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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.
There's more ants than there are grasshoppers, by the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Death, and Blood
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Death
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Genocide, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, and Racial slurs
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racial slurs, Murder, Racism, Rape, and Violence
rcampbell's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Murder, and Violence
theskyboi's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Violence, Slavery, Outing, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Miscarriage
razmatesz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Rape
Moderate: Sexual harassment
jesshindes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
'The Prophets' is author Robert Jones Jr's first book and it's an ambitious - and successful - debut. It tells the story of Isaiah and Samuel, whose love helps them survive the demands and miseries of life as slaves on a cotton plantation; but Jones's scope takes us far beyond his two lead characters. The point of view shifts with each chapter, letting the reader into the lives and thoughts not only of many other slaves on the plantation (shout-out to Maggie, who I absolutely loved) but also of the white family in the big house. In some of the most powerful sections of Jones's novel, he also takes us back to Africa and the arrival of Portuguese slavers in a tribal community, showing the reaction of these 'skinless men' to a society whose norms around gender and sexuality are quite different than their own. We also spend time in the suffocating confines of a slaving ship, which is as vividly and carefully depicted as the rest of Jones's novel.
Jones never shies away from the brutality and inhumanity of slavery, which meant that this was hard going in places; but he leavens the novel with language that is always thoughtful and often beautiful, and the narrative offers moments of peace, hope, and even triumph amongst the general misery of Elizabeth Plantation. Without spoiling too much, I loved the magical threads that wove through this story, which serve as a connection back to Africa and can be read as a way of maintaining humanity and power in a setting designed to deprive its inhabitants of both - without ever minimising or skirting the real horrors that are being described. 'The Prophets' is not a light read but it is a very good one.
Jones never shies away from the brutality and inhumanity of slavery, which meant that this was hard going in places; but he leavens the novel with language that is always thoughtful and often beautiful, and the narrative offers moments of peace, hope, and even triumph amongst the general misery of Elizabeth Plantation. Without spoiling too much, I loved the magical threads that wove through this story, which serve as a connection back to Africa and can be read as a way of maintaining humanity and power in a setting designed to deprive its inhabitants of both - without ever minimising or skirting the real horrors that are being described. 'The Prophets' is not a light read but it is a very good one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Murder, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Mental illness and Homophobia
gelslitreviews's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape and Slavery