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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
jesmyn ward knows her characters so well and loves them so deeply it makes my heart ache
Moving story. However, writing style threw me off. There was no delineation between paragraphs when character point of views were changing. Also, paragraphs were not the most concise making it hard to follow.
Maybe I love her other novels too much to be objective about this one.
Everyone should read this book, some of so that we can see ourselves reflected in a rich and wonderful amalgam of personalities who grew up and are living in the hood, and some of us so we can be exposed to an equal parts hyper realistic and exceedingly compelling depiction of such a grouping of characters. I felt elated to get to know the wonderful main characters in this story, who I couldn’t help but feel like could have been my friends and friends’ family from high school.
This was my first time reading anything by Jesmyn Ward, and I quite enjoyed it.
Ward's biggest strength as a writer is her ability to create a very strong sense of place. The Mississippi Gulf Coast where this novel takes place, specifically the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, is rendered in gorgeous detail, to the point that the reader can picture vividly every aspect of its setting - the squalor, the nature, the temperature, everything.
The story focuses on twin boys, Christophe and Joshua, throughout the summer following their high school graduation. The boys are intent on finding a job and make life easier for the grandmother who raised them. Joshua gets lucky right away, causing strife between the brothers for the first time, leading Christophe to make some less than ideal, or legal, choices as a reaction.
The cast of supporting characters in the novel also includes the boys' estranged mother, their drug addicted father, some extended family, friends, and even a love interest. But this is Joshua and Christophe's story, their relationship to each other, and how they navigate a world that has been against them since before they were even born.
This is Ward's debut work, and it does feel like it at times. But what is undeniable is that this is a voice worth paying attention to, and I am excited to read her subsequent works, now that she has grown and matured as a writer. There are beautiful sections of prose in this novel, especially centering the grandmother character and her vision or her way of peeling shrimp. The story overall doesn't always work or progress smoothly, but overall it is a strong debut and a story worth reading, leaving the reader quite satisfied once the final pages are reached.
Ward's biggest strength as a writer is her ability to create a very strong sense of place. The Mississippi Gulf Coast where this novel takes place, specifically the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, is rendered in gorgeous detail, to the point that the reader can picture vividly every aspect of its setting - the squalor, the nature, the temperature, everything.
The story focuses on twin boys, Christophe and Joshua, throughout the summer following their high school graduation. The boys are intent on finding a job and make life easier for the grandmother who raised them. Joshua gets lucky right away, causing strife between the brothers for the first time, leading Christophe to make some less than ideal, or legal, choices as a reaction.
The cast of supporting characters in the novel also includes the boys' estranged mother, their drug addicted father, some extended family, friends, and even a love interest. But this is Joshua and Christophe's story, their relationship to each other, and how they navigate a world that has been against them since before they were even born.
This is Ward's debut work, and it does feel like it at times. But what is undeniable is that this is a voice worth paying attention to, and I am excited to read her subsequent works, now that she has grown and matured as a writer. There are beautiful sections of prose in this novel, especially centering the grandmother character and her vision or her way of peeling shrimp. The story overall doesn't always work or progress smoothly, but overall it is a strong debut and a story worth reading, leaving the reader quite satisfied once the final pages are reached.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written and the reader really feels the emotions of the characters, particularly as the brothers paths split. It’s heartbreaking to see from each of their perspectives as they grow apart, while continuously worrying over each other. It could feel a little slow and drawn out at times.
An really good debut novel. Ward beautifully paints the community of a bayou town and the limited choices facing the people. I hate the term "lyrical" but the writing and descriptions are beautiful. Salvage the Bones and her memoir The Men We Reap are better books, but what an impressive first novel!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated