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cora_the_explorer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.75
msmelinda's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good book, but it wasn’t the right time for me to read it. It was well-written, but not enjoyable to read. Too much violence, rape, abuse, anger, sadness, sickness...I applaud Roxane Gay for her ability to tackle hard issues in a way that was relevant to her storytelling, it’s just that the story wasn’t for me.
meghan111's review against another edition
4.0
I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN. The story of a Haitian-American woman visiting family in Haiti, who is kidnapped, held for ransom for almost two weeks, and then released. It's brutal in describing her captivity and its aftermath, and also felt incredibly emotionally honest in describing her relationship with her white husband, both before and after the kidnapping.
Mireille lives in the US, but goes back to Haiti to visit her wealthy family in their compound, traveling with her husband and 10-month-old son. She is kidnapped out of a car one day by armed men in Land Rovers. They hold her ransom so that her father will pay them money for her release, but her father refuses to negotiate.
Mireille lives in the US, but goes back to Haiti to visit her wealthy family in their compound, traveling with her husband and 10-month-old son. She is kidnapped out of a car one day by armed men in Land Rovers. They hold her ransom so that her father will pay them money for her release, but her father refuses to negotiate.
carolpk's review against another edition
5.0
The Hook - ”Once upon a time in a far-off land, I was kidnapped by a gang of fearless yet terrified young men with so much impossible hope beating inside their bodies it burned their very skin and strengthened their will right through their bones.”
The Line – ”The people love a real tragedy when they think it cannot happen to them.
The Sinker – Many young girls look up to their fathers. Fathers are larger than life, not only in stature but often also in voice. Fathers can do no wrong and in my case, my father was my first hero. We want to please our fathers even if it costs us something of ourselves.
________________________________
Circling back to The Hook you immediately know Mireille Duvall Jameson’s story is no fairy tale sprinkled with princesses and princes. Fiction that reads like non-fiction, it pulls no punches of what it means to be privileged in a country where poverty is the norm. In an almost Robin Hood kind of way Mireille becomes the vehicle in a political maneuver of an imbalance of money. When Mireille visits her homeland, Haiti with her son and husband, the family compound behind gates cannot protect her from the reality of a country in economical upheaval. What should have been a leisurely day at the beach ends in Mireille being kidnapped for ransom. It is a brutal telling of a woman with pride and spirit who has been taught to be strong and not fold under the worst circumstances. Whether her strength is an asset or a liability is hard to determine. Each of us will see this in light of our own determination. In Mireille’s case it is her father most of all who has set the tone of her substance.
”My father’s parents both died when he was young, in ways that disgusted him, in ways he once told us, that showed him that the only way to survive this world is by being strong.”
Be strong. These two words echo her consciousness throughout Mireille’s ordeal. Be strong, two small words that can be hard to live up to.
To her kidnappers:
”My father doesn’t believe in paying kidnappers. You should know that.”
the response:
”Your father will pay for his youngest daughter.”
These words are the crux of An Untamed State but not the only issue to explore or resolve. As the dedication states
for women, the world over
Magnificent writing, An Untamed State is a powerful story. I did not agree with all the choices the author made but these choices would make for interesting discussion.
”We loved Haiti. We hated Haiti. We did not understand or know Haiti. Years later, I still did not understand Haiti, but I longed for the Haiti of my childhood. When I was kidnapped, I knew I would never find that Haiti ever again.”
Don’t miss An Untamed State but be forewarned that like me, it may kick you in the gut, shock your senses and open your eyes to a world we know nothing about.
The Line – ”The people love a real tragedy when they think it cannot happen to them.
The Sinker – Many young girls look up to their fathers. Fathers are larger than life, not only in stature but often also in voice. Fathers can do no wrong and in my case, my father was my first hero. We want to please our fathers even if it costs us something of ourselves.
________________________________
Circling back to The Hook you immediately know Mireille Duvall Jameson’s story is no fairy tale sprinkled with princesses and princes. Fiction that reads like non-fiction, it pulls no punches of what it means to be privileged in a country where poverty is the norm. In an almost Robin Hood kind of way Mireille becomes the vehicle in a political maneuver of an imbalance of money. When Mireille visits her homeland, Haiti with her son and husband, the family compound behind gates cannot protect her from the reality of a country in economical upheaval. What should have been a leisurely day at the beach ends in Mireille being kidnapped for ransom. It is a brutal telling of a woman with pride and spirit who has been taught to be strong and not fold under the worst circumstances. Whether her strength is an asset or a liability is hard to determine. Each of us will see this in light of our own determination. In Mireille’s case it is her father most of all who has set the tone of her substance.
”My father’s parents both died when he was young, in ways that disgusted him, in ways he once told us, that showed him that the only way to survive this world is by being strong.”
Be strong. These two words echo her consciousness throughout Mireille’s ordeal. Be strong, two small words that can be hard to live up to.
