Official Review: Diary Of A Black Girl by Rejoyce Zikpi

[miztree46]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Diary Of A Black Girl" by Rejoyce Zikpi.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Diary of a Black Girl reveals the experiences and reflections of Akpene, a native of Africa. Through diary entries and commentary about them, this book gives readers a view of what life was like for Akpene during her early years.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part reveals what Akpene went through while she was in elementary school and shows many of the difficulties that she faced during this time period. The second part of the book mainly gives insight into what Akpene experienced while she was a member of a Christian youth group. At the beginning of each chapter, she reflects on the diary entries. After each reflection, she shares passages from her diary.

The main themes of the book deal with the situations and frustrations many young people encounter before they develop into adults. These themes include: frustrations with parental rules, fitting in with friends, and coping with different cultures. The themes are explored as Akepne reflects on the relationships she had with her family members, teachers, friends and acquaintances.

Akpene’s frustration about the expectations and cultural requirements is very apparent as she discusses her parents’ strict rules. Her diary entries show that she felt alienated from her family and piers. Akpene shares her thoughts about her strict upbringing and talks about the actions that she took in order to cope with her circumstances. She also talks about the details of a few heart wrenching occurrences that greatly affected her life.

Another major theme in this memoir deals with the issue of romantic love. Akpene talks about the dissatisfaction she felt because she did not have a love life. This theme is mainly explored in detail in the second part of the book. There is a lot of information about her platonic relationship with a man that she likes and her inability to express her desire to tell him that she has romantic feelings for him.

A few other themes in the book deal with cultural influence and cultural differences. Readers are given a taste of the sights and sounds that Akpene witnessed as she learned new languages, interacted with her neighbors, traveled on a daily basis to and from school and became accustomed to being exposed to foreign cultures.
Akpene also gives insight into how her grade school teachers and the religious leaders of her church influenced her. Her experience with her teachers reveals the most important message of the book: caring teachers play a vital role in the lives of their students.

I give Diary of a Black Girl 2 out of 4 stars. I like the overall concept of this book, but its structure is disorganized and it seems as if the book is unfinished. It is evident that some of the paragraphs, which are in certain chapters, belong in other chapters. The jumbled style of writing really interrupts the flow of the story. The account of Akpene’s experience also lacks detailed information. For example, Akpene played sports while she was in school, but she only briefly mentions this aspect of her life. In addition, she mentions that certain teachers were special to her. There is information about her experience with some of her teachers but little information about others.

Akpene’s story ends with a passage about a popular music star. The end of the book didn’t seem to be related to the information that she shared about her experiences while she interacted with her friends from her Christian youth group. Her comments about the music stars made it seem as if Diary of a Black Girl is incomplete. This book also has some noticeable typographical and grammatical errors in some parts of the book.

Although the book has these flaws, The Diary of a Black Girl has a good premise. It reveals many of the things that many young people may go through while they are learning and growing. Young girls may be able to identify with and learn from Akpene’s experience, especially if they come from a similar background. Some parents may also find that this book is helpful because it may give them more insight into the concerns that many young people have when they are in elementary school and going through puberty.

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Diary Of A Black Girl
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Like miztree46's review? Post a comment saying so!

[bookowlie]

Great review! The subject matter seems very interesting, although the diary format is not usually my cup of tea.

[Stevefromtheblock]

Thanks for a good review. I probably won't ever read this, but your review was interesting.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

Nice review. I don't mind reading books structured like a diary, but the writing has to at least be good and the story should be a little entertaining.

[Michelle-lit]

Interesting concept, but from the review, it doesn't seem like the book has a major conflict.