Scan barcode
A review by plantybooklover
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There was a lot of good in this book, but it just did not come together for me in the end.
In Red at the Bone we explore the relationships and the journey built around Melody, a child of a teen pregnancy. Unlike many teen pregnancies, Melody is born into a well to do family that has many resources to help her, and her parents succeed. The story begins at Melody's Coming out celebration when she is 16- the same age her mother was when she was born. The author moves between different points of view- Melody, her grandparents, and her parents. The coming out celebration is a great vehicle for the adults, and Melody to indulge in memories of her short life, explaining how things came to be the way that they were between Melody and the adults who care for her. The author is able to tell the entire story of how this child came into existence through the memories of these adults - while exploring the effects of this pregnancy on all the people, both positive and negative.
This book was well written and has some excellent thought provoking moments, I just couldn't quite get myself immersed in it, possibly because it is very short, and also possibly because I listened to it on audio book, and they used several different people to "play" each character which I found a little unsettling.
In Red at the Bone we explore the relationships and the journey built around Melody, a child of a teen pregnancy. Unlike many teen pregnancies, Melody is born into a well to do family that has many resources to help her, and her parents succeed. The story begins at Melody's Coming out celebration when she is 16- the same age her mother was when she was born. The author moves between different points of view- Melody, her grandparents, and her parents. The coming out celebration is a great vehicle for the adults, and Melody to indulge in memories of her short life, explaining how things came to be the way that they were between Melody and the adults who care for her. The author is able to tell the entire story of how this child came into existence through the memories of these adults - while exploring the effects of this pregnancy on all the people, both positive and negative.
This book was well written and has some excellent thought provoking moments, I just couldn't quite get myself immersed in it, possibly because it is very short, and also possibly because I listened to it on audio book, and they used several different people to "play" each character which I found a little unsettling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Pregnancy