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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This was a good story about a woman who leaves home and refuses to return for 10 years, until her personal demons, and an ultimatum from her boyfriend, force her to return.
I read Jackson's "Backseat Saints" first, and I had to find out about Jim Beverly. I thought there were a few times when the two stories wouldn't jive, but they seemed to work out.
I read Jackson's "Backseat Saints" first, and I had to find out about Jim Beverly. I thought there were a few times when the two stories wouldn't jive, but they seemed to work out.
If you enjoy a bit of southern quirkiness with a side of dark secrets, Gods in Alabama is for you. See my full review here: http://stephsbookramblings.blogspot.com/2017/09/gods-in-alabama-by-joshilyn-jackson.html
3.5 actually. Ending was rushed. Cliche of southern characters. Racism issue was resolved too easily. But I read to the end as I was invested in finding out what REALLY happened.
https://luvpyrs.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/review-gods-in-alabama-by-joshilyn-jackson/
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Yes
A wonderful story with surprising twists. On audio, the narrator is perfect in her capturing of stereotypical elements of dysfunctional families in the deep south. Unfortunately, the publisher ruined a perfect production with the insertion of random, unrelated music that sometimes drowns out the narrator. I still think audio is a great way to read this book, just be prepared for the music to take you right out of some moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Murder
I liked this book, but the main character seemed to me to be the same exact character in her later book, The Almost Sisters. I liked that one better.
My first introduction to Arlene Fleet came from a small part she had in Jackson's latest book Backseat Saints. As soon as Arlene came into the story, I was intrigued by her. I was happy to find out that Jackson had written a book about this character pn her previous novel, Gods in Alabama and so here we are. I found Gods in Alabama to be a really good read.
I'm a sucker for Southern-Fiction novels. Something about the locale just immediately draws me in (y'know, me being a Yankee and all, I'm not used to Southern hospitality and things like that) and makes me want to live there. Gods in Alabama was no exception. Though, Jackson didn't expand so much on Alabama itself, she did paint a wonderful picture of how the state itself affects Arlene and shaped her into the woman she is.
As for Arlene, herself, she was a great character and I loved the relationships with her family. Her relationship with Florence was so wonderfully angsty and her relationship with Clarice was incredibly sweet (their relationship was my favorite and I'm a bit upset that they didn't interact much as adults). Her relationship with Burr was also cavity-inducing. And I mean that in the best way possible.
However, I do have to say that I liked Backseat Saints a little bit more. I just felt that Rose Mae Lolley was an overall more developed character. And she was hilarious and that always helps. But Gods in Alabama is still a really good, sweet, semi-angsty summer read. I'm looking forward to reading Joshilyn Jackson's two other books.
I'm a sucker for Southern-Fiction novels. Something about the locale just immediately draws me in (y'know, me being a Yankee and all, I'm not used to Southern hospitality and things like that) and makes me want to live there. Gods in Alabama was no exception. Though, Jackson didn't expand so much on Alabama itself, she did paint a wonderful picture of how the state itself affects Arlene and shaped her into the woman she is.
As for Arlene, herself, she was a great character and I loved the relationships with her family. Her relationship with Florence was so wonderfully angsty and her relationship with Clarice was incredibly sweet (their relationship was my favorite and I'm a bit upset that they didn't interact much as adults). Her relationship with Burr was also cavity-inducing. And I mean that in the best way possible.
However, I do have to say that I liked Backseat Saints a little bit more. I just felt that Rose Mae Lolley was an overall more developed character. And she was hilarious and that always helps. But Gods in Alabama is still a really good, sweet, semi-angsty summer read. I'm looking forward to reading Joshilyn Jackson's two other books.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
I had heard this was a good book, but found it extremely crass and I had a hard time liking the main character.
My feelings were all over the place with this book. Mostly, though, I have to give it a three despite being intrigued by the storyline and many of the characters. I couldn't find empathy for the main character and her actions seemed slightly psychotic and dramatic, and all of the events were just too implausible; I believe it could have been written a bit more realistically and been more compelling that way. Also, I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the actual book, and I hated that random ambient music would come in and attempt to set the tone. I don't want music with my audiobooks unless the narrator or a character is literally singing a song, and I think I would have liked it more if I read it and used my own tones for the characters. It was also VERY triggering and descriptive of certain traumatic or inappropriate life events, which I didn't expect and which I don't think were necessary to that depth. In essence, it was an interesting story that carried me through the end, but it leaned too hard on emotional trigger points and southern stereotypes to pull itself through.