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A review by greenlivingaudioworm
Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
1.0
"'This is real life. You can't stick a quarter in someone and push their nose and get any candy bar you like. People don't work that way. I mean, sure, there is cause and effect, but it is predictable.'
'So you don't think a traumatic or even joyful event can make a difference in a person's life? You don't believe in revelation or epiphany?'
'I think people have epiphanies all the time. Usually they're worthless. Maybe two percent of the time, someone may decide to change some aspect of their behavior.'"
Oof this book is rough. Originally published in 2005, I can see why this book was so popular 17 years ago but society has come a long way in those 17 years. There is next to nothing that is redeemable in this book to make me even think about recommending it to other readers. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and there was some really odd music that popped up at the strangest times. I'm all for music in audiobooks as long as it adds to the audiobook experience and doesn't take away from the story. The music in this audiobook definitely took away from my reading experience. Add in a story that flipped between two timelines (and didn't do this all that well), racism, several scenes with extremely questionable consent, a poorly executed murder (no pun intended), and you're left with a book that just doesn't need to be read in 2022.
Would I have enjoyed this book as a younger adult? Maybe. But we have made so much progress as a society both in what we tolerate and in the types of books we spend our time reading. This is a book that should easily stay in 2005 and be replaced by more relevant and timely stories that don't throw around the n-word and make me wonder if I just experienced a rape scene between two partners who appear to have a somewhat normal relationship. No thanks.
TW: rape, murder, racism, mental illness, death of an animal, vomit, grief, addiction
'So you don't think a traumatic or even joyful event can make a difference in a person's life? You don't believe in revelation or epiphany?'
'I think people have epiphanies all the time. Usually they're worthless. Maybe two percent of the time, someone may decide to change some aspect of their behavior.'"
Oof this book is rough. Originally published in 2005, I can see why this book was so popular 17 years ago but society has come a long way in those 17 years. There is next to nothing that is redeemable in this book to make me even think about recommending it to other readers. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and there was some really odd music that popped up at the strangest times. I'm all for music in audiobooks as long as it adds to the audiobook experience and doesn't take away from the story. The music in this audiobook definitely took away from my reading experience. Add in a story that flipped between two timelines (and didn't do this all that well), racism, several scenes with extremely questionable consent, a poorly executed murder (no pun intended), and you're left with a book that just doesn't need to be read in 2022.
Would I have enjoyed this book as a younger adult? Maybe. But we have made so much progress as a society both in what we tolerate and in the types of books we spend our time reading. This is a book that should easily stay in 2005 and be replaced by more relevant and timely stories that don't throw around the n-word and make me wonder if I just experienced a rape scene between two partners who appear to have a somewhat normal relationship. No thanks.
TW: rape, murder, racism, mental illness, death of an animal, vomit, grief, addiction