Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tuesdaybean 's review for:
Sing, Unburied, Sing
by Jesmyn Ward
4.5 stars, I couldn’t put it down! Sing, Unburied, Sing is one of those books that quietly builds its power, layer by layer. Jesmyn Ward’s writing is lyrical and rich, and she has this incredible way of peeling back each character’s pain, history, and humanity until you’re left holding something raw and real.
It starts small; just a boy named Jojo and his complicated family, but as the story unfolds, it weaves in generations of trauma, love, ghosts (literal and figurative), and the deep-rooted legacy of racism in the American South. Each chapter adds another thread to the tapestry, and by the end, it’s heavy with meaning.
The supernatural elements caught me off guard at first, but they somehow worked perfectly with the gritty, grounded storytelling. Jojo’s journey is heartbreaking, and Leonie, as frustrating as she is, feels painfully human.
The pacing drifts in places, and I didn’t always connect with every POV, but the slow burn felt intentional, it’s not a book in a rush. It asks you to sit with the discomfort and take in each layer as it’s revealed. Not an easy read, but definitely a memorable one.
It starts small; just a boy named Jojo and his complicated family, but as the story unfolds, it weaves in generations of trauma, love, ghosts (literal and figurative), and the deep-rooted legacy of racism in the American South. Each chapter adds another thread to the tapestry, and by the end, it’s heavy with meaning.
The supernatural elements caught me off guard at first, but they somehow worked perfectly with the gritty, grounded storytelling. Jojo’s journey is heartbreaking, and Leonie, as frustrating as she is, feels painfully human.
The pacing drifts in places, and I didn’t always connect with every POV, but the slow burn felt intentional, it’s not a book in a rush. It asks you to sit with the discomfort and take in each layer as it’s revealed. Not an easy read, but definitely a memorable one.