Reviews

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

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hilaryannbrown's review

4.0

The thought-provoking premise: In the near future, Black descendants of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson find refuge inside Monticello when their Virginia neighborhood is set on fire and overtaken by white supremacists.

The writing is dense and feels like a labor to muddle through at times, but worth the effort. The final section of the book is exquisite.

dsbressette's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

3.0

jays_bookshelf's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

szdalessa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

4.0

symmetry_broken's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.75

Beautifully written. A local (to me) Charlottesville, VA writer has managed to capture the scars we still bear from 2017 and the fear of what it portends.