Say You're One of Them (Playaway Adult Fiction)

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  • Author: Uwem Akpan
  • Publisher: Playaway
  • Release Date: November 2009
  • ISBN-10: 1607884194
  • ISBN-13: 9781607884194
  • List Price: $89.99

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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon

Summary

Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances.

A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle’s attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees—a microcosm of today’s Africa—a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.

Uwem Akpan’s debut signals the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer who gives a matter-of-fact reality to the most extreme circumstances in stories that are nothing short of transcendent.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: Score = 4.0 Score = 4.0 Score = 4.0 Score = 4.0 Score = 4.0

Excellent Fiction...a must read!!!

Rating: Score = 5 Score = 5 Score = 5 Score = 5 Score = 5

This book was simply awesome. The author drew me in ... everytime every story every step of the way. My heart went out to all the children who suffer so much out of no fault of theirs and most of all...I know now how lucky I am to be where I am and to have the opportunities I have.....I don't even deserve it but THANK YOU LORD

Save your Money!

Rating: Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2

This book was boring. I ordered it because it was an Oprah pick. It was written in a way that I just never was invested in the characters, and the stories were quite sad. I think it would have been better if it had been edited down. I had to actually force myself to finish it because I PAID for it. That's not a good recommendation.

I do not recommend this book! You're better off just reading the reviews. You'll have the whole story, and you'll save time and money.

No more Oprah's book club for me

Rating: Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2

I really used to enjoy reading books chosen by Oprah for her book club but after her last few choices I have decided to no longer purchase them based solely on her opinion. I find that her recent choices have been so depressing and they leave you with a "why in the hell did I just waste time reading this book" feeling. For someone who is always talking about uplifting stories and how to better yourself as a person, she sure does pick books that make you feel depressed and hopeless after reading them. She needs to start rethinking her picks better or I think she'll lose many readers.

Not the masterpiece Oprah made it out to be

Rating: Score = 3 Score = 3 Score = 3 Score = 3 Score = 3

While the stories are compelling,the way they are written is not. There were times when it was unnecessarily difficult to decipher what the characters were saying. A couple of the stories are also overly long. In particular, Luxurious Hearses was tedious. Having said all this, I do think the book provides a powerful view into some of the challenges faced in Africa. For me, the book was just OK; certainly not great.

Frustrating

Rating: Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2 Score = 2

I normally do not like to read short stories but thought I would give it a try. I enjoy learning about other cultures/countries and typically do not shy away from disturbing realistic stories. Although the situations in the stories are factual, I did not find the stories to be realistic. If the stories were actually real, some light of hope would be evident. Some good would shine from the pure evilness that was depicted in the book. Awareness of the struggles in Africa could better be learned through non-fiction.
Also, the book did not seem particularly well written. The language at times made you feel like you were missing something. I found the book "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah, left a bigger impression on me. I would highly recommend it.