Emily P. (mizparker) reviewed on 12/31/2009 + 87 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

I'm a little more with the London reviewer of this novel who said "Why would anyone commit these atrocities to paper?" Don't get me wrong, it was an engrossing story, and written in an interesting fashion (the main character is illiterate, and as the story is told in her voice, it begins fairly difficult to read, and ends much more clearly as she learns to read and write), but I found myself thinking "Good Lord, how much more are they going to throw at this kid?" It would be one thing if it were based on a true story, and would certainly live up to its hype as "A powerful story of hope and redemption", but as it stands as a work of fiction, I found it to be horribly depressing and a pretty offensive indictment of the Harlem African-American culture. (If it is based on a true story, I could find no notation of such.) It isn't that Precious is an unsympathetic character, but I'm going to go ahead and doubt that most people have very much in common with her. The story elicited more horror and disgust than anything else from me.

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