Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! This book was amazing! There are many more words to describe how good this book is, but amazing is the best word for me.
When I came home from school for Christmas break, I decided I wanted to do something with my time other than looking at my phone, watching movies and sleeping all day. That's when I decided to check out a book from the library. I went to the library after picking my sister up from school and at first I checked out these really boring books from the library. The book wasn't catching my attention at all so I went back to the library 2 days later and decided to check out some of Adichie's other books since I really enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun. I put 2 books on hold: Purple Hibiscus and Americanah since these 2 books had to be brought in from a different library than the one I visit. I was so excited to read these books, almost every day I went to the library asking if my books were brought in yet, but they told me to stop asking them lol, they would email me once the books were in.
One morning, I woke up and checked my email and I got an email from the library telling me that Purple Hibiscus was in and I should come and check out the book. I was excited but not very excited because I really really wanted to read Americanah, I heard great things about the book and wanted to read what all the hype was about. I hadn't really heard a lot of reviews of Purple Hibiscus. After picking up my sister, I checked out the book and went home. I didn't start reading the book until about 2 days later because I was too "busy" being lazy and looking at my phone all day. When I started reading the book I went into a whole different world that I fell in love with.
This book was set in post-colonial Nigeria mainly in Enugu and Nsukka. What caught my attention about the book was the names of the main characters: Jaja and Kambili. I love those names, they're the unique Igbo names not many people give their children. The book dealt so many different things. One huge them was religion: it shows how different people interpret the Bible and also asks the question: is it true that in order to be considered a "good person" you must be Christian and believe in God? Domestic violence is another big issue this book deals with. Kambili's father was very aggressive and believed in discipline with an iron fist, literally. He beat his wife, his son and even Kambili to the point she was sent to the hospital.
The book also dealt with self-discovery. Throughout the book, I felt like Kambili was trying to find out who she was, what she stood for, what she stood against and what she was capable of doing. After visiting her cousins Amaka, Obiora and Chima in Nsukka, she watches how they help their mother, how they have a voice, listens to their intellectual conversations and watches Amaka as she listens to her Fela and Osadebe tapes. How her cousin applies makeup and helps her mother cook, how she takes care of and loves her grandfather, something Kambili could only dream to do.
This book also deals with Nigerian politics at this time as Ade Coker and Kambili's father own a newspaper company that reveals the truth about the corruption in politics. How Aunty Ifeoma, Kambili's aunt and a professor at the University of Nsukka,faces being out of work most of the time because of the many strikes that happen on the campus. There is also a little romance in the book between Father Amadi and Kambili.
The book was brilliantly written and tells a great story. I love how Adichie made the main character a shy and quiet girl so instead of always hearing what she says and her opinions we are able to discover and understand the many different themes of the book. I think most girls around Kambili's age can relate to her, feeling awkward in your own body because you don't know who you are, wanting to be like someone else, and not knowing how to adjust to different situations because it's all "new" to us. The book is realistic and the main character is someone we girls have been at a time. It's a great read that will keep you late up at night reading and have you questioning yourself, how you choose to practice your religion, and the world we live in.
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