DNF'ed at 55%

Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think Stubborn Archivist was a bad book but I was so confused about what was going on. I feel like there were multiple points of view but I didn't know who we were talking about, who was related to who... I liked the setting and it really made me want to learn more about the Brazilian culture. The construction of the story was too confusing for me and I wasn't enjoying my reading . Sorry.

I really enjoyed the experimental writing-style of this novel. The language is poetic while being easy and quick to read.
While the main character isn’t very likeable we do see the struggles she faces, being the daughter of a brazilian mother and an english father.
This book has taught me a lot about migration and identity.

While I know this was a pretty well anticipated release I personally did not enjoy this book and don’t find it as strong in the fiction category compared to other 2019 releases.

Stylistically this book reminded me of both Zeze Clemmons What We Lose and Candice Carty-Williams's Queenie. Born both of England and Brazil, she is part of both worlds but has trouble being accepted by either one. Lost country and lost relationships but she remember everything. The memory is what makes her. It creates her identity from all the pieces.

A fantastic journey through two cultures with both an internal and external journey through them both.

Stubborn Archivist is written in a dreamy, disjointed manner. It took a little getting used to, but once I fell into the book's rhythms it really seemed like the perfect way to tell this story. It follows a young woman with a British father and Brazilian mother, who is caught between two continents and cultures. It shifts between time periods and is told in snapshots of her life, as well as her mother, aunt, and grandmother's lives. The writing is beautiful and I thought the characterizations were really well done. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, so much so that I read it in one sitting on the Eurostar over to Holland. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend not just a holiday read but in particular for when you are travelling to your chosen destination.

The book centres around a young (of varying ages) British Brazilian woman and her split heritage between Britain and Brazil. Having spent time in Brazil (and South London) I could relate to what the characters were thinking and feeling and really helped engage me.

The experimental writing style really worked for me and was something I really liked about the book.

Note: A loose grasp of Portuguese will help a little but is absolutely not necessary.

Would highly recommend. 4/5

When your mother considers another country home, it’s hard to know where you belong. When the people you live among can’t pronounce your name, it’s hard to know exactly who you are. And when your body no longer feels like your own, it’s hard to understand your place in the world.

In Stubborn Archivist, a young British Brazilian woman from South London navigates growing up between two cultures and into a fuller understanding of her body, relying on signposts such as history, family conversation, and the eyes of the women who have shaped her—her mother, grandmother, and aunt. Our stubborn archivist takes us through first love and loss, losing and finding home, trauma and healing, and various awakenings of sexuality and identity. Shot through the novel are the narrator's trips to Brazil, sometimes alone, often with family, where she accesses a different side of herself—one, she begins to realize, that is as much of who she is as anything else.

This was a moving look into what it's like to be from two different cultures and the journey to finding out what that means for you.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Maybe I've been lucky to have connected so deeply to other novels about identity and place, but this one just didn't immerse me in the same way others have. Still and enjoyable read, but there are others I would return to first.

This was a beautifully written work that I couldn't put down. The vignettes of the main characters life were engaging and impactful.

This book was... interesting. The writing style is certainly experimental and it takes a while to get used to how it's written. I wasn't particularly fond of the stream of consciousness narration, particularly in the second person POV, but there were moments that were described beautifully. I can see why some may call it poetic, but I don't think it works that well as a novel. I was expecting to learn more about the cultures and while I did get some of that, it didn't completely immerse me in its world. I get that it's supposed to be impressionistic, but when I don't like it when you can't even tell who the speaker is when dialogues are being thrown around. I did like it for the novelty, but whatever is beyond was lost for me because of the way that it's written.

This book is beautiful, the words sweep you into their story and I got caught up into this Brazilian-British family with their intricacies, history, and present.
This story looks at who people are and whether it matters more where you were born, where you feel most at home, or where your family is. It looks at the shared history of a family through good and bad times, and for discovering who you are.
The writing of this novel was really beautiful and I loved the addition of Portuguese and culture infused into the chapters, but sadly I just couldn't connect to the characters as much as I wish I could which is why it is not getting a higher rating.

This is very much a book for those who love the poetry of words and the beauty of culture.

I found this book essentially unreadable. The lack of structure in plot and character exposition were at best confusing, at worst, exhausting. I won't post a review on Goodreads because I don't post negative reviews and unfortunately I cannot find anything to praise here. Not recommended.

I found this a difficult read. The plot as described by the blurb sounds amazing and definitely my kind of book - centring around identity, and being stuck between two cultures that don’t really claim you. Unfortunately I found the experimental nature of the book made it difficult for me to settle and enjoy the story. I’m sure many will (and have) enjoy the way that this story is told, unfortunately it simply wasn’t for me.

I hugely appreciate receiving an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. Author has wonderful story to share, unfortunately I found the writing style a bit difficult to enjoy and the punctuations a bit lacking. Many others have enjoyed the experimental format of the book, but it wasn't for me.

Stubborn Archivist follows a Brazilian-English narrator as she navigates her native London. Sometimes she feels like a Londoner, other times as outsider. Through interactions with her family, friends, co-workers, and strangers, the narrator tries to pull together an existence that feels like her own.

Really interesting book. I appreciated the different styles the author used in the writing. The short, choppy sections from the narrator's teenage self seem like the quick-moving thoughts of a teenage. As she gets older, these passages fluctuate with longer, more cohesive pieces. The longer passages about her mother, aunt, and grandmother remind the reader of a more mature woman. I thought it was a really compelling way to tell the story.