The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

the themes and the focus on the mother-daughter dynamic are appealing however the writing is choppy in a very debut-y way.

A vulnerable read. Told in the pov of a preteen with a difficult mother. At times was sad. Enjoyed the read.

The story is told from the point of view of the elder daughter a pre teen at the start of the story ,who grows up and seeks her own freedom just as her parents marriage ends and her mother goes off the rails. This book is beautiful it its raw vulnerability.

This was like reading the first half of a really goo book and then burning it. It felt like the entire middle of it doesn’t exist, but you did get the ending you wanted. So many unanswered questions when you get to the end. A lot of potential. There definitely should have been more.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions and a beautiful depiction of resilience in the midst of poverty. Set in the 90s in Toronto the book follows a Black family living in a housing complex and takes us through the motions and emotions of life and survival. I loved Delia, her voice was so true and refreshing. An immersive read.

AHHHHHH!
I'm so thankful to Dundurn Press, Netgalley, and Denise Da Costa for granting me advanced audio, digital, and physical access to this sweet gem of book that held emotional weight that twisted into my with a sharp knife.

Such a beautiful book, it leaves you with a sense of longing and much to remember after you finish reading it. I’d say author did an amazing job.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I was trying hard to press through this book but was not for me and I found it to be all over the place

I really tried to finish this book, I don't like dnfing, but I couldn't bring myself to read it. Sadly, this book wasn't for me.

This gritty, coming of age story is heartbreaking and told in the past and present where you see how a parent might not realize their child's perception of things might not be the same as the adults involved. Delia's family is Jamaican and living in Toronto where they face the fact that not only are they immigrants, but the family is also falling apart.

And the Walls Came Down is a stunning portrait of a fractured family, of abandonment and the trials of growing up with overbearing, controlling and violent parental figures.

Delia and her sister, Melissa, suffer tremendous upheaval when their father seemingly disappears, and their mother eventually uproots them to begin anew. This novel has a collection of loveable and detestable characters, and a frustrating but ultimately admirable narrator. This is a rollercoaster ride of complicated relationships and, at its heart, a warm and beautiful story of love, and how real love can overcome even the greatest adversity.

I had reservations going into this novel but I couldn't be more glad that I stuck with it and it did not disappoint.

2.5 rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley for advanced reader copy. Plot plodded along and pacing was slow. The ARC edition did not make clear when you were reading the diary entries and when Delia was thinking back on her past. Appropriately displayed stress and uncertainty of living in poverty.

Title: And the Walls Came Down

Author: Denise Da Costa

Publication Date: July 4, 2023

Publisher: Dundurn Press

Genre: General Fiction (Realistic Fiction), Multicultural, Canadian, Coming of Age, Family Life

Pages: 344

Content Warnings: abusive mother, alcoholism, racism

PG-13 Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. May include profanity, violence, sexual situations, or drug use.


› Told from the present and the past with diary entries, And the Walls Came Down by Denise Da Costa is an unforgettable story about complicated relationships and upbringing, and how they help to form our identity, values and beliefs.

› August 2004 - Delia goes back to her old neighbourhood, Don Mount Court to find her diary that was left in the apartment before they tear the building down. Reading the entries, Delia is taken back to her teenage years in the 90s. As a fellow Canadian 90s teen, I find some of her thoughts and experiences relatable. However, I had a very different upbringing as a white girl growing up in Labrador.

› In 1992 Delia was living in a basement apartment with her mother, father, and sister in Hadsworth, Ontario - a suburb about 40 minutes away from Toronto. Her family experienced racism daily, and her parents were working hard to save money to buy a house. One night, Delia woke to hear her parents arguing, then her father left. Her mother couldn't afford to stay in the apartment, so in the summer of 1993 14-year-old Delia, her mother, and her 10-year-old sister Melissa moved to Don Mount, a social housing development in downtown Toronto.

› "It's easy to pretend something isn't happening until it happens to you."

› Delia's parents are Jamaican immigrants. I loved learning more about their food, culture, and the hardships they face as first-generation immigrants. Delia's story broke my heart, and the hardest part about reading this story is that I know this is real life for so many immigrants. I think this is an important read for all Canadians. Delia struggles to survive in poverty with an absent father and abusive mother.

› "Don't get your hopes up, Delia. Hope is not a strategy."

› Characters: 10
Da Costa knows how to write incredible characters. Some you'll love, some you'll hate. Delia's relationship with Mario is so special.

› Atmosphere: 10
I can picture every setting thanks to the ample descriptions and world-building.

› Writing Style: 10
Da Costa is a talented writer. High-quality writing that is not repetitive has high readability and authentic dialogue.

› Plot: 10
I loved every page and chapter. I didn't want the story to end.

› Intrigue: 10

› Logic: 10
I never felt confused and didn't notice any plot holes or elements that didn't make sense.

