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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Got a free paperback copy from an event at my university several years ago and only just now got around to reading it, courtesy of this being a qualifying title for a Goodreads achievement.
Not really my kind of story, which is made worse by the fact that I didn't know what I was getting into— the contents don't really match the description at all, the whole first chapter is unexpectedly gory, and then there are loads of other minorly gory bits littered throughout, with loads of violence from one narrating character to another... and overall it's just very depressing. A story primarily about racism, domestic abuse, drug dependency, and death. I don't mind the ghosts or the "magical realism"; I'm less thrilled with the pacing and the characters and the main themes. The story was a torturous drag for me until halfway through, at which point it became bearable and even interesting toward the end, but by then I was ready for it to be over.
Not really my kind of story, which is made worse by the fact that I didn't know what I was getting into— the contents don't really match the description at all, the whole first chapter is unexpectedly gory, and then there are loads of other minorly gory bits littered throughout, with loads of violence from one narrating character to another... and overall it's just very depressing. A story primarily about racism, domestic abuse, drug dependency, and death. I don't mind the ghosts or the "magical realism"; I'm less thrilled with the pacing and the characters and the main themes. The story was a torturous drag for me until halfway through, at which point it became bearable and even interesting toward the end, but by then I was ready for it to be over.
It took me two tries to get into this book (starting this book while sitting down to lunch was a quick way to either want to put down the book or put down my fork as it begins with a somewhat gruesome animal death). I’m glad I persisted. It’s my second book in as many months that was gritty and brutal, with a story of a boy coming of age in circumstances that aren’t ideal. As with Demon Copperhead, I also had a soft spot for Jojo and his nurturing compassion for his toddler sister. The writing was fantastic- vivid descriptions and mythology. The mystical portion of the book built slowly. I like the way it was incorporated, and I found the climax and a scene in the falling action a bit spooky. The trauma of Mississippi’s not too long ago past (and present) should haunt us all.
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hard to read, but all the more important that you do. Slow to start, but left me breathless at the end.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Novels that read like poetry usually fall short for me because either the character development isn’t there or the plot moves too quickly. This one really sings, though — pun absolutely intended. It might be because I listened to it read in the three different voices, which was eery and unsettling. Or it could be the magical realism, which I enjoy. Or maybe it was just the right book at the right time after a long reading dry spell. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed it and I’m in awe of the author. These words work.
3.5 stars
This story is beautifully written but I feel like there is such a contradiction between the beautiful descriptions used throughout the story and the dark nature of the actual story that I’m not sure what to think about it. I think this is one of those books that you would have to read more than once to fully understand everything that is going on. Jesmyn Ward does such a good job making these characters so real that felt for Jojo and all that he was going through and how at 13 he was more of an adult than his parents.
I mainly gave this book 3 stars because it kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen.
This story is beautifully written but I feel like there is such a contradiction between the beautiful descriptions used throughout the story and the dark nature of the actual story that I’m not sure what to think about it. I think this is one of those books that you would have to read more than once to fully understand everything that is going on. Jesmyn Ward does such a good job making these characters so real that felt for Jojo and all that he was going through and how at 13 he was more of an adult than his parents.
I mainly gave this book 3 stars because it kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Jesmyn Ward writes like a poet. The setting is the same fictional Mississippi town as in Salvage the Bones. The long middle section is a road trip from hell, when 13 year old Jojo, his 3 year old sister Kayla, and their drug dependent mother Leonie drive to pick up Michael, the children's father, from prison. Leonie doesn't possess the "mothering instinct" and has no desire or ability to care for her children. Fortunately for Kayla, her brother Jojo steps in and loves and takes care of her. The children's saintlike grandparents have raised them in Leonie's sporadic absences. Jojo and Kayla's relationship is realistic and touching. Leonie is hard to figure out, and I'm not sure I understand what is happening with her character. Overall, the story is readable and gripping though sad, and there is hope in the end. The audiobook is excellent, with 3 different and distinct narrators.