A review by lizziewilson
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

4.0

Good, and not what I was expecting from reading the blurb. I thought there would be more about the nitty gritty of Roy getting out of jail and finding out his Wife is seeing someone else. It's more about social politics and how the character's relationship evolves over time. I think it was well written, and I thought the use of letters to portray their relationship during the time Roy was in jail was cleverly done. An emotionally conflicting read; the character's are complicated and not entirely likeable but you feel for all of them. I liked this! The character's are very well written with their own perspective chapters that Jones used well to justify their thoughts and actions without excusing them. And there was some really interesting character development that was very powerful. Well written, and would recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read about privilege, race and relationships. Not an easy read but a realistic and gripping one.
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