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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Sometimes the world don’t give you what you need, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes it withholds.”
Full review @https://ecstaticyetchaotic.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/book-review-sing-unburied-sing-by-jesmyn-ward/
A mix of reality and fantasy, Sing, Unburied, Sing, is a heart-wrenching tale of the souls who crave to go home, metaphorically and literally. The book brings to us a poverty-stricken and a racist world, where privileged people find new, unimaginable ways to torment the meek (the blacks in this case).
“Home is where the heart is”― Pliny the Elder
This was an emotional rollercoaster and about 50 pages in, I realized I needed to stop judging the characters and look at the bigger picture. I think the addition of fantasy was a real treat and it complimented the plot, making it more dramatic and true.
There are a lot of social themes that are highlighted throughout, most important being Racism. Blacks have been tormented and exploited throughout. There are instances where the characters are taught to live a particular way just because they are black and the society doesn’t like them much. For instance-Leonie is a Black woman and Michael, Jojo’s dad is a white man, and we see Leonie not being accepted by her in-laws because of her color.
Full review @https://ecstaticyetchaotic.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/book-review-sing-unburied-sing-by-jesmyn-ward/
A mix of reality and fantasy, Sing, Unburied, Sing, is a heart-wrenching tale of the souls who crave to go home, metaphorically and literally. The book brings to us a poverty-stricken and a racist world, where privileged people find new, unimaginable ways to torment the meek (the blacks in this case).
“Home is where the heart is”― Pliny the Elder
This was an emotional rollercoaster and about 50 pages in, I realized I needed to stop judging the characters and look at the bigger picture. I think the addition of fantasy was a real treat and it complimented the plot, making it more dramatic and true.
There are a lot of social themes that are highlighted throughout, most important being Racism. Blacks have been tormented and exploited throughout. There are instances where the characters are taught to live a particular way just because they are black and the society doesn’t like them much. For instance-Leonie is a Black woman and Michael, Jojo’s dad is a white man, and we see Leonie not being accepted by her in-laws because of her color.
Audiobook. I listened to almost all of this several months ago but never finished it until now. Clearly it was hard for me to stick with it so I can't rate it too high. I thought the narration was good, just slow moving and very sad. The writing was good but I'd probably would have appreciated it more if I had actually read the book.
dark
emotional
sad
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very well written, heavy, and compelling. Nothing ground breaking but very entertaining and thoughtful. Hard not to fall in love with Jojo and Kayla.
First read for Black History Month!
3.5 stars.
I quite enjoyed this, but something is keeping me from shouting from the rooftops that I loved it. The plot is relatively simple - a drug addict mother goes on a roadtrip with her two children and drug addict friend to meet the father of her children upon his release from prison. Meanwhile, the characters are haunted by visions of various ghosts, and it becomes about helping them move on to whatever place is after the purgatory in which they currently exist.
The writing? Gorgeous. At times it felt like I was reading poetry. That being said, it is written in the first person, and the characters are a) a drug-addict neglectful mother, and b) her thirteen-year old son. It’s a little bizarre to hear their internal thoughts tackling such mature ideas while their actions demonstrate nothing but immaturity. It leads to a kind of disconnect between the plot and the themes.
This book also tackles a LOT for how short it is. It talks about grief, addiction, racism, motherhood, spiritualism, poverty, police brutality, generational relationships, dealing with in-laws, slavers, incarceration - and it’s only 280 pages (with large font). I like what it had to say, but it felt a little jumbled and haphazard in its presentation.
By the end I was moved, and some of the imagery it evoked in me will stick with me. It teeters a bit too into magical realism and by the end I was left wondering what it was trying to say beyond the surface level analysis of “don’t hit your children,” “respect your elders,” “racism bad.”
3.5 stars.
I quite enjoyed this, but something is keeping me from shouting from the rooftops that I loved it. The plot is relatively simple - a drug addict mother goes on a roadtrip with her two children and drug addict friend to meet the father of her children upon his release from prison. Meanwhile, the characters are haunted by visions of various ghosts, and it becomes about helping them move on to whatever place is after the purgatory in which they currently exist.
The writing? Gorgeous. At times it felt like I was reading poetry. That being said, it is written in the first person, and the characters are a) a drug-addict neglectful mother, and b) her thirteen-year old son. It’s a little bizarre to hear their internal thoughts tackling such mature ideas while their actions demonstrate nothing but immaturity. It leads to a kind of disconnect between the plot and the themes.
This book also tackles a LOT for how short it is. It talks about grief, addiction, racism, motherhood, spiritualism, poverty, police brutality, generational relationships, dealing with in-laws, slavers, incarceration - and it’s only 280 pages (with large font). I like what it had to say, but it felt a little jumbled and haphazard in its presentation.
By the end I was moved, and some of the imagery it evoked in me will stick with me. It teeters a bit too into magical realism and by the end I was left wondering what it was trying to say beyond the surface level analysis of “don’t hit your children,” “respect your elders,” “racism bad.”
dark
emotional
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
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Beautifully written it encaptures very distinctively every member of a family. It is very clear on its narrative, and the pacing is amazing. She sometimes uses lyrical writing which I will say is not my favourite but I can recognise it’s well done. It deals with poverty, family, racism (and ghosts) but I will say that I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending. Something is missing for me, but I don’t know what exactly. The book is character and not plot driven.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated