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rubybereading 's review for:
Blood at the Root
by LaDarrion Williams
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit: moved this down from 4 to 3.25 stars. I initially rated and reviewed as soon as I was done with it because I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up enjoying the story despite its flaws. But, after sleeping on it, I can’t stop thinking about how annoying it was. The over the top use of AAVE, the repetitive use of “lowkey”, “I swear to God” and “hella”. The excessive Black pop culture references. Etc etc etc. I also did not like the main character at all and wished he would just stfu sometimes. I hated how he talked to Alexis (his love interest), his grandma, and basically everybody he interacted with. He was not likeable at all. I literally hated the first half of the book. The 3rd quarter was meh. It only got good in the last 25%. That was enough for me to no longer hate it. So I still don’t feel comfortable going less than 3 stars, because there were some strong points and a lot of potential. I do not, however, plan to read the next installments. This one was a little too cringey for me. Even if I do, it will definitely NOT be via audiobook. The unnecessary pauses with quick inhales in the middle of sentences was too distracting for me. It was literally every other sentence—sometimes 2 to 3 in ONE sentence. I thought he would get more comfortable and natural with the flow of his words by the end and stop with the dramatic pauses, but he never did. I had to listen to an entire 15 (?) hours of that! Omg it irritated my soul! Anyway, the original review is still unchanged below.
This one had to grow on me. At first, I was bored and a little annoyed. It was very preachy at the beginning. Near the middle, it felt like too much of a history lesson and I felt like the author was using the college setting as a crutch. But then I realized it’s because a lot of ppl ARE uninformed about traditional Pan-African spirituality and so it was necessary to add the info (though it felt like a plea to be accepted, and I’m like “who cares if they don’t?? Be you!”). Even though I just wanted to get it over with, I did start to appreciate the representation and the inclusion of historical figures in ancient Pan-African spirituality. Then, in the last 10 or so chapters, it got SO good! Especially the last 10-25%. The revelations were revelating! I was like, “whaaat??….oh sh*t…*gasp*” like every other minute. Lol! I can appreciate the book now. It still doesn’t feel like it’s for me, but who it is for is a good one for them! I’m not mad at it!
This one had to grow on me. At first, I was bored and a little annoyed. It was very preachy at the beginning. Near the middle, it felt like too much of a history lesson and I felt like the author was using the college setting as a crutch. But then I realized it’s because a lot of ppl ARE uninformed about traditional Pan-African spirituality and so it was necessary to add the info (though it felt like a plea to be accepted, and I’m like “who cares if they don’t?? Be you!”). Even though I just wanted to get it over with, I did start to appreciate the representation and the inclusion of historical figures in ancient Pan-African spirituality. Then, in the last 10 or so chapters, it got SO good! Especially the last 10-25%. The revelations were revelating! I was like, “whaaat??….oh sh*t…*gasp*” like every other minute. Lol! I can appreciate the book now. It still doesn’t feel like it’s for me, but who it is for is a good one for them! I’m not mad at it!
Side note: this was another audiobook—only my 4th ever, with the 1st one being only a month or so ago—and I don’t think audiobooks are for me. Something about the narrators always annoy me and distracts me from the story, making it less enjoyable. So, this one gets extra credit because I ended up enjoying it even though the narrator annoyed me. He kept doing this thing that a lot of dramatic actors do where they pause and do a quick inhale in the middle of sentences—usually before the last word or last few words—for emphasis or dramatic effect or something?? Idk, but he did it EXCESSIVELY throughout the ENTIRE BOOK (!!!) including some parts of sentences that made no sense to do it. Like at the beginning of chapter 33 where he says he smelled the scent of “sausage, scrambled eggs and…*quick inhale* bacon”. He did this LITERALLY the whole time, and it annoyed THE CRAP out of me. I wish I had gotten a physical copy instead, because I did end up enjoying it despite the distracting acting style of the narrator. That was why it was bumped up to 4 stars. Otherwise, it probably would’ve been a 3.