Reviews with content warning for Violence - When the Reckoning Comes

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

74 reviews

nicole625's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

4.25

It didn't feel as gothic as I imagined it would be. The way that history and the modern story blend is very impactful. However, it felt like some of the character reactions were so mild that it almost dulled the impact. For example, Mira believes that

Jesse has been shot and killed by an angry mob

but the way it's written is so blunt and short, that it feels like it loses some of the emotional impact. Overall, a really interesting story that's difficult because of the absolute atrocities described throughout (literally like ALL the trigger warnings).

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brotestantethic's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is a hard, but very compelling, read. McQueen provides heavy insight into the antebellum and modern South that is often ignored. She discusses the harder and more gruesome aspects of enslavement, while bringing them back into the present. I very much enjoyed how she plays with time near the end of the novel. There are some good twists and turns.
All that said, I would have rated this lower before the final sixty pages or so. The explanation of what is happening at the Woodsman house is extremely rushed and far too convenient. Main character Mira knows exactly what to do to progress the story along, and there is no explanation why.

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hillysreads's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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kaneebli's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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abirej's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

“I guess I thought what good is it knowing about the past when it can’t help me now?” Mira’s mother asks the question so many Americans have claimed as their reason for avoiding the darkness and cruelty of our country’s history. McQueen delivers a deeply compelling, literally haunting reason for knowing our past, for owning our part in it; rather than introspective naval gazing, learning our ancestoral stories explains so much of who we are and where we’re going as a nation. Definitely trigger warning for intense violence, torture and sexual assault in flash back scenes.

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bookishkellyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense

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

3.5

Mira was an unlikeable FMC who gave ‘go along to get along’ vibes until 75% in, plus I wasn’t a fan of the romance subplot. This was less intentional horror and more like accurately writing about Black history is naturally horrific (i.e. the skinning scene). It felt like the author was overwhelmed with multiple ideas and didn’t know how to adequately wrap them up, leading to an abrupt ending. I wish there was more time spent on the character dynamics, but the rest of the premise was strong enough to balance it out for me.

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