To her kidnappers:
”My father doesn’t believe in paying kidnappers. You should know that.”
the response:
”Your father will pay for his youngest daughter.”
These words are the crux of An Untamed State but not the only issue to explore or resolve. As the dedication states
for women, the world over
Magnificent writing, An Untamed State is a powerful story. I did not agree with all the choices the author made but these choices would make for interesting discussion.
”We loved Haiti. We hated Haiti. We did not understand or know Haiti. Years later, I still did not understand Haiti, but I longed for the Haiti of my childhood. When I was kidnapped, I knew I would never find that Haiti ever again.”
Don’t miss An Untamed State but be forewarned that like me, it may kick you in the gut, shock your senses and open your eyes to a world we know nothing about.
audaciaray's review against another edition
5.0
I've had this book on my shelf for a few years but was honestly a little afraid of its intensity. I have never read a book that so beautifully and viscerally captures the "after" of trauma, the way that survival is an ongoing act that is just beginning when you physically get away from the trauma.
amycrea's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a bit befuddled by all the rave reviews of this one. There are parts that are good--Gay does an amazing job of detailing the torture the main character goes through after being kidnapped for ransom in Haiti, and she details the resulting PTSD in a vivid, heartbreaking way. But many of the characters are cardboard and not believable; the relationship between the main character and her husband didn't ring true at all; the ending was right out of a Lifetime TV movie; and once again, we have a black woman being saved by a white woman. Problematic on many levels.
brb_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I just read a review where someone said they were emotionally wrecked after reading this book and I believe that pretty much sums it up. This is not an easy read and definitely not recommended for everyone. The sense of hopelessness was strong throughout and sometimes that is hard to read about page after page but I didn’t want to put it down. There are parts I will not be able to forget about this book. One part in particular is the eventual relationship between Michael’s mother and Miri which is basically forced to form while his mother is sick and Michael cannot go back due to work to help his ailing mother. I don’t know why but it made me happy that when she ran away from home that’s where she ended up. She needed a parental figure and her parents were very clearly out of the question (and for good reason, I think) and she found that in Lorraine. This won’t end up on my favorites list this year but I definitely think it’s worth the read. Just know going in that it will weigh heavily on you, or at least it did (and likely will for a little while) for me.
cslanzi's review against another edition
5.0
This book shouldn’t come with a trigger warning. There is rape and physical abuse in it. I should have guessed because it was about a kidnapping. That being said the book was insightful and captured the complexity of human relationships. It was a hard read but I still enjoyed it.
aisling_a's review against another edition
5.0
cw: rape/abuse/PTSD
An Untamed State is probably one of the most well written books I have ever read. It absolutely destroyed me and upset me so much more than any other book has - I was truly grieving for Mireille by the time I reached the halfway point. This book is incredible in that it made me feel so much fear and sadness without going into excessive detail re: Mireille's systematic rape and abuse at the hands of her captors. All of the hurt lies in her memories of who she was before she was destroyed as a result of her father's decision, and what her kidnapping does to her in robbing her of the Mireille who existed in "the before". Gay has masterfully given her readers an insight into what true privilege involves, and what happens when said privilege backfires. Mireille has privilege that lies in her father's wealth and her American status, but this privilege is revoked as a result of her being a woman. I also really appreciated Gay's exploration of the complex, multifaceted nature of love, especially when love is not wanted, not reciprocated or not felt in a clear way. She was certainly not afraid to explore the immense pain that comes alongside different forms of love, be it the love individuals are born with for their parents or the love people choose. I think this book is going to effect me for an incredibly long time and I cannot see myself forgetting it any time soon.
An Untamed State is probably one of the most well written books I have ever read. It absolutely destroyed me and upset me so much more than any other book has - I was truly grieving for Mireille by the time I reached the halfway point. This book is incredible in that it made me feel so much fear and sadness without going into excessive detail re: Mireille's systematic rape and abuse at the hands of her captors. All of the hurt lies in her memories of who she was before she was destroyed as a result of her father's decision, and what her kidnapping does to her in robbing her of the Mireille who existed in "the before". Gay has masterfully given her readers an insight into what true privilege involves, and what happens when said privilege backfires. Mireille has privilege that lies in her father's wealth and her American status, but this privilege is revoked as a result of her being a woman. I also really appreciated Gay's exploration of the complex, multifaceted nature of love, especially when love is not wanted, not reciprocated or not felt in a clear way. She was certainly not afraid to explore the immense pain that comes alongside different forms of love, be it the love individuals are born with for their parents or the love people choose. I think this book is going to effect me for an incredibly long time and I cannot see myself forgetting it any time soon.
alaiyo0685's review against another edition
5.0
I want to say this book is not for the faint of heart, but I am faint of heart and I could not stop reading between my tears. So instead, I will call it brutal and heartbreaking and haunting and chilling and somehow also inspiring.