Scan barcode
mrjess_bhs's review against another edition
5.0
Mosley is always great at characters and this young adult blended speculative fiction fantasy with the narratives of enslavement to produce a fascinating story that challenges notions of freedom and how to achieve it for yourself. I can see some potentially problematic interpretations of that, but it wasn’t my perception.
falconerreader's review against another edition
4.0
That has to be one of the weirder books I've read. In a good way.
dandelionfluff's review
3.0
While the premise seemed promising, presenting a blend of science fiction and historical fiction, the narrative doesn't quite reach a balance between the two. The writing is heart-wrenching, to be sure; you see the physical pain as well as the psychological turmoil of slavery. But, that seems much more real and developed than anything that happens Elsewhere. I don't want to give too much away, though. A good book (warning: it does use the n-word very often), but not as fleshed out as it could have been, or needed to be, for the story to really reach completion.
Spoiler
Essentially John's other home with all its people feels more like a dreamscape than an actual place facing a universal threat. The antagonist, Wall, never feels immediate and real. 47's role as hero of all doesn't feel… authentic. Do you know what I mean? There's too much that goes undeveloped for me to take seriously. The historical details were there, in all their gruesomeness, but… I just feel like the ending fell flat. Happy, I suppose, but flat.fayelle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
MASTERPIECE. This is not your typical slave novel. It is so much better than that. Such hard parts, heartbreaking parts, and such joyous and weird and wonderful parts too. So many times while reading this I thought, "My gosh, this is near perfection. Excellent, just excellent."
seaglass's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, and Slavery
afro75's review against another edition
5.0
It was an awesome book. I loved the way the protagonist was challenged with way he saw himself. I loved the phrase niether master or slave be. For me it made me think of the way we see ourselves-and how much we let other peoples view of us dictate who we are or who we can become.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
3.0
A sci-fi-ish tall tale from the days of slavery. It's an interesting read. Reminds me a bit of some of the more recent works from Colson Whitehead and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
mw_bookgraph's review against another edition
3.0
This took a weird turn that I was not expecting and didn’t really love.
romiress's review
5.0
I'd give it a 4.5. There's really nothing like this book that I've read before. It's a unique mix of historical and scifi. Hard to say more without getting into spoilers, but it's excellently written.