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jennifermreads's review
In my “reading from shelf” goal, I thought for sure this one would be a winner for me: set in 1920s Portland (in my new home state of Oregon), mobsters, found family, racial tension, dual timeline. When I saw that both Kirkus and Library Journal gave it starred-reviews, I thought I was safe and this book would not be a victim of my “I’m in a reading funk” era.
Alas, I made it to page 108 and just could not find a comfortable rhythm as I bounced from present day and the MC’s previous life in Harlem. I never connected with the language and manner of storytelling. I struggled keeping the characters straight in my head—and there were a lot of characters. But ultimately, because of the number of characters, there were so many storylines and I was overly preoccupied wondering which one of the plot points would be the main one. With my semi-slump of so many hits-then-misses, I am sad this is added to the “miss” side of the equation. But, by page 108, there should be some focus.
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty
quasinaut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Slow to start and heavy on the 20s slang, but the split stories -- 1910s Harlem with the Mafia and 1920s Portland with the KKK -- are well-developed and ultimately intertwined.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Transphobia
Minor: Abortion
abbeyreadthis's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Hate crime, Gun violence, and Violence
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