Helen Oyeyemi

Jessamy "Jess" Harrison, age eight, is the child of an English father and a Nigerian mother. Possessed of an extraordinary imagination, she has a hard time fitting in at school. It is only when she visits Nigeria for the first time that she makes a friend who understands her: a ragged little girl named TillyTilly. But soon TillyTilly's visits become more disturbing, until Jess realizes she doesn't actually know who her friend is at all. Drawing on Nigerian mythology, Helen Oyeyemi presents a striking variation on the classic literary theme of doubles -- both real and spiritual -- in this lyrical and bold debut.

The Icarus girl

Patrick Book

Tough to rate! Oyeyemi is a very good writer, but I felt like there was too much information she didn’t give the reader to truly enjoy the story. I think effective spooky stories have to make the “rules” (for lack of a better term) of the realms in which they take place clear to the reader. I was constantly unsure of what was taking place or what could take place, and it took me out of the story. The concept is a solid one, but I don’t think it gets all the way there.

Jessamy Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive, whimsical, possessed of a powerful imagination, she spends hours writing, reading or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard. As the half-and-half child of an English father and a Nigerian mother, Jess just can't shake off the feeling of being alone wherever she goes, and other kids are wary of her terrified fits of screaming. When she is taken to her mother's family compound in Nigeria, she encounters Titiola, a ragged little girl her own age. It seems that at last Jess has found someone who will understand her. TillyTilly knows secrets both big and small. But as she shows Jess just how easy it is to hurt those around her, Jess begins to realise that she doesn't know who TillyTilly is at all.

The Icarus Girl

azliana aziz

objectively this was a three star read but i thought putting in context the fact that oyeyemi wrote this when she was eighteen years old it was impressive. i love the lore of the twinning and its 'uniqueness' and i felt like what oyeyemi tried to say in this one landed pretty well.

I just really didn’t enjoy this book. It was far too long and drawn out, the ending was bizarre, and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. In fact, I found a lot of the dialogue really tiresome because it was happening mostly between children who don’t make a lot of sense. 

It did have some interesting elements, however. Like another reviewer said, it could have worked better as a short story.

The Icarus girl

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