Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

71 reviews

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, 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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Rape, and Violence

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, Murder, and Racism

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

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

peachani's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Death, Excrement, Suicide, Cursing, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Vomit, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Alcohol, Genocide, Infertility, and Sexual content

mackenzienoelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

The audiobook narrator was incredible. It’s hard for me to judge how fast or slow this book was just because audiobooks go really fast for me. Strong strong content warnings on this one but it was so beautiful and important to me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Sexual content, Trafficking, Genocide, Racism, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape

Moderate: Sexism, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Excrement, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide, Transphobia, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

burnourhistory's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, and Body horror