Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

50 reviews

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry

_lia_reads_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Violence, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Rape

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

(I’m writing this review a month after reading this book 🙈 so apologies if it’s not very coherent! 😂)

This book is historical fiction, but it definitely leans more toward literary fiction. It’s very well-written, but some might find the writing too abstract and overdone for the story. I’ll admit, some parts were hard to focus on in the audiobook and I think it would’ve helped me to have the print book to follow along with while listening. Some audiobooks I can listen to while doing a million other things and still follow along easily; this one required and commanded more attention. (I’m not saying this is a bad thing either—just trying to explain what kind of book this is and the best way to read it.)

That being said, I found the plot to be compelling and the characters satisfyingly complex. We get into the heads of several different characters, not just Samuel and Isaiah, and we find rich and real people in all of them. I also liked seeing the story from varying points of view.

There is a lot in this book that’s unsettling, but I thought the author handled these things well. He drew necessary attention to certain horrors and injustices without glorifying them or glossing over them. But please do be aware of the content warnings.

Thank you to Libro.fm, the publisher, and the author for my ALC.

Read if you like: Civil War–era fiction, forbidden love, gray areas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

kylieqrada's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Review to come!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

sephyhallow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

aubreydelammermore's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, and Racial slurs

emilybolivia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This synopsis falls so short. I was privileged to listen to the author, Robert Jones, Jr., speak about this novel with fellow author Deesha Philyaw last week. Originally intended to be a narrative from Isaiah's perspective, Mr. Jones shared "What their love needed was witnesses." He created and wrote more than 10 witnesses to their relationship, both Black slaves and White slaveholders and overseer. The result was a profound exploration of deeply personal Antebellum South experiences including voices and stories from ancestors and the horrors of the Middle Passage journey. The scope of voices just left me in awe. It was immersive. Ms. Philyaw said, "each page is a gift". Reading this novel was a full-body, mind-blowing experience in both its beauty and its tragedy. 

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The normalizing of Isaiah and Samuel's love was refreshing and affirming. The treatment of gender identity and roles was thought-provoking. The strength, wisdom, tenacity, and beauty of the Black women was artful and real. The White people were written with care and, Mr. Jones shared, great consideration for their motivations. One must confront their humanity. From the book, "there was no such thing as monsters. Every travesty that had ever been committed had been committed by plain people and every person had it in them."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

abbie_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

‘The easy thing to believe was that the toubab were monsters, their crimes exceptional. Harder, however, and even more frightening was the truth: there was no such thing as monsters. Every travesty that had ever been committed had been committed by a plain person, and every person had it in them [...].’ - Robert Jones, Jr, The Prophets.

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After finishing The Prophets last night, I just sat for a bit, absorbing. I had to do that many times throughout the journey of this book, which I’m sure we’ll see all over bookstagram and prize lists this year - deservedly so. Jones’ prose is gorgeous, complex and rich. If you’re not concentrating, the sentences will get away from you, but give it your all and you’ll be rewarded.

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The author acknowledgements mention Toni Morrison’s famous quote about writing the book you want to read if you can’t find it, and Jones has poured himself into this book, no question. Every character feels real and vivid, the reader privy to their innermost agonising thoughts, their memories and make-up which makes them *them*. I thought we’d hear more from Isaiah and Samuel directly, but I wasn’t mad at the multitude of voices which pour across these pages. Isaiah and Samuel are the stars, but the women in this book are by no means sidelined, each as carefully crafted and explored as the two main characters.

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It’s book that will take a long time to unpack. One that I’m sure will be sitting with me for a long time, as much for its heartbreak as for the brightly shining pockets of beauty and love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

jbraith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Excrement, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

jouiselouise's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, and Infidelity