Title- The Girl With the Louding Voice
Author- Abi Dari
Series- standalone
Rating– 3.9/5
Trope- coming of age
Cover– I was a little hesitant of the genre whether contemporary or historical fiction, but was pleasantly surprised that the book is set in Nigeria
Plot-
Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself – and help other girls like her do the same.
Her spirited determination to find joy and hope in even the most difficult circumstances imaginable will “break your heart and then put it back together again” (Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show) even as Adunni shows us how one courageous young girl can inspire us all to reach for our dreams…and maybe even change the world.
First chapter-
Adunni already has a unique character and personality and I like her. I’m confused when authors choose to write broken grammar in English for narration style when these characters would most likely be speaking their native language. So, I’m wondering if there is an original with the entire novel that’s not in English. When I picture these characters in poverty in their homes, I don’t see Adunni speaking to her father in English so it feels unnatural. Anyways, the bride money for a 14 year to wed an old man who has other wives sucks and I can’t imagine that life. I hope she gets the education she strives towards.
The best part- her voice
Prose- see below
Dialogue- see below Pacing- medium
Thoughts while reading-
Chapter 2- I could see this being a book teens read in literature class in school
Page 124- the prose are wearing on me since there so many short and choppy sentences. The flow is hard to dive into the rhythm. I really like this character though and what she stands for
I liked that once I hit chapter 28, they chapters began with a related Nigerian fact that helped show the reader the extremes of poverty, social issues, etc
Ending- Page 355- the transition of the dialogue and Adunni’s vocabulary is night and day so retrospective, I understand the purposeful impact of the prose choice earlier in the novel
Cassie Swindon 