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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you, William Morrow, for the physical ARC.
This book puts an insanely sinister touch on reality.
This book puts an insanely sinister touch on reality.
Hits:
- Did not waste time getting into the suspense; it starts right in chapter one.
- The suspense not only came quick, but was consistent from beginning to end. It put me on the edge of my seat fast and left me there until the very last page.
- The chapters were short, which enhanced the pacing of the plot and suspense.
- The character banter was hilarious. Uncle Duke was my favorite character; he and Jimmie get down, they don’t play.
- I appreciated how this book shed light on such an important, but overlooked issue. Morris does a great job putting a sinister touch on the reality of the topic.
- I actually learned quite a bit about the topic at hand through the plot of this book. I walked away with some new information and terminology. Moreover, it put a lot of things into perspective.
- This book had many layers. Outside of the main topic, it also did well touching on grief. As someone who has lost their mother, Deena’s character really resonated with me.
Misses:
- The only miss I have is that I feel like the ending of this book dragged on a bit too much for too long. As a result, once we got to the bomb being dropped, it was underwhelming and I didn’t receive or react to it the way I would’ve liked.
Overall:
I enjoyed this and recommend it. This was my first book by Wanda M. Morris and she wholeheartedly made a great first impression. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To be honest, I was very close to casting this as a DNF but since I had received the NetGalley copy for a review, I chose to keep going. I am very glad I did. This book had a little bit of everything! Murder, corruption, history, romance, supernatural elements, etc. It turned out to be a very good book. It does sadden me that the stealing of land in this manner is actually occurring. I hope people find a way to stop it. One of my favorite parts about this book was overcoming grief and realizing that even though the people you love may have passed, they never truly leave you. Deena showed incredible growth throughout the book by suffering so many losses at the beginning to truly healing and saving herself and others at the end. The interstitial chapters really added to the plot and the last two brought me to tears in a good way. Lessons learned in this book will last with me for quite some time. I am very glad I read this book and recommend everyone to read it, and to keep going because it is worth it.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I really enjoyed Wanda M. Morris’s first thriller, her second was a bit of a dud for me. However, What You Leave Behind sounded promising. Sure enough, I ended up enjoying this one quite a bit more. Morris blends social commentary and history impeccably with her mystery plot, keeping me intrigued throughout.
One thing I noticed early on was the great sense of place, with the narrative drawing the reader into the Brunswick, Georgia setting. The story also delves into the history of Black people during Reconstruction, including that of the Geechee-Gullah community specifically, something I was not super informed about. The story also delves into the heirs property system and its impact on Black and brown communities, consolidating the wealth among the few (mostly white) wealthy people.
Deena as a protagonist is sympathetic, even if her life is messy and she’s flawed. She’s returned home after a messy divorce, and her father has speedily remarried after her mother’s death, so Deena has a frosty relationship with her stepmother, and with so much happening to her all at once, it’s like her life is falling apart. But I appreciate that, while she’s going through a lot, she still has guts, and while she doesn’t always make the wisest of decisions, she has spine and stands up for what’s right in the face of injustice.
The plot is engaging, and fairly steadily paced. Between the family drama and the missing person and the land grab plot, there was a lot going on that kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering how it would all come together.
This was a solid return to form for Wanda M. Morris, and I am now once again interested in reading more from her in the future. I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy mystery/thrillers starring Black leads that also bring up relevant social issues.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes