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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I love books that make you feel their words in your core as your heart plummets into your stomach. I love books that manage to make the ugliest things lyrically compelling, searching out the strength and beauty of their unsightly truths.
Yonder was all of this.
It certainly isn’t a new tale. We are familiar with the crooked history of America, of the cruel reality of slavery. Our textbooks never covered the depravity of slave owners as they should have, but there is plenty of modern literature that helps fill in the gaps.
Yonder tells the story of the Stolen, those Black men and women forced into arduous labor by their white captors, also known as Thieves. We see it all through the perspectives of the Stolen, who long for freedom but fear the route.
It’s clear that meticulous development was put into these characters. Asim ensured that they felt real to his readers. It was easy to get lost in their thoughts and have their emotions penetrate my own heart. The rich writing and short chapters helped the slow build remain immersive, but the conclusion felt rather rushed to me. I truly think Yonder could have been longer. After putting so much care into his characters, I wish the ending had felt as fleshed out.
Regardless, this was an unforgettable story. Asim’s prose will stir your soul. It’s both poetry and a powerful narrative.
Yonder was all of this.
It certainly isn’t a new tale. We are familiar with the crooked history of America, of the cruel reality of slavery. Our textbooks never covered the depravity of slave owners as they should have, but there is plenty of modern literature that helps fill in the gaps.
Yonder tells the story of the Stolen, those Black men and women forced into arduous labor by their white captors, also known as Thieves. We see it all through the perspectives of the Stolen, who long for freedom but fear the route.
It’s clear that meticulous development was put into these characters. Asim ensured that they felt real to his readers. It was easy to get lost in their thoughts and have their emotions penetrate my own heart. The rich writing and short chapters helped the slow build remain immersive, but the conclusion felt rather rushed to me. I truly think Yonder could have been longer. After putting so much care into his characters, I wish the ending had felt as fleshed out.
Regardless, this was an unforgettable story. Asim’s prose will stir your soul. It’s both poetry and a powerful narrative.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely loved this beautiful book! Yonder really focuses on the love and imagination that held and pushed “the stolen” to keep going and hope for more and better in life. How do you find hope in a hopeless situation? African American ancestors were able to do it and this book shows us how.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery
challenging
emotional
tense
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:
Complicated
In the simplest terms, I would say it’s about the power of words and belief. It broke my heart and put it back together again. Loved the main characters in this one, and how the story alternates between their POV. You can’t help but to route for them.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"I wanted to belong to Iris when I didn't even belong to myself."
This is a solid 2.75 for me. It was thought-provoking at times but in my opinion, didn't offer anything new... I found the fictional parts of the book interesting, but also an excuse to avoid historical accuracy. I don't have many complaints nor do I have many compliments for this book. But overall, it was a nice read.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
sad
medium-paced