The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
ncoletti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Rape, Torture, and Racism
busyblackbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Jesmyn Ward is a national treasure, and so is this book.
Let Us Descend is a portrait of one womanās descent into not just any Hell, but a Hell of [white] manās own creation. During her descent, Annis contends with the spirits that vie for her devotion, yet who seem to let her and her people down at every turn, subjecting her to the cruel whims of white demons.
Iām not sure thereās much I can say about this book other than it should be on EVERYONEāS list. It captures the beauty of Black love and family, the wretched and calculated suffering that white people have inflicted upon our people, and the complicated nature of āfreedomā that refugee, formerly enslaved Black folks living on the fringes (e.g., maroons) experienced. And it places pressure on the idea of Black resilienceāwe should not need to be resilient, to continually give ourselves to a world that seeks our destruction.
For my Black siblings, I do want to issue a word of caution, since this is an extremely heavy book that weighed on my spirit quite a bit as I read. I love Wardās writing because she is SO remarkably talentedāshe is one of the best writers of our timeābut I do space out my reads of her books because of how heavily they impact me.
So, tl;dr: please please please do yourself a favor and preorder+read this book.
Thank you so much to Scribner for the gifted ARC!
Let Us Descend is a portrait of one womanās descent into not just any Hell, but a Hell of [white] manās own creation. During her descent, Annis contends with the spirits that vie for her devotion, yet who seem to let her and her people down at every turn, subjecting her to the cruel whims of white demons.
Iām not sure thereās much I can say about this book other than it should be on EVERYONEāS list. It captures the beauty of Black love and family, the wretched and calculated suffering that white people have inflicted upon our people, and the complicated nature of āfreedomā that refugee, formerly enslaved Black folks living on the fringes (e.g., maroons) experienced. And it places pressure on the idea of Black resilienceāwe should not need to be resilient, to continually give ourselves to a world that seeks our destruction.
For my Black siblings, I do want to issue a word of caution, since this is an extremely heavy book that weighed on my spirit quite a bit as I read. I love Wardās writing because she is SO remarkably talentedāshe is one of the best writers of our timeābut I do space out my reads of her books because of how heavily they impact me.
So, tl;dr: please please please do yourself a favor and preorder+read this book.
Thank you so much to Scribner for the gifted ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
lcg527's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, Rape, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence
fiberreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Sexual violence, and Slavery
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