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danilanglie's review against another edition
2.0
Gosh, I feel really bad, but I just did not connect with this book very much. The writing was gorgeous, it had a very lush, rich texture to it almost, and I liked the way the POVs dipped into the heads of the different characters as the story progressed.
But... those characters, this story, it just felt all very academic and distant to me, in a strange way? I feel like when people who don't like literary fiction imagine what the genre is like, this book is exactly it: a pretty bleak story about inter-generational trauma and suffering, with a slow-moving plot.
I think the biggest disappointment for me in this book is that up until like the halfway mark, I thought this book was going to be about grandmother, mother, and son all coming together. I thought the book would be about Bonaparte. Those were the most interesting sections to me, and I kept waiting for Ava and Toussaint to finally go there and reunite with Dutchess. And that is a promise that the book never fulfills. Instead it just keeps building and building up to a tension point that doesn't really have catharsis, I guess.
So yeah. I can't deny that this book has a lot of gorgeous individual elements in it, but for me, it just didn't really hit the spot.
But... those characters, this story, it just felt all very academic and distant to me, in a strange way? I feel like when people who don't like literary fiction imagine what the genre is like, this book is exactly it: a pretty bleak story about inter-generational trauma and suffering, with a slow-moving plot.
I think the biggest disappointment for me in this book is that up until like the halfway mark, I thought this book was going to be about grandmother, mother, and son all coming together. I thought the book would be about Bonaparte. Those were the most interesting sections to me, and I kept waiting for Ava and Toussaint to finally go there and reunite with Dutchess. And that is a promise that the book never fulfills. Instead it just keeps building and building up to a tension point that doesn't really have catharsis, I guess.
So yeah. I can't deny that this book has a lot of gorgeous individual elements in it, but for me, it just didn't really hit the spot.
melissa_cosgrove's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Graphic: Child abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
4.0
Everyone in this novel is unsettled. Even in the tiny hamlet of Bonaparte, Alabama, Dutchess sees the world she has loved threatened by new housing developments and old friends leaving to enjoy their senior years elsewhere. In Philadelphia, her daughter Ava has taken her son and left the most stable home either of them have ever known for a homeless shelter. Cass seeks to create a utopia but builds a shaky cult in a struggling neighborhood.
Ayana Mathis uses the 1985 MOVE bombing as the crux of her story. The characters are complex and not entirely likable but it is hard not to become entangled in their story. You will feel a lot in this novel, mostly anger at the racism, misogyny, hopelessness, deception, and more. Mathis has a literary style that is accessible and sweeping. The story will keep you engaged.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the DRC. This is my honest review.
Ayana Mathis uses the 1985 MOVE bombing as the crux of her story. The characters are complex and not entirely likable but it is hard not to become entangled in their story. You will feel a lot in this novel, mostly anger at the racism, misogyny, hopelessness, deception, and more. Mathis has a literary style that is accessible and sweeping. The story will keep you engaged.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the DRC. This is my honest review.
laur_en's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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
2.0
I really needed to have DNFd this one, but I was too far in to exit. Brought no value to my life!, which is terrible because it covered some important topics. Started strong but quickly lost its traction.
Graphic: Domestic abuse
theredheadbaker's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, and Violence
every_morning's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Really didn’t like several of the characters. And some of the situations felt extreme. Made it hard to connect to the story overall. Probably part of the point with a book that is about generational trauma, but I still did not like it.
mnboyer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
Book of the Month Club: October 2023
Dark, dark vibes throughout but the kind that you're not going to easily forget. I want to make a longer comment here but at the same time, I'm having trouble processing my feelings about this one. I'd say if you like historical fiction with heavy discussions of race and multiple viewpoints, this one is for you.
Dark, dark vibes throughout but the kind that you're not going to easily forget. I want to make a longer comment here but at the same time, I'm having trouble processing my feelings about this one. I'd say if you like historical fiction with heavy discussions of race and multiple viewpoints, this one is for you.
resing's review against another edition
I wanted to like it but I didn't and couldn't force myself to continue listening. I gave it a chance.
booksandbourbon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25