Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

74 reviews

peachmoni'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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

fluoresensitive's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense 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? Yes

4.75

You ever read a book that fills you with so much Black rage you think you could burn down the entirety of the United States, like really just light a match and torch it all, let this whole imperialist pisspot of a country roast? Oh, okay.

There's more ants than there are grasshoppers, by the way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Blood, and Murder

botanbibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, and Colonisation

sidekicksam's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The story revolves around the romantic relation between Isaiah and Samuel, told from the points of views of their fellow slaves and their owners. Even though Isaiah and Samuel barely tell their story themselves, you can't help but fall in love a bit with them through the accounts of the others. 

I can't put into words how much I loved the lyrical writing, or how compelling I found each character, because this novel left me quite speechless. I expected a very heavy piece of literature as it is set on a plantation in the height of slavery, but the only reason it took me a little longer to finish is because the writing forces you to take your time to absorb it all. 

I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work, and I recommend everyone who loves literary (romance) novels to read this beautiful book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Murder

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This was a very hard read. I think a lot of it went over my head honestly. The time of enslaved people with absolutely no holding back and no filters. I was constantly in tears or sick to my stomach. Which is definitely the seeming point. Isaiah and Samuel find love only again to be ripped apart. There was never going to be a happy ending during this time. It’s just all pain. Which makes it a hard, but necessary read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

maevebm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

As with most books with multiple perspectives, the author runs the
risk of some characters not connecting with the reader. I found myself only interested in a few characters and  stories. which made the majority of the book a bit of a chore to read. I will say Jones has an incredible way of using language to create beautiful
imagery and voices. Although at times, I found it a bit pompous and over-the-top.
I think it's worth reading this novel because it does tell a moving
story about people and love and hatred and humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

rcampbell's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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, Rape, Violence, and Murder

theskyboi's review

dark emotional hopeful 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

At its center, this novel's narrative centers on Isaiah and Samuel, an enslaved couple on the Mississippi plantation disaffectionately known as Empty. However, the narration travels between the lives of all the plantation's major figures, weaving a careful, complex tapestry of sorrows, histories, and identities. While this book did take me rather long to finish, I don't find it to be a flaw; rather, I consider it a slower story that envelops you and begs you to consider each and every character in their totality.

Part of the pacing comes from the emotional weight of assessing the relationship we have to past cultures erased and exploited in the name of greed and power. Part of the pacing comes from the lyrical prose and poetry that Robert Jones Jr. expertly crafted on the pages of his debut novel. As an author, he utilizes each character's voice for the purposes of an emotional about-face between terror and tenderness.

I absolutely consider this book an essential addition to my shelf, and I feel enriched after having delved into the world of these forbidden lovers. However, the brutality of slavery cannot be ignored, so I present a brief notice to readers who know themselves to be sensitive in regard to such acts of violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Colonisation

Moderate: Miscarriage