Reviews

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

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jmtnz's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

mcgoogle12's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

thechanelmuse's review against another edition

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5.0

“Sometimes the world don’t give you what you need, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes it withholds.”

Jesmyn Ward, the writer you are.

Set in rural Mississippi, Sing, Unburied, Sing is an atmospheric, somber Southern Gothic novel written in a hauntingly poetic way. The central themes revolve around grief and homecoming (or homegoing), intertwining the experiences, stories, complex relationships, and souls of our characters in the flesh and in the spirit form. Simply rich.

katiegilley's review against another edition

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5.0

Here's a link to my blog for a more thoughtful review: https://katiegilley.com/sing-unburied-sing-by-jesmyn-ward/

This feels impossible to review. There were so many layers packed into this slim novel that I know I missed at least half of what Ward was trying to teach us. I started slowly with this one - while the writing is approachable and beautiful, the story itself is HEAVY. I read only 2 or 3 chapters a night until I got about 2/3 through it - and then I just couldn't stop.

But it was so worth it. So, so worth it! Through the lenses of generational racism and poverty, Ward shared the All-American story of a black family in the south. She gave white Americans a small glimpse into the fear and unsettled feeling of being a black person in this country. She also conveyed the universal power of love - how much love and kindness can help those around us, even when we feel like they are too much to give.

nancysweitzer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

frankie_vega's review against another edition

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4.0

Lessons learned:
-spirits are everywhere. We walk on them. They walk with us.
-life and death are a cycle. Our parents bring us into the world. And in Leonie’s case, we bring our parents out of the world.
-The nonsense babbling of children is most often not nonsense at all. They deserve more credit than we give them. They are wise beyond words. They have not been brainwashed by our collective imagination yet.
-ghosts can both comfort and disturb us.
-The intergenerational trauma held in the bodies of Black people runs deep.
-I was reminded yet again to be slow and pay attention to all the spirits of life that surround me