Helen Oyeyemi – Page 2 – Cannonball Read 17

Dark and quirky fairytales

What is not yours is not yours by Helen Oyeyemi

April 10, 2020 by Wanderlustful 1 Comment

Helen Oyeyemi’s short story collection creates an interlocking and fantastical world that is hard to look away from. The characters live in slightly different realities, but cross over into each other’s worlds- a side character in one story becomes the main character in their own story next. Thematically, the stories are connected by imagery of locks and keys which felt fresh- what is behind that door? Who are you keeping out? What are you keeping in? Her imagined worlds are also wildly creative- a hidden […]

Sugar, Spice, and Things that go Bump in the Night

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

December 30, 2019 by andtheIToldYouSos Leave a Comment

Helen Oyeyemi is an expert in pulling back the cobwebs from the old trunk in the attic, shaking out the goods within, and daring you to take a good strong look. She weaves familiar fairly tales with Yoruba folktales, inter-generational family strife, and good old fashioned 21st century anxiety. In her most recent novel, Gingerbread, she leaves spicy breadcrumbs of Hansel and Gretel, the Gingerbread Man, and many other traditional tales. I was also strongly reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Orsinian Tales. Oyeyemi’s characters present […]

After finishing it, I’m okay with the price I paid

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

October 31, 2019 by crystalclear Leave a Comment

I had this on my Amazon wishlist after seeing it reviewed somewhere (maybe ElCicco’s review from 2016?) and promptly forgot about it. Then I went to visit the Dollar Tree (the best dollar store chain in NJ, and you can fight me on that) and what do I see but a very familiar cover. I was surprised to see an actual (hardcover) book in the dollar store that I actually had intended to buy at some point, so I snatched it up! This is a […]

Pro: It Was Short

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

October 4, 2019 by Classic Leave a Comment

I am seriously going to hard pass on future books by Helen Oyeyemi. I don’t get them/like them and they feel like too much effort to finish. I should not struggle to understand what the author is trying to convey while reading this much. The writing is just broken sentences and thoughts. I don’t even know who was who until I got to around page 30 or 40 or something like that. I stopped paying attention. I think once again that Oyeyemi was trying to […]

I Am So Confused

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

September 24, 2019 by Classic 2 Comments

I tried. This book was bonkers (not in a good way) and I started getting bored but pushed through to finish it last night and reward myself with Great British Bake Off. I don’t know what to say except that sometimes too much magical realism can ruin a story. I couldn’t follow a lot of what was going on and then just gave up and kept hoping that things made more sense as I went along. They did not. I think the shifting timelines didn’t […]

I have no idea what the h*ck I just read

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

April 16, 2019 by lowercasesee Leave a Comment

You know the blinking white guy gif? That was me for like the entirety of this book. I still have no idea what the hell it was about or what happened to why. This one needs a deep read, not a piece-by-piece metro read but I gave it what I had and I am still so lost. Can someone smarter than me tell me what I just read? Gingerbread is part Hansel and Gretel, part bedtime story, and part fever dream. There’s the start of […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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