Welcome to Litsy!

I really was blown away by the beginning of this book. I was already scared of finishing it a few pages in! Unfortunately the second half became really repetitive and woolly for me, lots of text and not much explanation or movement. Not sure how the ending came about but it felt a bit like the author didn‘t know where to take it and did a ‘then I woke up‘ finish.

I can‘t believe it took me this long to read Helen Oyeyemi. In this book she captures what the world looks like when you‘re a child and how powerless you can feel, and combines this with a spine-tingling fairy tale. Loved it and can‘t wait to read more of her work.

‘“Two hungry people should never make friends. If they do, they eat each other up. It is the same with one person who is hungry and another who is full: they cannot be real, real friends because the hungry one will eat the full one. You understand?”‘

‘...she couldn‘t find the words to tell TillyTilly that sisters was something about being held without hands,and the skin-flinch of seeing and simultaneously being seen.‘

Grandpa&Jess never lied.

This book reads like an incredibly creepy fairytale. Not at all what I was expecting based on the description, but a great read nonetheless!

I picked this off my shelf at random to study the plot structure (I'm currently doing a course in plotting a novel). I would have got more emotionally invested in it had I just been reading for pleasure. I liked the premise and the set-up very much but found the middle over-long and then the ending was abrupt and a bit "convenient". That said, of course I bow to her for being so ridiculously talented as to write this whilst doing her A-levels!

Today‘s author spotlight: Helen (Olajumoke) Oyeyemi! The 34-year-old Brit moves from Nigeria to London when a girl. She studied at Cambridge University, where she already had her first book written (the tagged one) and two of her plays performed to critical acclaim. Her books have garnered her a number of awards, including the PEN and Shirley Jackson Award, and gotten her onto lists like “25 under 25”. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

#quotsymay18 #butterfly @TK-421

Grad school life 😭

#Fiercefeb #tobeyounggiftedandblack Helen Oyeyemi wrote this first novel of hers at 18, published by 20, and at just 33 yrs old has published 5 novels, 2 plays and a short story collection..... I‘ve loved everything I have read of hers, and can‘t wait to read more....

This novel was completed while Helen Oyeyemi was still #eighteen years #novemberbythenumber

Oh, man, I love Oyeyemi so much. This is her first novel, written when she was 18 years old (18 YEARS OLD), and I couldn‘t put it down. Jess, our 8yo protagonist, picks up an unusual friend (TillyTilly) while in Nigeria, visiting her mother‘s family. There are themes here Oyeyemi will echo later on in her excellent ghost story, White is For Witching, and as is typical, she leaves certain plot elements unresolved. 18 YEARS OLD, people. -suzanne

Mind-numbingly boring. Bailed a quarter of the way in.

And, now that I've abandoned Frog Music, here I go with my second Oyeyemi novel!

I can't forget #SignedSundays! This is Helen Oyeyemi's first novel (and I'm hoping to get to it for #Diversathon). #SignedSunday

Hello my name is Danielle and I have a problem...it's been mere hours since I bought eleven books...again. 🤓😆

I've mentioned my irritation with books #withgirlinthetitle before, and then I found rather more in my collection than I expected. Darn it, hoisted by my own petard...
Most of these are still TBR #ReadJanuary

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Helen Oyeyemi. I think she did a good job capturing the essence of the awkward stages in this coming of age story. I have a few questions but overall I enjoyed the book. I look forward to reading her other books to see her progression in writing.

I loved this book when I read it for my lit class! Some parts were so creepy I got chills! You really get some insight into how another culture views the ideas of twins, dual identity, and the spirit world. You should definitely give it a try.

I just started this and am really enjoying it so far!