Title: iPods in AccraAuthor: Sophia Acheampong
Published: first published 2009 (26 June), by Piccadilly Press
Format: paperback
Pages: 185
RRP: £6.99
rating: * * * / 5
I'm loving the titles of the books I've been reading lately! Yes, slightly weird... Anyway!
iPods in Accra is a different sort of book. I've not really read anything like it before, yet it seems like a normal teen novel.
We follow 15 year old Makeeda who is about to sit her GCSEs and go on a summer holiday to Ghana. Her relatives all live there as she is part-Ghanaian, but she lives a sophisticated London life. Makeeda is struggling to realise where she truly belongs; in Ghana the residents refer to her as 'English girl' and in London they ask her where she's from, knowing she isn't 'fully' English.
On top of all that, Makeeda has just dumped her long-term boyfriend Nelson and unknowingly agreed to a 'humiliating' puberty ceremony in Ghana.
With her mind all muddled, especially after that nearly-kiss with childhood friend and maths tutor Nick, Makeeda feels that Ghana has come at the right time, and realises a lot of things about herself while she is there, and also finds love right when she least expected it.
This a great book about multi-cultural issues, but the thing that let it down for me was the too-cringy-for-words moments. Let me show you what I mean, with a small extract from the book:
'This place feels a bit...' Mum began.
'Sumsum w? ha,' Auntie Leila replies, recovering from a shiver down her spine.
'Do you really think it feels a bit spooky, Auntie?' I asked.
It probably sounds perfectly fine to you, and it's just me being awkward, but I don't get why Leila had to say spooky in Twi and then Makeeda had to translate, which was obviously only for the reader's benefit, not actually part of the story.
Overall, it's a decent book, with plenty of LOL moments and a good message. Also, it's pro healthy-looking womanly curves throughout the book which is a nice refreshing change from the super-stupid size 0 craze.
this book will not be released until 26 June 2009
many thanks to the publisher for sending this to me!
4 comment(s):
Oh, interesting review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really loved it and I hope to find time to write a review soon! Sigh. :)
About the translations... Hmm, one of the things I loved about this book was its depiction of multi-lingualism. I grew up with two languages myself, and exchanges like that seem normal to me. Couldn't it be that Makeeda was confirming that she'd understood the Twi correctly, or possibly even attempting to get Auntie L to switch into English, if you see what I mean? Well, maybe not, but I think that's how I saw it.
Anyway, it was really great to read your thoughts on this! :)
Now you say it, I suppose it could have been like that, but I just found it a bit weird and... I don't really know how to explain it... it almost seemed like a few lines from a pantomine - but I think that's just the way it played out in my head. The way that Twi and Ghanaian culture was mixed into the story really interested me; especially the bit about the bragoro, but some parts, like the bit I mentioned, just had me cringing for some reason.
Can't wait to see what Chicklish thought of it!
Thanks for your comment ^D^
Hi Sarah, great review! This sounds so great... Does Piccadilly sell their books on Amazon or ship to North America? Piccadilly has great-looking books, but I can't find their site to see if I can order :(
- Meggin, Serendipity Reviews
P.S. Sorry my comment is on an oldish post, just wanted to know. :)
P.P.S. How big of an audience do you have to have for publishers to give you review copies? Sorry... so many questions! XD
Heya Meggin!
I replied to your comment on your own site :)
Thanks for commenting!
Post a Comment