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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
“There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel’s. high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus…”
How could you not be immediately sucked into gods in Alabama after reading that opening sentence? Especially if you are intimately familiar with small southern towns and know this to be true? That’s what got me- I felt like I was reading about places I visit every year when I visit my extended family.
Ten years ago, Arelene made a deal with God, and she’s kept her promises. Until now, God’s held up his end of the bargain. But then a high school classmate shows up at Arlene’s door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, one of the gods of Alabama. Now Arlene’s secret- the reason she left Possett, Alabama- might be exposed and Arlene is faced with making her first trip home in ten years. Add to that Burr, Arlene’s African-American boyfriend who has given her an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or they are through. Arlene figures this trip home is as good an occasion as any for Burr to meet her family. This trip home forces Arlene to realize the guilt she feels after an incident ten years ago. As her alibi for the past begins to fall apart, Arlene comes to understand more about family, and about how far she is willing to go for love and a sense of redemption.
Johsilyn Jackson obviously knows the nuances of small southern towns very well. Her prose made me think of sultry summer afternoons, lazing on the porch swing, sharing idle gossip with my aunts and cousins. While an appreciation of life in a small southern town certainly helps the reader identify with the story, it isn’t necessary. We all have secrets, things we prefer remain buried in our past. Most family relationships have their complications and many of us are looking for redemption from something. Jackson’s telling of the story-alternating past deceptions with new ones interspersed with kernels of searing truth- keep the reader turning pages. I will definitely be reading more Joshilyn Jackson.
How could you not be immediately sucked into gods in Alabama after reading that opening sentence? Especially if you are intimately familiar with small southern towns and know this to be true? That’s what got me- I felt like I was reading about places I visit every year when I visit my extended family.
Ten years ago, Arelene made a deal with God, and she’s kept her promises. Until now, God’s held up his end of the bargain. But then a high school classmate shows up at Arlene’s door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, one of the gods of Alabama. Now Arlene’s secret- the reason she left Possett, Alabama- might be exposed and Arlene is faced with making her first trip home in ten years. Add to that Burr, Arlene’s African-American boyfriend who has given her an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or they are through. Arlene figures this trip home is as good an occasion as any for Burr to meet her family. This trip home forces Arlene to realize the guilt she feels after an incident ten years ago. As her alibi for the past begins to fall apart, Arlene comes to understand more about family, and about how far she is willing to go for love and a sense of redemption.
Johsilyn Jackson obviously knows the nuances of small southern towns very well. Her prose made me think of sultry summer afternoons, lazing on the porch swing, sharing idle gossip with my aunts and cousins. While an appreciation of life in a small southern town certainly helps the reader identify with the story, it isn’t necessary. We all have secrets, things we prefer remain buried in our past. Most family relationships have their complications and many of us are looking for redemption from something. Jackson’s telling of the story-alternating past deceptions with new ones interspersed with kernels of searing truth- keep the reader turning pages. I will definitely be reading more Joshilyn Jackson.
I couldn't put this book down, I HAD to know what happened next. This may have been the first Southern Fiction book I've read and I'm glad for that as it really captured the south that I've known. Characters for the most part were witty and sharp with an unpredictable plot twist and one of the funniest opening lines I've read!
This book was riveting. I could not put it down until I was finished. I really enjoyed the plot twists and the characters in the story. I was surprised that the story was so complex-but it was a very nice surprise!
Joshilyn Jackson has become a favorite comfort read author, and gods in Alabama held up just as well as the other two of hers I've read. Perfect summer reading, Jackson always serves up the best, most unique characters - Arlene, a college professor, has sworn off lying and sex to make up for a terrible thing she did years ago...but when that past comes right to her front door, Arlene must go home to Alabama to reconcile with her past, with her boyfriend that's never met the family in tow. While I read Backseat Saints first, not knowing it was a kind of sequel to gods in Alabama, I still loved and enjoyed Arlene's story. A tale of learning to heal from past trauma as well as to learn to love those in your life you never thought you would, I really appreciated how Arlene's story shows the struggles Southern families deal with - as well as how much family does for its loved ones. A light read that focuses on heavy topics, it's a refreshing breeze on a hot day. The humor and romantic relationships are top notch as always, too.
I had never read a Joshilyn Jackson book until I came across Gods in Alabama and now I’m looking forward to reading more. I was hooked by the first paragraph, (“There are Gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel’s, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus. I left one back there myself, back in Possett. I kicked it under the kudzu and left it to the roaches.”) and made it to the end in record time.
It is the story of Arlene Fleet, who left Alabama ten years ago to move to Chicago with her secrets. When she left, she struck a deal with God: she would never tell another lie, she would stop having sex, and she would never return to Alabama. All she asked of God was that He keep the body of the high school jock she murdered from being discovered. And for the past ten years, she has kept up her end of the bargain (although her version of “not telling a lie” is a bit stretched at times) and God has kept up His….until her past shows up at her front door and she has no choice but to return to Possett.
