Scan barcode
colleengeedrumm's review
4.0
What a great read. A Detroit family as told through the eyes of a few characters and what shaped them to who they are today. A great character study and background history of race and the housing market in Detroit. This book really made me think and wonder about all of our quirks. The young author has a nice way of writing too.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaways for a book to review in an honest way. :)
It didn't seem like a long time to Cha-Cha. Fifty years, a wife, two children, one grandchild; they were not here one day, then all here the next.
A matriarch, even one who demurred at that title and its pressures as often as Viola did, is a hard thing to lose.
His Ming held a crystallized image of his mother from a specific epoch in his own life, and it was hard for him to reconcile it with current reality.
"These here is all my memories," she'd said. "You don't put your memories on the side of the road like that. Might as well put yourself out there."
If you can get used to being alone, sitting quiet for a long time with just you, then you can do anything.
What's the difference between a haint and a regular ghost anyway? Is a haint just Southern ghost? A black-folks ghost?
There was always a period of anticipation before the medication hit Viola's bloodstream, when the pain felt more akin to pleasure, because she knew it would soon be gone.
A woman without no options is waitin for a man to come by and ruin her.
Maybe she don't want goodbyes. Trust me, you start to feel a lot more dead when other people find out you're dying.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaways for a book to review in an honest way. :)
It didn't seem like a long time to Cha-Cha. Fifty years, a wife, two children, one grandchild; they were not here one day, then all here the next.
A matriarch, even one who demurred at that title and its pressures as often as Viola did, is a hard thing to lose.
His Ming held a crystallized image of his mother from a specific epoch in his own life, and it was hard for him to reconcile it with current reality.
"These here is all my memories," she'd said. "You don't put your memories on the side of the road like that. Might as well put yourself out there."
If you can get used to being alone, sitting quiet for a long time with just you, then you can do anything.
What's the difference between a haint and a regular ghost anyway? Is a haint just Southern ghost? A black-folks ghost?
There was always a period of anticipation before the medication hit Viola's bloodstream, when the pain felt more akin to pleasure, because she knew it would soon be gone.
A woman without no options is waitin for a man to come by and ruin her.
Maybe she don't want goodbyes. Trust me, you start to feel a lot more dead when other people find out you're dying.
nderiley's review against another edition
3.0
A well written fiction. I enjoyed the breadth of characters and the how the story jumped between time lines - it was an enjoyable read for me, but not one that wowed me
kal_self's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
readin_robin19's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that requires time to fully digest after reading. It’s a story about a large family and their trials, their hopes, their love, and the secrets they keep to protect themselves and each other. It’s about a house and a town and how things change over the course of time. How what looks like progress might actually lead to downfall. How the cheap thrills and big promises society offers can never satisfy our souls. How it’s important to hold onto our roots, and make peace with our ghosts. How, in the end, what really matters is each other. I’m glad I got to spend some time with the family in The Turner House.
freckleduck's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciated the different viewpoint of this book from my own personal viewpoint. I had a hard time connecting with it but as I continued reading I grew to enjoy the characters growth. I am not sure this book was written with me as the intended audience but I appreciate the perspective I gained from it. The book is filled with many grey situations in life and I am more judgmental when it comes to moral grey areas and it made it harder for me to enjoy and to read.
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
Really engrossing family saga set in Detroit. Detroit is like another character itself. I loved Cha Cha and Lelah, the oldest and youngest children in a family of thirteen. They're the ones we spend the most time with, and I was totally absorbed in their tales. I can't wait to see what else Ms. Flournoy writes.
allcavesin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was fine. Thought it was pretty slow but I think that's because it's just not what I usually read/listen to.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
I might not have picked up this book, except author Angela Flournoy is coming to the book store next month. I liked it. I found the characters to be quite sympathetic even when they were making choices I can't imagine myself making -- choices that were clearly not in their own best interests. There are 13 Turner siblings ranging in ages from 40ish to early sixties. They were raised in Detroit by parents who were part of the Great Migration. This is a story of legacy - the legacy of a family and the legacy of a city. A beautifully written book.
morgancoyner's review against another edition
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0