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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Originally rated 3 ⭐️ because I was coming at it from an adult perspective but then I realized that if I looked at it from my high school self’s perspective it was pretty great. Was being a hater & I can admit that!
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
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:
Yes
fast-paced
sad
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jessie Sasser tells a heart wrenching story of growing up as a moonshiner’s daughter in the 1960’s. Making moonshine has been in her family for generations and caused them plenty of heartache and loss. By the end of the book, Jessie manages to turn her resentment of the family business into pride and respect for her father. There’s a lot going on…murder, arson, an eating disorder, an amputation, and more. At times there was almost too much happening and I felt like some situations or characters weren’t developed enough. Overall, the book kept me engaged, and I liked the ending even though it was sad. I wish Jessie had experienced more happiness in her life. This was starting to read like a Kristin Hannah book where the poor girl just couldn’t catch a break until about 3/4 of the way through! I would have loved an author’s note about the history of illegal moonshiners at the end.
challenging
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Donna Everhart has written a gritty and compelling southern fiction novel. Her clever and descriptive writing really brought this time and place to life. 1960 North Carolina Wilkes County an area known for its moonshine. 16-year-old Jesse has never felt as though she belongs. She does not fit in with her family, because she blames moonshine for the death of her mother. She also does not fit in with her classmates because she fears they see her as the moonshiner’s daughter. Jesse struggles with her self worth and battles with an eating disorder. This book got off to a bit of a slow start, but I think that was imperative because it really set the foundation for these characters. I felt so much for Jessie, although I didn’t always understand why she was so against moonshine. I mean I do understand it was illegal, I guess I just don’t really understand all the implications involved. I did some googling while reading this book and it seems as though this was the prime moonshine area of the country from about 19 20–19 60. I always love reading southern fiction, because the area seem so rich in history, history I really have very little knowledge of. So while the first half of this book was a bit slow, the second half was completely enthralling. The direction the story took completely surprise me, but I was really invested in the story and thrilled with the ending.
This book in emojis. ⛰
This book in emojis. ⛰
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Didn’t know I was gonna read a whole book on eating disorders. Repetitive and boring for me
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No