A review by whathillarygraceread
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

reflective medium-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is such a beautiful book that is both masterfully crafted and profound. The symbolism and emotion are both deftly layered (my reading experience was enhanced by doing a quick brush up on Biblical characters since the book is structured as books of the Bible). Every description I've read of this book focuses on the queer love story - as they should - but in some ways, this book is as much about gender roles and expression as it is about queerness (and maybe that's the definition of queerness itself). It's also a book about oppression, colonialism and entrenched systems. I'm still processing it several days after finishing it and think that I will likely still be thinking about it months from now.

 This book was a 2021 NBA finalist in fiction, but I don't know how it didn't win. 
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