Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

74 reviews

lisztaffe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• 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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

emzireads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

bruhbruh's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Deportation

antidietleah's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

badmom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

Robert Jones Jr. weaves an ultimately gorgeous tapestry from an ugly point in history using  the voices of enslaved people, their African ancestors, and the enslavers. The language is poetic throughout, drawing reality truthfully yet landing on the ways people rose above, how they survived and dreamed and loved, and created the life they deserved. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Outing, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, and Cannibalism

passionyoungwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.0

First off, the writing is lyrical and I couldn’t put this book down!

My favorite characters were Puah, Sarah and Maggie. They all led different lives, all had their own ways of thinking and being and most of all they respected Isaiah and Samuel as one and together. 

The most important thing that I grasped in this novel was that even in those times, there were people who respected their choices. Not just respected, but understood them due to past experiences and the love they had for them both. 

Now, I’d say this book ran neck and neck with The Love Songs of WEB Dubois. 

⚡️

I wished the ending could’ve been a bit more clearer but my understanding was that regardless of what happened - Samuel and Isiah would always be together, a blood bond from one generation to the next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Murder

kirstenf's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

jaytongue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.25

This book deals with something no other book I've read really does, which is the violation of the sexual autonomy of slaves in the Antebellum American South. The central conflict is a relationship between two enslaved boys that should not exist, and exists in defiance of the fact that they were purchased in order to be bred, as all slaves were expected to be as part of a return on investment. The resulting narrative is one that explores the true horrors of slavery in the America, as well as the twisted mentalities of dehumanization and gross disregard for human dignity that justified it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

desdemonarose's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

5.0

This is a dark book, it is about two gay men who are also slaves. The book doesn't soften the horrors of slavery at all. Along with those expected challenges, they are also gay in a society where not everyone among the slaves accepts them. So, they have that added challenge. Which, before I read this book I had not even thought of how much more difficult slavery must have been for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The writing is very well done, Jones captures the different cultures of his characters and their backgrounds well in it. It's not a easy read in terms of subject matter, but I think it's important to face those tough topics, unless it's especially triggering. I'm not a POC, but from my limited view, Jones does seem to tackled the topic really well and it gave me a lot to think about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Murder

atamano's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism