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The Deep Blue Between
Book Review
I liked how the twins were connected through their dreams
The deep blue between is a novel about twin sisters separated by a raid on their village, consequently causing them to lose each other. As they live on separately, their paths seemingly get farther away…but maybe they are closer to each other than they think, through the powerful connection in their minds, that may, one day, lead them towards one another once again.
I really enjoyed reading this novel as I found it very informative and educational, especially as you get to think how people of colour were treated badly and made slaves. I found I learnt a lot from reading it and it was very interesting to see it from a person’s own point of view. I also liked how the twins were connected through their dreams, though their own beliefs and lifestyles differed and they were very far apart.
I like the structure of the book in that each chapter switches to the other sister’s point of view, so you can see how they are both getting on at similar times in their lives. I think it gives the book a bit more depth and makes it much more interesting to read, instead of just following one of the twins and not knowing anything about the other one.
My only criticism would be that there was never a follow up to the twin’s older sister Aminah who we hear about near the beginning of Hassana’s first chapter, and she is continually mentioned throughout the book but never seen again. As a reader I definitely would have welcomed some closure for this character but, I respect the author taking a more realistic approach, suggesting that we wouldn’t know what happened to her or where she went.
Ultimately, I would recommend giving this book a read, as it is a very absorbing and an insightful story; quite thought-provoking too.
About the Book
This historical fiction story for YA readers is as rich in its descriptions of place (Brazil and the Gold Coast of West Africa) as it is moving in its descriptions of a family bond (twin sisters separated in traumatic circumstances).
Twin sisters Hassana and Husseina’s home is in ruins after a brutal raid, but this is just the beginning of their story, one that will take them to unfamiliar cities and cultures, where they will forge new families, ward off dangers and truly begin to know themselves.
As the twins pursue their separate paths they remain connected through shared dreams of water. But will their fates ever draw them back together?
Author
Ayesha Harruna Attah
Ayesha Harruna Attah is a Ghanaian born novelist and writer, born in Accra in December 1983, who now lives in Senegal. She is the author of several acclaimed works — including Harmattan Rain, The Hundred Wells of Salaga and The Deep Blue Between — and studied Biochemistry, Journalism and Creative Writing at Mount Holyoke College, Columbia University and New York University. Attah’s writing often draws on Ghana’s history and social realities, giving voice to under represented perspectives and weaving personal and collective memory into her fiction.
Reviewer Profile
Millie, 15
- Reviews: 3
- Likes: Dog-walking, English and cooking
- Dislikes: Physics and getting out of bed!
- Favourite Book: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
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