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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This book was not what I was expecting after reading the summary, even though the summary does a good job of hitting the main points of the story. I thought the book would spend more time detailing life before Ray-Ray was killed and wrestle more with police brutality, but the story is told well without those elements. The focus is on the Echota family 15 years after Ray-Ray’s death and how they all have struggled but managed to continue living life. This is a beautiful and haunting story, but I knocked it a star because the Tsala chapters were confusing to me. I have no prior knowledge of Cherokee heritage and myths, so it took me awhile to figure out how Tsala fit into the narrative, but that is my own lack of knowledge and not necessarily an issue with the book. I enjoy books that teach me about other cultures and perspectives, and this one achieved that.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The best books are the kind that totally consume me, my emotions, thoughts and have me at my full attention. The Removed is one of those. This is one of the most unforgettable books that I have ever read. The story is filled with gut wrenching sadness and incredible joy.
I definitely see this being at least one, if not my top favorite book of 2021.
The writing is simply beautiful It flowed like a song with the most amazing poetry. This book is filled with Cherokee myths, legends, and history. The story is about a Grieving family, the parents lost a son and the two children lost their brother. It is told from the 4 different points of view, 3 from the family members and 1 from a Cherokee ancestor.
This book broke my heart in so many ways. The suffering this family and the native Americans have endured is unimaginable.
I feel this book has such an important story to tell and I will recommend it to anyone and everyone!
Many thanks to Netgalley, Brandon Hobson and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!
I definitely see this being at least one, if not my top favorite book of 2021.
The writing is simply beautiful It flowed like a song with the most amazing poetry. This book is filled with Cherokee myths, legends, and history. The story is about a Grieving family, the parents lost a son and the two children lost their brother. It is told from the 4 different points of view, 3 from the family members and 1 from a Cherokee ancestor.
This book broke my heart in so many ways. The suffering this family and the native Americans have endured is unimaginable.
I feel this book has such an important story to tell and I will recommend it to anyone and everyone!
Many thanks to Netgalley, Brandon Hobson and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story has so much potential but the character development is poor and the plot just falls.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Echoing this Indigenous reviewer in case you see this book description and get the wrong idea—[b:The Removed|53441181|The Removed|Brandon Hobson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603742070l/53441181._SY75_.jpg|71867241] does not feature fantasy/magical realism/science fiction/make-believe writing.
I’m torn. This story wasn’t what I expected. I enjoyed the Cherokee folklore, told by Tsala, wrapped around the story. There was a key plot point that I missed and realized it much too late in the story. This story is of a family surviving the best that they can after the death of their son Ray-Ray, and an upcoming holiday. The entire story is told over 5 days.
Jesmyn Ward chose this as her Literati pick of the month and I think I got more from the story discussions that I did than the actual story. This is going to go on the shelf to be read again because I think it deserves more attention than I gave it. I will note that I did not realize this had elements of fantasy/magical realism wrapped around the contemporary feelings of the story.
Jesmyn Ward chose this as her Literati pick of the month and I think I got more from the story discussions that I did than the actual story. This is going to go on the shelf to be read again because I think it deserves more attention than I gave it. I will note that I did not realize this had elements of fantasy/magical realism wrapped around the contemporary feelings of the story.
This is a book that really stuck in my brain. I thought about it a lot when I wasn’t reading it so even though structurally parts of it didn’t work for me as well as other books I’ve read recently, it’s one that I’m more interested in reading reviews about and hearing people discuss. Personally I felt like the Maria and Edgar sections were the strongest and the Sonja sections were the weakest (although there’s a late reveal that reset a lot my issues with Sonja’s voice in the narrative). I’m a big fan of magical realism so everything with that was great, especially all the stuff with Edgar in the Darkening Land. I would recommend it, especially if you’re interested in reading books that explore Cherokee history and folklore.