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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
emotional
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:
Yes
This one was very readable. Very easy to get thru. But seemed pretty repetitive at time. Also informative tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Violence
I enjoyed reading the fathers progress through his own grief, illness and reflection on his past. This book is missing a huge portion by not addressing the sons POV.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Heartbreaking, beautiful, raw. One of the most honest things I've read. Very emotionally heavy.
There is no way I will find words to describe how powerful this book is so I won't even try.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
What a beautiful story. I love the method in which the story is told, through letters - I think that adds a personal element that some novels fail to capture. Daniel Black is the one of my favorite authors and he never fails to write a book that is so rich in detail and imagery. I love how this book made me feel like I was down south with my family, uncovering family secrets one letter at a time. I think the only thing that I wish the story did was added an epilogue about Isaac finding the letters… but I think it’s purposefully left a mystery for us to imagine or figure out how Isaac would’ve reacted to his father‘s letters. I feel like everyone, especially those Black people who are longing for connectedness with the “more seasoned“ generation, to read this story. I also loved how the story shows Black men in a vulnerable, yet strong light. There are so many gems in the story that I feel like everyone could take a lesson or blessing from the book.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide
Minor: Gun violence, Murder
This book is amazing, heartbreaking, and honest. The pain and reality that Daniel taps into is so deep and vibrant you know that he’s lived and overcome just like others have, just like his characters have, just like others will in the future. B E A U T I F U L writing. I annotated so many beautiful lines along the moments where I hurt so hard for everyone, what the lost, what they could have had, and the loneliness they felt. I knew this book was a 5 star read when I cried during the authors note in the beginning, but the letters (and the 20 minutes of crying post reading this novel) solidified it.
Black is an auto-buy author now. But I will not read anything else from him until I emotionally recover from this one.