she will pass it up. Once there she begins to discover that the American Dream may be harder to reach than she had anticipated.

I really loved this book. It doesn’t sugar coat the reality of moving to the USA and the disillusionment felt by many immigrants. At the same time, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Especially in the first half of the book, it can be pretty funny. It feels real, because it is. Bulawayo grew up in Zimbabwe and then moved to the States, so I think it’s safe to say at least some of the story comes from her own life.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; progression is key. This is a spot on example of how to transition from a child’s point of view to a young adult’s.

A wonderfully different perspective, and a completely fascinating book.

Rating: 7 and a half stars

Quote: “Then Maneru’s grandfather comes sprinting down Freedom Street without his walking stick, shouting, They are coming, Jesus Christ, they are coming! Everyone is standing on the street, neck craned, waiting to see. Then Mother shouts, Darling – comeintothehousenow! but then the bulldozers are already near, big and yellow and terrible and metal teeth and spinning dust.”

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Title: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Genre:Young Adult Fiction
Year Released: 1999

Review: Book covers have a tendency to over-hype a book so far that the actual story is a disappointment in comparison. And that’s the main issue I have with The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

I went into this book with a faint idea of what it might be about from the trailers I had seen of the film. It’s safe to say I had an entirely wrong impression. There’s a lot more anger and pain than what I had foreseen.

Charlie is a young boy struggling with a potent combination of sexual abuse, drugs and his own fragile mental state. The story is told through a long series of letters he sends anonymously to a stranger.

The writing style bugged me a lot at the beginning. He seemed far too juvenile for his age, but as the story progresses he grows into himself. There’s still some irritating reactions, and it can be a tad repetitive. Even so, it’s an interesting read with a few twists along the way.

Rating: 6 stars

Quote: ” I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.”