Reviews - Let Us Descend | The StoryGraph

2.78k reviews for:

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward

3.86 AVERAGE

pixiedust323's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Read it in one sitting. I love Ward’s writing—it’s artful without feeling overdone, and so expressive. The book is full of pain, but it’s not gratuitous. Let Us Descend will stay with me for a while.

Oh also one of the best first lines I’ve read:
“The first weapon I ever held was my mother’s hand.”

blhbooks's review

4.0

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

madderhatter5304's review

3.0

emotional inspiring 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

I know that this book is fantastic, someone out there is going to absolutely love and adore this book. It had genuinely great writing and a great plot. It was sad, it was moving, it also wasn't for me. This book used a spiritual fantasy aspect that I couldn't get behind, personally. Not that it was bad, AT ALL, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I liked the more realistic parts, and then when the spirit came into play, I would lose interest.

haweyaaaa's review

4.0

beautiful story. i think this was the first time i was introduced to the supernatural in slave narratives, beyond readings in high school. i just dont think i enjoyed the writing style - it was simplistic in a way that left me wanting more from the author, rather than the simplicity being a part of the novel.