› Enjoyment: 9
I laughed, I cried. I can't wait to read more by Da Costa.

Average 9.9

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• I can't stop thinking about Delia and her story since I finished reading this on June 5, 2023. And the Walls Came Down by Denise Da Costa is a dark, sad, diverse, character-driven debut about mental illness, secrets, class, gender, race, family, friendship, community and survival. This is a must-read!


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

We meet our protagonist Delia in 2004 when she visits her childhood home in Don Mount Court, a low-income Housing complex in Toronto that is due for demolition to find her old diary from her teenage years. We follow Delia as she searches for the diary and takes her back to the year she spent at Don Mount. We follow young Delia over the next few years as she navigates through much more than she had ever expected and the shadows those years have cast on her present life and relationships.

In 1993, the lives of thirteen year old Delia and her younger sister, ten year old Melissa, the daughters of Jamaican immigrants, irrevocably change in the wake of the breakdown of their parents' marriage. After their father walks out on them, their mother moves them to Toronto from the suburbs – a new neighborhood, new friends, financial struggles, a new home situation with her mother’s involvement with Neville- and despite it all Delia tries to remain hopeful that somehow her parents would reconcile and life would be the same again. Young Delia pours her heart out into her diary- her fears and anxieties, her feelings about her overly strict social worker mother and her father, who resurfaces and tries to keep in touch with them despite their mother's manipulations, and her mother’s special friend Neville and her own budding feelings for Mario also a resident of the same housing complex. Delia is forced to grow up when her mother’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and with no stable adult presence in her life she is left to fend for herself and her younger sister.

And the Walls Came Down by Denise Da Costa is a compelling debut - a coming-of-age story that revolves around themes of family, complex mother-daughter relationships, mental health and survival. While there is much I liked about this story and the characters, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the execution. I was invested in the story but I found the prose to be choppy (I don’t know whether this was intentional in keeping with the voice of a young girl but in doing so the tone and pace render it less impactful) and the narrative was somewhat fragmented which made it difficult to connect with the characters. However, the author does a commendable job of describing the dynamics within a broken family from the lens of a young girl. The characterizations are realistic and convincing but I also felt that they were not explored adequately. The present timeline felt rushed and left me with several unanswered questions. The ending is conveniently staged but I was glad the author chose to end the story on a hopeful note. Overall, while I did like this novel, I wasn’t quite as taken with it as I had hoped.

Many thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be published on July 4, 2023.

This can not possibly be a debut. This book maybe my favourite read of 2023. And the walls came down is a great example of how to have characters that are real. Each character felt human which is shown by how flawed they are. The interactions between Delia, Melissa and their mother are fantastically written to show the dynamics of the family like it is scary how real each situation felt.

The topics brought up from issues surrounding gentrification to a brilliant depiction of mental health it is clear that Da-costa is one of those authors who know what they are doing in their writing and is able to express our society through her pages. In particular, I loved how she wrote about having separated parents. The thoughts and feelings of the daughters through their parents separation are just so raw and truthful and really anyone with divorced parents would feel a deeper connection with the characters written because of this.

I also would like to say it is so great to read a book from a Caribbean author. Like there were so many references to our culture that made me have the largest grin on my face like the moment I saw the mum cooking stewed chicken and the characters drinking malt I knew I was gonna be hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book and when this is published on July 4th I’m going to need everyone to buy this book and support this author because I need more

Horribly written with a storyline it is impossible to follow and characters it is impossible to care about make this book a hard pass.

The 90's in the Regent Park area of Toronto... I immediately knew I had to read this book.

Delia and her sister move into a government housing complex in Toronto with their strict, Jamaican mother. They navigate their new environment with the help of the friends they make, all the while plotting to get their parents back together again. As their mother's mental health deteriorates, they are forced to grow up quickly.

This book drew me in, particularly watching how Delia and Mario's relationship unfolded. I liked the characters Da Costa created, and found her writing style enjoyable. I was excited to learn more about the struggles of life in that area of Toronto, but I don't feel it fully captured all the struggles. Overall, I found the story to be too directionless. Even by the end I was having a hard time identifying the themes, or lesson, in this story, and would have enjoyed it more if it had more depth.

If you live in the GTA you will likely love the Toronto setting!

Thank you to Dundurn Press, NetGalley and Denise Da Costa for this ARC.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going," is a saying that I say encapsulates this multicultural narrative. I'm glad I got to read this book as it helped to open my eyes even if only a hint of what the reality is, of how some people have to live and how they manage to survive setbacks in life with finesse, especially in a tenement housing setting. Kudos to Delia, Melissa, Mario and Richa! I loved their characters and interchanges.
A 4 Star rating from me.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

June 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

First I would like to say thank you to Dundurn Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. As a Black Canadian I was really interested in this story. The writing is great and the characters are full of life. I highly reccomend this novel.