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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jesmyn Ward can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. She is right alongside Toni Morrison when it comes to Black authors who articulate Black history with exquisite poetry and pain. I loved Ward's framing for this book--a sort of Dante's inferno set in the American south circa early 1800s. I also love the merging of historical fact and magical realism--another reminder of Morrison.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
tense
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jesmyn Ward writes so much like Toni Morrison—it’s wild. What really stood out to me, and what makes her feel even more like Morrison, is how she briefly navigates sexuality (👩❤️👩) in a way that explores intimacy, especially within the brutal context of enslavement. We don’t often get historical accounts that include consensual queer experiences, and Ward doesn’t center it, but rather weaves it in as a natural part of the character’s emotional journey. That nuance is rare and powerful.
Ward has easily become my favorite writer of this generation—this is my third book of hers.
That said, something that felt like a letdown was how the book started really strong but seemed to lose its way a bit as it went on. The ending, in particular, didn’t land as powerfully as I hoped. It kind of left something unsaid, and I’m not even sure how to describe what was missing—but I felt it.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Beautifully written, but painful book to read. Different perspective with a strong female main character.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A