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jailyn's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Slavery, Blood, Murder, Rape, Pregnancy, Self harm, Death, Child death, and Animal death
deereadstoo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due follows Jessica and David and what seems to be their happy life. David is everything you'd want in a man--brilliant, attentive, kind, and youthful. However, Jessica has always felt that there was something about David that was just out of reach. As people close to Jessica meet violent ends, she is met with an unimaginable truth: more than 400 years ago, David traded his humanity for immortality. This is a secret that he has had to protect at all costs. However, his brethren have decided that David needs to return to his coven, but he is unwilling to leave his family behind. David decides that the only way to keep them together could be the very thing that tears them apart.
Jessica and David's marriage was always rather obsessive. It often felt like David loved too hard and Jessica felt like her only option was him even when things felt dicey and unsure. This dynamic shouldn't come as a shock to you when you've been made aware that
Tananarive has a unique skill when it comes to writing horror. She does it in a way that feels mundane while expertly weaving in parts of Black culture. The reader has a chance to connect with the characters and watch as they unfold in front of you. They aren't perfect but they are beautifully flawed. I think that's part of what makes her storytelling so compelling. I highly recommend this book if you want to delve more into Black horror and thriller. This one has a different taste to it that I love!
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, and Child death
missdanielle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Child death, Murder, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
emzhay's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia
f18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The faith of the main character was not only forefront but integral and most importantly it tied into the plot in ways that made sense. The characters felt like real people,
By the way, I've seen this listed as a paranormal romance (I actually picked it off my tbr because my library had it under romance + horror) and it is not that at all imo. More of a thriller.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Animal death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child death, Death, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Sexual content, and Slavery
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Torture
description of lynching,queerbooklover03's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I did not like racism of "Night Song" and how they talked about her.
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Self harm, Child death, and Slavery
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Body horror, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Vomit, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Stalking, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
Minor: Fatphobia
rae_bookmarkchronicles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Murder, and Suicide
rorikae's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
The story centers on the relationship between David, an immortal man, and his wife Jessica, a reporter. The group of immortals that David is a part of swear off long term relationships with mortals but David has had families on and off throughout his life. When the immortals learn about David's current family and decide that David needs to leave them behind and come home, David has to decide what his next steps will be and if they include telling his wife the truth.
Due is one of my favorite authors for fantastical horror and 'My Soul to Keep' showcases her true talents at grounding horror in very human characters. This story thrives off of the complicated relationships and decisions that surround immortality, especially around family. Due makes you both understand David and still be horrified by his actions while also understanding why Jessica cares for him. The horror in this story shifts from small to large moments that keep a sense of dread and expectation running throughout. No one creates characters quite like Due and then twists them through story elements that even when fantastical, you completely believe. I am thankful that this is a series because I want to spend more time with these characters and the ending sets up intriguing possibilities for what could come next.
If you are interested in reading character centered horror with a speculative edge, you need to be reading Due's work and 'My Soul to Keep' is a great place to start.
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Racial slurs, Stalking, Violence, Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual content
micaela11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Slavery