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miak2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Sometimes the world don't give you what you need, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes it withholds.
This is a tale of two books for me. Part of this book I found excellent, easily 4+ stars. The other part is a 1 star at best. So I'm settling with three.
Which might not be fair to the author, I realize. It's not that she did anything inherently wrong during the sections of the book I disliked, rather I disliked Leonie so much because she wasn't written to be likeable, just haunted and complex. I acknowledge that, but reading through those parts was just such an unpleasant experience that I can't bring myself to rate this higher despite what I enjoyed about it.
On that note, though, Jojo was a great character to follow. He really did come across as a scared teenager, but with the wisdom and maturity of somebody who's been forced into a parental role far too early. Similarly, the slow uncovering of the story between Jojo's grandfather and a fellow inmate from his teens was moving and heartbreaking.
And, certainly, the reflection on race was incredibly thoughtful and well-done. It, alongside family motifs, was a driving factor throughout the story, and we saw how it strained interracial relationships and friendships, how Pops was treated as a Black prisoner, and how Leonie and especially Jojo are treated by the police. It's a crushing look at the very real issues that still plague our society to this day.
All that being said, I really really disliked Leonie. And, again, she wasn't made to be likeable, only complex. But the way that she treated her children, everywhere from neglect to outright abuse, the way she almost completely ignores them when her boyfriend is around. Absolutely a realistic character, there are certainly mothers out there lacking that parental instinct, but I had a hard time reading through it.
Another, much smaller, gripe is that Ward's paragraphs are quite long. It shouldn't matter, I know, but something about reading pages and pages of dense walls of texts really made it feel like I had to slog through at times. (Especially when they were about her relationship with Michael, which I cared very little about. And they usually were!)
All in all, I'm glad that I read this, but I didn't necessarily enjoy reading it.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Racism, Police brutality, and Murder
fletches'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: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
taratearex'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? It's complicated
5.0
Reread 2024: Wow, it's taken me a while to reread this, in the meantime I've read all of her other books. I remembered very little once I actually started reading this again. I also did the audiobook along with my physical copy. The audiobook was really good, loved the voice actors- I looked them up and I don't think they've done other books or I'd seek out more from them. I will say that even though the audiobook was really well read, I think I personally enjoyed reading the physical book more just based on the prose, I think it just works better for me to sink into the writing that way. A beautiful, haunting, and heartbreaking story, don't pick up a Jesmyn Ward book unless you are ready for it to break you apart, but it's so worth it. Her characters always feel so painfully real that I think about them long after closing the book. Also, note the content warnings, this book is very graphic, particularly with the deaths that occur.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
chandranolynne'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: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, and Vomit
ekmook'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
3.25
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
katrina_ingram'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? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, and Grief
robinbobbin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
sasuke'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: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Slavery, Death of parent, and Murder
ananamauvais'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
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, and Medical content
sorcha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, and Death of parent