sheela110 's review for:

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

3.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a really powerful book full of prose and poetry. I think it's one of those books that requires numerous reads to fully understand every scene and narrative. Some of the story is symbolic (especially when the magic realism bits came into play) and some of it is very heavy and matter of fact. My first reaction to the really graphic scenes of slavery was traumatizing, but I read somewhere that the author purposefully includes every detail, uncomfortable or not, to remind you that if you can't get through a written scene, then imagine how each and every one of those slaves felt during the harrowing time. This revelation has really stuck with me and given me a new perspective when reading heavy material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Slavery