A review by sarasbooks
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

The story starts with a traditional ceremony, a coming of age celebration of sixteen year old Melody. She's wearing a dress her mother never got to wear as her parents and grandparents watch her and think back about their past, reminiscing about their own youth.

The book then alternates between different timelines and povs. I can definitely imagine that the format would be kind of confusing to some people. But somehow it worked very well for me. Even if at the very start of one chapter I wasn't sure who we were talking about, I very quickly and naturally followed the thread. 

It's a book about the family's three generations, their self-discovery, their journey through poverty, racism im and life choices. 

I became even more excited to read it when I saw that Ocean Vuong had blurbed it. And I can definitely see the similar writing style between him and Woodson. Although a short book, Red at the Bone is full of depth and emotion. It's simple yet powerful. It's about family, culture and historical events. 

Read this one if you like short books with poetic writing centered around familial relationships.
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