Reviews with content warning for Rape - Let Us Descend

I really loved the metaphysical in this book - that Annis was always speaking to her mother’s spirit or the more god-like spirit. And her mother’s words were always in her head guiding her. It was an awful story full of love.

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readingonfordearlife's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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kezharri's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Amazing personification and beautiful description.

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ajluedke91's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

The first sentence of the book description is exactly what Let Us Descend is; “a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching”. It reads as a poem and a puzzle, almost, connecting all the dots. It’s a deep think read.

Update after week of reflection: it truly is a story of self-liberation in all its forms. Beautiful.

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moonyhannah's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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bendercath's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This book’s lyrical writing feels like an epic poem that sears its way into the senses and deeply into the heart. It is haunting.

Jesmyn Ward’s artistry is remarkable. Stunning. I listened to the audiobook read by the author which felt like a privilege and an honor.

I will not forget this book. The parallels and references to Dante’s Inferno are brilliant. What I will not forget in particular is the brutality of this story. The moments of love and longing kept me reading but it was an incredibly difficult read. Painful. I almost gave up but felt that it was important not to look away … just as the author says: we must bear witness.

The relationship between Annis and her mother is so powerful — in that it gives Annis the strength to endure all that she faces. Really, all of the female relationships in the book have power.

I love historical fiction and often read this genre but I don’t know if I will be able to do so for a long time.

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rexgertspud's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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bookishkellyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

I don’t even really understand what I just read–or what the point of the book was–so I’m withholding a numerical rating. The synopsis was accurate but really undersold how big a role the spirits played in the storyline. I almost felt like the spiritual element got more face time than the main character (Annis/Arese). It revolved heavily around the ambiguous nature of her ‘ancestral’ spirit (Aza). The vibe was ultra gloomy with fleeting tender moments from love interests (Safi & Bastian). If this hadn’t been a book club read, I would’ve DNF’d for sure.

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