Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
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
Really good!! I found it hard to get into at first because the spirit stuff was always a bit confusing but I really liked the writing style. It was really beautiful written and captured the pain and rawness. I also loved how it only centered on women. Safi has my whole heart!!!
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
So beautifully written… I mean truly incredibly descriptions of both setting and emotion, but despite the detailed imagery, it was missing the reader to character connection.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
dark
emotional
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
I usually like magical realism, and I loved Sing, Unburied, Sing and Jesmyn Ward’s writing, but this one just did not land for me. I found many of the character interactions confusing, felt some of the symbolism went over my head, and didn’t feel like the narrator was very well-developed beyond her grief and love for her mother and others on her journey. Most of this book was just descriptions of her being miserable, which, sure, it’s a book about slavery, so that’s not surprising, I just wanted more story and less graphic misery and monosyllabic conversations with spirits. I just read that this is inspired by Dante’s Inferno, which I haven’t read, so there is a high likelihood the whole thing just went over my head.
This one just wasn’t for me, but I’ll still definitely read others from the author!
This one just wasn’t for me, but I’ll still definitely read others from the author!
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated