I really liked the idea of this book and think the story had great potential, but I'm not sure that it quite lived up to these expectations.
The main character has albinism and while this clearly caused issues and trauma for him due to experiences in the past, I feel like the author could have explored this in more depth. There were references to him needing to wear suncream, but maybe a fuller description would have brought this to life and shown why he was outcast by parts of society.
The intertwining of the two narratives was clever and showed the Rhodesian war vividly. But I didn't find it clear why he didn't want to stay with his grandma and this confused me at the beginning. Over time it made more sense and their relationship developed.
Overall I did enjoy this book and feel like I learned more about Rhodesian history and the experience of albino people within this culture. I read it quite quickly and enjoyed the mix of language used. I just felt like it had the potential to be even better.
The main character has albinism and while this clearly caused issues and trauma for him due to experiences in the past, I feel like the author could have explored this in more depth. There were references to him needing to wear suncream, but maybe a fuller description would have brought this to life and shown why he was outcast by parts of society.
The intertwining of the two narratives was clever and showed the Rhodesian war vividly. But I didn't find it clear why he didn't want to stay with his grandma and this confused me at the beginning. Over time it made more sense and their relationship developed.
Overall I did enjoy this book and feel like I learned more about Rhodesian history and the experience of albino people within this culture. I read it quite quickly and enjoyed the mix of language used. I just felt like it had the potential to be even better.