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xereads's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.75
I give this read a 3.75/5 stars. I enjoyed Ruth’s story and think she had some character development. I wish the ending expanded more on her and Xavier’s next steps though. I had a hard time seeing the relevance of Obama’s election and it relating to the rest of the book. There were heavy racial undertones that I think would’ve still stuck without mentioning the election because it made it almost like 3 different stories in one. Also I had a love/hate relationship with Midnight’s character and there was 0 character development for his dad’s character and I didn’t like that. I was entertained while reading and would recommend to others to get their takes and discuss further.
hollandvk's review against another edition
4.0
I received this as an ARC from Goodreads Giveaways.
It was surprisingly heartwarming, despite dragging out all of the family secrets.
It was surprisingly heartwarming, despite dragging out all of the family secrets.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Shayna Small
3***
Ruth Tuttle is a chemical engineer married to a marketing executive and living the good life in Chicago. Obama has just been elected President and Ruth’s husband feels the time is right for them to start a family. But Ruth isn’t so sure. What Xavier doesn’t know is that she had a child when she was in high school and gave up that child so she could continue her education. Now she feels she needs to go back to Ganton, Indiana and confront her family about what happened to her baby.
There’s a good premise here and some interesting family dynamics, but I thought Johnson relied too much on the secrets and failed to make sense of the present. Ruth is supposed to be this brilliant scientist and yet she behaves just as impulsively as Midnight, the young white boy she befriends. I get that this is an emotionally fraught situation, but she doesn’t seem to ever sit and think things through before acting.
And I was really bothered by the situation with Midnight, a child who desperately needs parenting. I can understand why he acts out as he does – he’s just a kid and lacks stability at home. And I totally get it that children in these kinds of situations rarely have a happy ending. But Johnson seems to just drop Midnight’s storyline without so much s a by your leave.
Still, Johnson captured my attention early and kept me turning pages (or changing discs). I wanted to know what would happen to these people and how their stories would play out. This is her debut novel, and I think a little more work (and editing) might have made this a very memorable work.
Shayna Small does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has a believable voice for the 10-year-old Midnight, as well as the many adults in the novel.
3***
Ruth Tuttle is a chemical engineer married to a marketing executive and living the good life in Chicago. Obama has just been elected President and Ruth’s husband feels the time is right for them to start a family. But Ruth isn’t so sure. What Xavier doesn’t know is that she had a child when she was in high school and gave up that child so she could continue her education. Now she feels she needs to go back to Ganton, Indiana and confront her family about what happened to her baby.
There’s a good premise here and some interesting family dynamics, but I thought Johnson relied too much on the secrets and failed to make sense of the present. Ruth is supposed to be this brilliant scientist and yet she behaves just as impulsively as Midnight, the young white boy she befriends. I get that this is an emotionally fraught situation, but she doesn’t seem to ever sit and think things through before acting.
And I was really bothered by the situation with Midnight, a child who desperately needs parenting. I can understand why he acts out as he does – he’s just a kid and lacks stability at home. And I totally get it that children in these kinds of situations rarely have a happy ending. But Johnson seems to just drop Midnight’s storyline without so much s a by your leave.
Still, Johnson captured my attention early and kept me turning pages (or changing discs). I wanted to know what would happen to these people and how their stories would play out. This is her debut novel, and I think a little more work (and editing) might have made this a very memorable work.
Shayna Small does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has a believable voice for the 10-year-old Midnight, as well as the many adults in the novel.
venomess's review against another edition
reflective
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? Yes
2.25
knod78's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book on the goodreads giveaway. This book was good and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. There were times I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story and the way she weaved the stories and secrets of the characters. I do like having the two stories happening at the same time between the main character, Ruth and one of the children, Midnight. They had such different paths, but intersected so well. I loved the hate and anger and jealousy emotions used in this book between Corey and Midnight, which reminded me of Othello in some ways.
However, I didn’t like Ruth’s character all that much. She did her have her moments and turned things around, but she was selfish and in a way, ignorant of the situation. She was what I call uppity. I get that it was more about the baby and why she stayed away, but you could have called more. At the same time, she was hurtful and said hurtful things to people. She didn’t seem to care, because it was all about the baby. I also didn’t like Xavier. Maybe it was because he reminded me of my ex husband, but he was seemed like one of those men who throws a fit when he doesn’t get his way. I didn’t like that he wasn’t around. I can give you a day to be upset, but get over it. I wouldn’t be so quick to be in his life, but again, this could be a backlash to my experiences.
With that, I definitely recommend reading this books, especially when you see the interactions with poor white people vs medium to upper class black people. She did a great job showing why everyone gets so angry and no one really listens. I would read another book from this author, too.
However, I didn’t like Ruth’s character all that much. She did her have her moments and turned things around, but she was selfish and in a way, ignorant of the situation. She was what I call uppity. I get that it was more about the baby and why she stayed away, but you could have called more. At the same time, she was hurtful and said hurtful things to people. She didn’t seem to care, because it was all about the baby. I also didn’t like Xavier. Maybe it was because he reminded me of my ex husband, but he was seemed like one of those men who throws a fit when he doesn’t get his way. I didn’t like that he wasn’t around. I can give you a day to be upset, but get over it. I wouldn’t be so quick to be in his life, but again, this could be a backlash to my experiences.
With that, I definitely recommend reading this books, especially when you see the interactions with poor white people vs medium to upper class black people. She did a great job showing why everyone gets so angry and no one really listens. I would read another book from this author, too.
midnight_toker's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sweetiekeke's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5