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marinnelilly's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Rape
mekholm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Hate crime and Racism
Moderate: Rape
nbritt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape
mortimer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
natgzmun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Child abuse, and Racism
innastholiel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Abandonment
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Hate crime, Violence, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Medical content, Rape, and Sexual violence
mabelsyrup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
what a great story, so much depth in character and plot. Each separate story was wonderful and exciting and heartfelt and engaging, Brit Bennett crafted these characters in a perfect way, giving them separate and distinct personalities and backgrounds that imo made the story flow so much easier; even Kennedy ended up being an interesting character whom i enjoyed reading from.
if you were to ask me who my favorite character is the number 1 spot would be Desiree, Jude, Reese, Stella and Early.. all together
the discussions of colorism and racism and poverty were interesting and at times echoed experiences i’ve had in the latine community as a mixed person. Stella is a very interesting character when it comes to this conversation; she is very flawed, disturbed and haunted by the choice she made, it was crazy seeing her not recognize herself, not recognize her people and sometimes not even recognize the family she had created. She said it wasn’t about being white but about being free, and in 1960’s USA those two are one and the same. And like Kennedy said her having a black family doesn’t mean she herself is black; her life experience is still that of a white woman, but Stella is black and in choosing to be white she had to try to blend in with them which left her even more stand-offish.
another thing i loved is how the twins had very different daughters physically but they all share so many things in common; Jude and Stella being rational and calm, Desiree and Kennedy being lively and spunky. but then all four of them had that spark in them to need to run off and away; never attached to one place, physically they look like their fathers but that’s were it ends.
things i didn’t like were that sometimes the pov’s or time skips were a little jumbled, and that i needed more.. of everyone… i wouldn’t mind if this book was 600 pages i’d read it.
“We always love our hometowns,… Even though
we're always trom the worst places. Only white folks got the freedom to hate home."
“You didn't just find a self out there waiting- you had to make one. You had to create who you wanted to be”
“That was the thing about death. Only the specifics of it hurt. Death in a general sense, was background noise.”
Minor: Rape, Racial slurs, and Violence
calais_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Drug use
caitlinderocker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Dementia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, and Cultural appropriation
storykath's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed the perspective shifts throughout the story, as well as the wide-ranging timeline. The story felt expansive and intimate at the same time. Not everything was wrapped up neatly or narratively satisfying, which I think is part of what makes the characters' stories feel real. There's no perfect ending after the messy beginnings, only an attempt to pick up the pieces and make the most of what's left. Everyone goes on with their lives, and the impact of others on them varies as each character tries to do what's best for themselves.
I sometimes got confused with timelines towards the end - we jumped around between memories and the present, and it wasn't always clear to me what was happening when.
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault