A review by epiloguejazz
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown

informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Untethered does a good job of highlighting the often overlooked experience of the foster care system during a particularly volatile period of time. What the story does well: it sets a scene, provides historical context, and adds layers of lived experience to its protagonist’s narration. The insight it provides into anti-blackness and systemic failures of those programs we expect to do social good, from the perspective of someone with a personal investment in its success, is invaluable. I appreciate how it also creates realistic characters with their own unique and complex stories and personal histories. However, there are portions of the story which fall flat. As the story progresses, the story notes start to feel too loosely connected, providing a brief, almost entry-level view of very real systemic issues. The narration suffers in the face of the age-old adage - show, don’t tell. In general, there is a lot of “telling” happening in the story, particularly in terms of narrating to readers exactly how the characters (and the audience by extension) should feel in specific moments rather than guiding readers through a greater emotional investment in the plot. In addition, even as we are taken through Katia’s narration of events, it does not feel as though our protagonist, or really our audience overall, is being given a chance to explore the conflicts presented to them in a nuanced way. I would have liked to have seen a more critical analysis of her brothers’ military service, their unflinching patriotism in the face of their experience of the system; of Katia’s loneliness in a staunchly patriarchal setting, a further discussion of motherhood and the complexity of its existence in contrast with a professional setting… just to start. All in all, I think this is a good book for readers who may be unfamiliar with the realities of Katia’s position and the experiences of her community, but the story had a little too much going on and not enough time spent sitting with those ideas and the many questions they raise. Instead, the narration leans towards being repetitive and surface level. 

Thank you NetGalley for the Ebook!
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