46 pages • 1 hour read
Helen OyeyemiThe Icarus Girl
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi, eight-year-old Jessamy Harrison, the daughter of an English father and a Nigerian mother, travels with her parents to Nigeria, where she meets TillyTilly, a mysterious girl who leads her into increasingly troublesome and supernatural situations, further complicating Jess's struggles with social integration, family secrets, and her sense of identity. Child illness, mental health struggles, and a serious injury during a sleepover feature prominently.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Helen Oyeyemi’s The Icarus Girl is lauded for its exploration of cultural identity and psychological depth. Reviewers appreciate Oyeyemi’s lyrical prose and vivid imagination, though some find the novel’s pacing uneven and its themes complex. Overall, it’s praised for originality and emotional resonance, offering a compelling, if occasionally challenging, read.
Who Should Read The Icarus Girl?
A reader who would enjoy The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi is likely captivated by psychological thrillers and literary fiction that delve into themes of identity, cultural conflict, and the supernatural. Fans of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Beloved by Toni Morrison may find this novel compelling.