Reviews

Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward

sarahwiltshire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A must read. A visceral story of two twin brothers in their first Summer after graduation, as they seek their first jobs, girlfriends, respond to the reappearance of their parents and their changing relationship; always supported by their grandmother.

bluestarfish's review against another edition

5.0

A coming of age story for twins Joshua and Christophe set in the summer straight after their graduation. The boys live with their grandmother after being practically abandoned by their parents and are determined to look after her and find jobs to get money while living in a small town without many prospects. Their grandmother and their love of the land mean they aren't going to be moving far away anytime soon, but there are limited options for them locally. Jesmyn Ward's writing is a treat (and I can't believe this was her debut - amazing) so it's great to find another of her books in the library. The lyrical descriptions of the surroundings, the boys' inner life and thoughts, and the consequences of the actions during the summer are riveting reading. The description of the heat deserves a mention. I'm pretty sure I've never experienced the heat she writes about but my goodness it feels like a character in its own right: seeping, melting, pervading the world of the twins and their lives, wrapping them all up in a thick blanket of heat. Quite something else! I enjoyed this trip to the Mississippi and immersing myself in the lives of these teenage boys.

djvuuu's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

hsunseri's review against another edition

5.0

What can I say, it’s Jesmyn Ward

makealongstorycourt's review against another edition

This book was going nowhere. I was 115 pages in and it was snooze-worthy. I didn’t want to wreck my motivation to read more Jesmyn Ward after loving Salvage the Bones, so I scrapped this yucky debut stat. 

lamensolatraboccante's review against another edition

4.0

Siamo a Bois Sauvage, in pieno Mississippi; qui vivono due gemelli, Christophe e Joshua, con la nonna Ma-Mee, mentre i genitori si limitano a fare delle veloci comparsate.
I due ragazzi sono a una svolta della loro vita, stanno per diplomarsi e devono capire quale sarà il loro futuro.

Una storia molto vivida e caratteristica. L'affetto che lega i due fratelli e la nonna è palpabile attraverso le pagine. Anche quando ci saranno dei problemi, delle difficoltà e delle scelte che li porteranno a dividersi, loro troveranno il modo per ritrovare la strada e ricominciare a camminare insieme.

Lo stile della scrittrice è molto cinematografico. Il caldo, l'umido, tutti gli odori e i profumi mi sembrava di viverli pienamente mentre leggevo.

Insomma, questo primo incontro con Bois Sauvage è stato davvero molto bello!

sararahjane's review against another edition

4.0

This is a quiet, thoughtful, wonderful book about twin brothers in rural Mississippi. Ward's writing is so beautiful, and that's the ultimate reward here. The most critical thing I can say is that it isn't "Sing, Unburied, Sing" and probably won't stick with me with the same intensity.

larissag's review against another edition

4.0

9/10 i really liked the focus on just a few months of their lives. i loved Ma-Mee’s perspectives and the ending.

pamjsa's review against another edition

3.0

Beautiful writing and thoughtfully drawn characters, but literally nothing happens in this book until the last few pages. It's a beautiful portrait of family dynamics, and Ward's attention to the specifics of landscape is also admirable. I literally felt the oppressive heat that becomes another character in this novel.

I'm planning to read Ward's two later books because they were so well-reviewed, and the writing in this book definitely sold me on her talent. But this probably isn't a great choice for anyone who isn't a writer and an admirer of beautiful sentences.

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

4.0

This is the second book I've read by Jesmyn Ward and definitely not my last. She writes so beautiful and the words almost sings from the pages and drags you in the story that is filled with such raw emotion and depth.