Arlene has a new life in the north with a great teaching job, a perfect boyfriend, and weekly phone conversations with her insane family back home, but the story is peppered with flashbacks of her childhood and teen years in Alabama. Through these, she slowly dishes out the reasons for the crime she committed so many years ago.
The characters are fantastic (I fell in love with Arlene as soon as she climbed a tree on campus to escape an unpleasant conversation) and the storyline is spellbinding. Her writing style reminded me of Heather Gudenkauf (another author I love), with the way the narration jumped between present to past, and the author’s ability to write in many voices, including that of a young girl. I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I found this book and I can’t wait to dig into another of Ms. Jackson’s.
It is the story of Arlene Fleet, who left Alabama ten years ago to move to Chicago with her secrets. When she left, she struck a deal with God: she would never tell another lie, she would stop having sex, and she would never return to Alabama. All she asked of God was that He keep the body of the high school jock she murdered from being discovered. And for the past ten years, she has kept up her end of the bargain (although her version of “not telling a lie” is a bit stretched at times) and God has kept up His….until her past shows up at her front door and she has no choice but to return to Possett.
Arlene has a new life in the north with a great teaching job, a perfect boyfriend, and weekly phone conversations with her insane family back home, but the story is peppered with flashbacks of her childhood and teen years in Alabama. Through these, she slowly dishes out the reasons for the crime she committed so many years ago.
The characters are fantastic (I fell in love with Arlene as soon as she climbed a tree on campus to escape an unpleasant conversation) and the storyline is spellbinding. Her writing style reminded me of Heather Gudenkauf (another author I love), with the way the narration jumped between present to past, and the author’s ability to write in many voices, including that of a young girl. I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I found this book and I can’t wait to dig into another of Ms. Jackson’s.
Fairly predictable story - with stereotypical characters. Her book, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, was much better.
"'This is real life. You can't stick a quarter in someone and push their nose and get any candy bar you like. People don't work that way. I mean, sure, there is cause and effect, but it is predictable.'
'So you don't think a traumatic or even joyful event can make a difference in a person's life? You don't believe in revelation or epiphany?'
'I think people have epiphanies all the time. Usually they're worthless. Maybe two percent of the time, someone may decide to change some aspect of their behavior.'"
Oof this book is rough. Originally published in 2005, I can see why this book was so popular 17 years ago but society has come a long way in those 17 years. There is next to nothing that is redeemable in this book to make me even think about recommending it to other readers. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and there was some really odd music that popped up at the strangest times. I'm all for music in audiobooks as long as it adds to the audiobook experience and doesn't take away from the story. The music in this audiobook definitely took away from my reading experience. Add in a story that flipped between two timelines (and didn't do this all that well), racism, several scenes with extremely questionable consent, a poorly executed murder (no pun intended), and you're left with a book that just doesn't need to be read in 2022.
Would I have enjoyed this book as a younger adult? Maybe. But we have made so much progress as a society both in what we tolerate and in the types of books we spend our time reading. This is a book that should easily stay in 2005 and be replaced by more relevant and timely stories that don't throw around the n-word and make me wonder if I just experienced a rape scene between two partners who appear to have a somewhat normal relationship. No thanks.
TW: rape, murder, racism, mental illness, death of an animal, vomit, grief, addiction
'So you don't think a traumatic or even joyful event can make a difference in a person's life? You don't believe in revelation or epiphany?'
'I think people have epiphanies all the time. Usually they're worthless. Maybe two percent of the time, someone may decide to change some aspect of their behavior.'"
Oof this book is rough. Originally published in 2005, I can see why this book was so popular 17 years ago but society has come a long way in those 17 years. There is next to nothing that is redeemable in this book to make me even think about recommending it to other readers. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and there was some really odd music that popped up at the strangest times. I'm all for music in audiobooks as long as it adds to the audiobook experience and doesn't take away from the story. The music in this audiobook definitely took away from my reading experience. Add in a story that flipped between two timelines (and didn't do this all that well), racism, several scenes with extremely questionable consent, a poorly executed murder (no pun intended), and you're left with a book that just doesn't need to be read in 2022.
Would I have enjoyed this book as a younger adult? Maybe. But we have made so much progress as a society both in what we tolerate and in the types of books we spend our time reading. This is a book that should easily stay in 2005 and be replaced by more relevant and timely stories that don't throw around the n-word and make me wonder if I just experienced a rape scene between two partners who appear to have a somewhat normal relationship. No thanks.
TW: rape, murder, racism, mental illness, death of an animal, vomit, grief, addiction
The first line of this novel will hook you. From there, the "Pretty/Ugly" dichotomy will keep you interested. A very well written, fast paced read with memorable characters and a quality storyline.