the_midwest_library 's review for:

Beloved by Toni Morrison

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Okay hear me out, I first read this book many moons ago when I was in high school, but frankly I can't remember any of that time. Going into it again, it was reminded why this story really didn't stick with me the first time around. Well, the themes are extremely compelling, especially the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. . . I did not find the writing style in this book to be as enthralling as The Bluest Eyes. I think if I would have read this one first, I probably would have bumped my rating to four stars, but it really just couldn't compete with how captivated I was by all aspects of her other work. It was a really really solid read, an important read and I am not the target audience and can respect that while understanding that value this novel has on others. It just wasn't my fav.