A review by mmcloe
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.75

One of those books that I read and I know immediately will be studied and taught for decades and will come to define the literature of the early 21st century. There's so much to be said about hauntings (especially on my mind right now), the long shadow of slavery in the prison system, and the war on drugs and mass incarceration. 

I'm especially drawn to ecological interpretations of what is essentially a road novel. It's incredibly interesting to see the ways in which car culture and dependence on oil (from the literal movement of the car to Michael's former job at Deepwater Horizon) intersect with police violence, systemic racism, and rural southern poverty. The constant non-human animal metaphors and the blending of natural with spiritual landscapes makes this a wonderfully wonderfully deep text. 
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