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siobhanward's review
emotional
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? No
2.0
NYT Notable Books 2019: 52/100
I wish this book had been longer. I rarely say that about books, but in this case, it felt like there were so many plots and none of them got enough attention: Josephine and Charlotte, Josephine's past, Ava and her grandma, Ava's mother. It felt like just as things were ramping up and things were starting to come together, everything ended and that was it. It was a solid plot and I loved the characters, but it felt like all this tension was created and then it ended abruptly without anything being resolved. I know that not everything ends happily, but some resolution would have been nice.
I wish this book had been longer. I rarely say that about books, but in this case, it felt like there were so many plots and none of them got enough attention: Josephine and Charlotte, Josephine's past, Ava and her grandma, Ava's mother. It felt like just as things were ramping up and things were starting to come together, everything ended and that was it. It was a solid plot and I loved the characters, but it felt like all this tension was created and then it ended abruptly without anything being resolved. I know that not everything ends happily, but some resolution would have been nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy
spaceb's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I had so many emotions as I read this book. Josephine's experiences were so hard to hear, vital to bear witness to, and heart wrenchingly written. I appreciated the overall narrative arc and swing between past and present day and found the juxtaposition spellbinding. The underlying ethos of 'that which you hate you will meet again until you no longer hate it' had me holding my breath until the very end, fearful of a past repeating itself in the most horrific of ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
rebecca__m's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
I am currently in the process of reading another book by authors I have given two stars. This book was an ideal candidate because it was short, had some likable characters, and had an intriguing plot.
After finishing the first "chapter" I was feeling pretty optimistic. I liked Ava and her family, and the plot was intriguing enough to make me want to keep reading. By the time I finished "chapter 2" I was still feeling optimistic, albeit a bit less. I didn't dislike Josephine or where her story was going, I just wasn't as intrigued as I had been with Ava's story. Also, I felt like Josephine could come off as a bit arrogant and rude. She kind of reminded me of the way Mary McLeod Bethune was portrayed in The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Things I liked:
+ I appreciated the three different timelines (Josephine's story was split into two timelines) were easy to keep track of.
+ The author did a good job depicting slavery and racism in a way that expressed the brutality of the two topics but was not overly gruesome.
+ I'm not sure if this was the author's intent, but there were definitely some sentences that I read that I interpreted as a subtle reminder that racism can go both ways.
+ I thought that the author did an amazing job wrapping everything up in the end.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but in the future, I think I will listen to this author on audio since there were some moments I found myself skiming. (I think that this book would translate really well to audio, if you are somebody who prefers audiobooks.)
After finishing the first "chapter" I was feeling pretty optimistic. I liked Ava and her family, and the plot was intriguing enough to make me want to keep reading. By the time I finished "chapter 2" I was still feeling optimistic, albeit a bit less. I didn't dislike Josephine or where her story was going, I just wasn't as intrigued as I had been with Ava's story. Also, I felt like Josephine could come off as a bit arrogant and rude. She kind of reminded me of the way Mary McLeod Bethune was portrayed in The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Things I liked:
+ I appreciated the three different timelines (Josephine's story was split into two timelines) were easy to keep track of.
+ The author did a good job depicting slavery and racism in a way that expressed the brutality of the two topics but was not overly gruesome.
+ I'm not sure if this was the author's intent, but there were definitely some sentences that I read that I interpreted as a subtle reminder that racism can go both ways.
+ I thought that the author did an amazing job wrapping everything up in the end.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but in the future, I think I will listen to this author on audio since there were some moments I found myself skiming. (I think that this book would translate really well to audio, if you are somebody who prefers audiobooks.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Dementia
Moderate: Cancer and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Abandonment
bt_wannabe's review
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
A mix of historical fiction and contemporary fiction with some supernatural elements, this story weaves together the stories of multiple generations; highlighting the impact of both generational trauma and strength. The use of multiple POVs was an effective tool in telling this story. While I do think there are characters and storylines that could’ve been fleshed out a bit better to make this read more rich and satisfying, I also feel that some connections were intentionally not explicitly laid out in order to make the reader think and reflect. Overall, it’s definitely worth your time and will leave you thinking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Infertility and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage
beetandbaguette's review
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
crabbytaco's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Slavery
javafenn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It took me a few days to write a review because this book was very emotional and I needed to clarify my thoughts. The story is told from 3 different timelines involving 2 different women basically sewing together how the past affects the future generations. The realities of slavery and post slavery was tough but the horrors of slavery and all the racism that followed are real and tough. The story itself was amazing. I enjoyed the magical aspect of it and I really loved how strong Josephine and Ava truly were despite not exactly knowing it at first. Both had sons that were facing a scary world for Black men and both had passions for healing. At the end of the book Josephine suffers a horrific and graphic loss shortly after gaining a new grandchild. I needed a few minutes to continue on from that point because there wasn’t much left in the book. I was shattered when it happened. I almost felt it was unnecessary but things like that happened and I’m not one to say how racism against Black people should be displayed in a book written by a Black person. That combined with the fact that the story got a bit confusing around 2/3 of the way through is why this is 3.5 stars. It’s definitely a good book and the narrators are great but it is heavy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol and Classism
_kendall's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Violence
nicoleisalwaysreading's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really enjoyed the way this read like a ghost story or a thriller with supernatural elements. I was starting to get scared for what Ava would find lurking in Martha or in her house (there were hints of actual possession, and in way, I do think Wilkerson Sexton was saying that racism is a demonic possession), and the build-up to the two key points in Josephine's story was captivating. This book was structured in an interesting and smart way. I will say, I felt like I wanted more scenes to fully play out, such as the supernatural linkage between Josephine-Gladys-Ava, more clear explanations of the Revisioners and the extent of their gifts, and how Josephine made her way to freedom as a child/with Jupiter. I have really been trying to figure out how exactly I feel about open endings, and this one was another to add to my recent list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
technicallyaly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Racism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Slavery and Violence