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sassmaster14000's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
littlepepperguy's review against another edition
3.75
I enjoyed it, it gave a chiller Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon vibe.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
The thing about The Unsettled is that it reads just like any other literary fiction book you could pick up.
Like most literary fiction I have encountered it’s primarily character focused, functioning mostly as an extended character study. On its face, there’s nothing wrong with that. The book makes it clear from the get go that it is an exploration of characters in a specific point in time as they react to the circumstances of the premise that Mathis has established. In short - I knew what I was getting into.
And I enjoy character studies. I like seeing why people do things; what drives them, how they justify their decisions, the breaking point after a traumatic event, etc. The flip side of literary fiction often is that not a lot by way of plot has to happen since it’s about the characters more than anything.
While I understand this narrative convention intellectually, on a personal level I enjoy when events actually occur in a book I’m reading. Obviously people can write what they want to write and they write what they feel is the story they need to share or the one that they are best suited to share. Or from a less altruistic yet no less valid perspective, they will write what they feel will sell.
But if interesting things aren’t going to happen, the book isn't written in a particularly dynamic way or exploring a unique point of view then it leaves me questioning what the point of writing the book even is if the book is going to turn out exactly like every other literary fiction novel where a woman has a poor relationship with her mother and it causes her to inflict trauma on her child. You can argue that the time period or the characters being Black or even the author being Black is what makes the difference. But, from my perspective that had little impact on the overall story beats.
Like Cas being a part of the Black Panthers previously is functionally no different from if he was white and part of some racist, supremacist group or just some random cult vs Black nationalism. The consequences and ripple effect is nothing specific to being Black or the fact that he was in the Black Panthers. The prose did not shine enough to make the telling of his story investing.
The prologue was a mistake or rather, the prologue as executed was a mistake. It completely spoils the trajectory of the three major characters. From there as you read you can draw conclusions about the other minor characters. I always knew where the ending was going so I was mostly waiting to get there rather than actively experiencing the book as it unfolds.
I'm not one to say that originality is particularly important. I can read the same concept over and over and still find some enjoyment in the book even if I’ve read a version of it before. Sometimes it's the way the author portrayed their specific characters or the specific way their characters are experiencing the premise that still hooks me in.
I read a lot of middle grade where a kid feels unheard in their family dynamic. What keeps me reading that exact concept over and over is that there is so much variety in why a kid is unheard or what their family dynamic is. The kid could be neurodivergent, the kid could be queer, the kid could physically not be able to speak. The family could be two biological parents, two adoptive parents, divorced parents, no siblings, step-siblings, half siblings. The ever changing match-ups and how an author chooses to put their vision into practice is what makes it interesting even if the basic idea is the same.
To me the mark of a decent or pretty good writer is the ability to effectively communicate a concept - The plot is paced well, it is consistent with its own logical framework, and/or the characters experience meaningful arcs. It might be average, but that does not mean it’s bad or that I did not have a good time reading.
The caveat is that originality often is what makes a book memorable or life-changing. Ultimately, The Unsettled was standard fare. I don’t regret reading it, but I was not enriched by reading it either.
Like most literary fiction I have encountered it’s primarily character focused, functioning mostly as an extended character study. On its face, there’s nothing wrong with that. The book makes it clear from the get go that it is an exploration of characters in a specific point in time as they react to the circumstances of the premise that Mathis has established. In short - I knew what I was getting into.
And I enjoy character studies. I like seeing why people do things; what drives them, how they justify their decisions, the breaking point after a traumatic event, etc. The flip side of literary fiction often is that not a lot by way of plot has to happen since it’s about the characters more than anything.
While I understand this narrative convention intellectually, on a personal level I enjoy when events actually occur in a book I’m reading. Obviously people can write what they want to write and they write what they feel is the story they need to share or the one that they are best suited to share. Or from a less altruistic yet no less valid perspective, they will write what they feel will sell.
But if interesting things aren’t going to happen, the book isn't written in a particularly dynamic way or exploring a unique point of view then it leaves me questioning what the point of writing the book even is if the book is going to turn out exactly like every other literary fiction novel where a woman has a poor relationship with her mother and it causes her to inflict trauma on her child. You can argue that the time period or the characters being Black or even the author being Black is what makes the difference. But, from my perspective that had little impact on the overall story beats.
Like Cas being a part of the Black Panthers previously is functionally no different from if he was white and part of some racist, supremacist group or just some random cult vs Black nationalism. The consequences and ripple effect is nothing specific to being Black or the fact that he was in the Black Panthers. The prose did not shine enough to make the telling of his story investing.
The prologue was a mistake or rather, the prologue as executed was a mistake. It completely spoils the trajectory of the three major characters. From there as you read you can draw conclusions about the other minor characters. I always knew where the ending was going so I was mostly waiting to get there rather than actively experiencing the book as it unfolds.
I'm not one to say that originality is particularly important. I can read the same concept over and over and still find some enjoyment in the book even if I’ve read a version of it before. Sometimes it's the way the author portrayed their specific characters or the specific way their characters are experiencing the premise that still hooks me in.
I read a lot of middle grade where a kid feels unheard in their family dynamic. What keeps me reading that exact concept over and over is that there is so much variety in why a kid is unheard or what their family dynamic is. The kid could be neurodivergent, the kid could be queer, the kid could physically not be able to speak. The family could be two biological parents, two adoptive parents, divorced parents, no siblings, step-siblings, half siblings. The ever changing match-ups and how an author chooses to put their vision into practice is what makes it interesting even if the basic idea is the same.
To me the mark of a decent or pretty good writer is the ability to effectively communicate a concept - The plot is paced well, it is consistent with its own logical framework, and/or the characters experience meaningful arcs. It might be average, but that does not mean it’s bad or that I did not have a good time reading.
The caveat is that originality often is what makes a book memorable or life-changing. Ultimately, The Unsettled was standard fare. I don’t regret reading it, but I was not enriched by reading it either.
dmn5678's review against another edition
dark
tense
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
3.0
unspecialsnowflake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
beepblorb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
hippietilley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sacmills's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
ahayes15's review against another edition
4.75
I loved this book and then it was too sad and slow for me and then I loved it again. Touissant didn't deserve everything that he got and I still can't decide if Ava is a good mom or not, but I felt deeply moved by this story. If you're not familiar with the Philadelphia MOVE bombing, that is definitely important context to at least skim before you delve into this book.
goodem9199's review against another edition
2.0
Was so excited for this one...just could not connect.