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jg34's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This felt very real and emotional and brings up very important questions. I felt a bit unsatisfied by the ending but thats just my opinion because I was hoping it would go another way. I was rooting for Roy, Andre and celestial just didn’t do it for me either because the story didn’t sell it or because my early bias. Though I suppose the author did not need to sell it, that’s not really what the story is about. Either way JUSTICE FOR ROY
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Death, Rape, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Sex scenes are not detailed or graphic. A long portion of this book has a character set in prison. One pretty violent scene otherwise some other topics mentioned a bit but not in detaildudette's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Intriguing and interesting outline. Good start but the story couldn't keep up. A serious racist issue got lost into a love triangle. It was hard to connect with any of the characters:
• The author tried so hard to describe Celestial as this independent woman that "doesn't belong to anyone" but she has never acted like one. Not once.
• Andre was plain boring.
• I liked Roy better than the others. He was more raw, however, the author lost me because of all the unnecessary sexual descriptions. All I will remember about him is that he wanted to have sex without a condom...twice, just "to have nothing between them".
• The author tried so hard to describe Celestial as this independent woman that "doesn't belong to anyone" but she has never acted like one. Not once.
• Andre was plain boring.
• I liked Roy better than the others. He was more raw, however, the author lost me because of all the unnecessary sexual descriptions. All I will remember about him is that he wanted to have sex without a condom...twice, just "to have nothing between them".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Abortion
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This gripped me right from the beginning and I haven’t had a book cause such strong emotions in me for a while.
The writing is phenomenal, the characters have depth, and the plot just never lets up.
The writing is phenomenal, the characters have depth, and the plot just never lets up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
sandras's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Abortion
saskiahill's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Beautifully written and moving. Thoroughly recommend the audiobook version read by Sean Crisden and Eisa Davis
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
machenn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol
bookedbymadeline's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Heartbreaking novel of a marriage. It was a very slow story that I couldn’t get into when reading a physical copy so I switched to audio. I enjoyed the switching POVs and the storytelling via letters in the first half.
I didn’t like Celestial or Roy, they both have good points but also both make awful decisions. By the end I hated them both especially after Roy kept begging Celestial for sex after getting out, making excuses to not use protection. THEN HE WANTS CREDIT FOR NOT RAPING HER?! They’re both awful people. . I understand it’s difficult circumstances and it may be more realistic but it made the book less enjoyable for me personally when I don’t like either person. Plus neither of them had much development it seemed.
The book started out well but the second half was boring and with some of the actions of Roy and Celestial, I kind of wished I DNFd. It was an okay book with a good premise but didn’t enjoy the execution as much as I expected to.
TW/CW: rape, abortion, cancer (brief mention), death of parent, grief, incarceration, sexual content, infidelity, dubious consent/coercion, racism, violence, misogyny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent
painausten314's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Title: An American Marriage
Author: Tayari Jones
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 6 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Complex • Insightful • Powerful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Newlyweds, Roy and Celestial, are settling into their new life together - he as a young executive and her with a promising career in the arts. But when Roy is arrested and wrongfully convicted to twelve years in prison for crime he didn't commit, they are torn apart by their circumstances. In Roy's absence, Celestial finds comfort in her childhood friend, Andre, eventually finding herself unable to hold onto the love. When five year's into his sentence, Roy's conviction is over turned, he leaves prison ready to resume their lives together. An exploration of love and marriage, and of race and injustice.
💭 T H O U G H T S
At it's heart An American Marriage is a love story and impossible choices, yet it is also filled with twists and turns. It most certainly was the book I was anticipating, rather it was so much more. The story is narrated through the POVs of the three protagonists, Roy, Celestial, and her childhood friend, Andre; this multi-character narration works brilliantly here. It is a well-crafted story with complex character development, and I was instantly invested in how it would all unfold.
Beyond the plot and beautiful writing, I loved the role both sets of parents played within the story. This portion contributed extra layers to already complex relationship. This isn't just a novel, but a book that asks hard questions, made me think, and opened up dialogue around the foundations of marriage, as well as, injustice and betrayal. The fact that parts of the story are narrated through letters was an added bonus. It drew me into the characters lives even more.
This one started out with 5-star potential, but for some reason I found my interest waning throughout the second half of the book. Despite this, it is a thought-provoking book that truly reflects the complexities of relationships and marriage, with a powerful messages surrounding the injustices Black people face. There's no doubt in my mind that Tayari is an incredibly talented writer, and I will keeping an eye out for more of her work.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers looking for an exploration of marriage and injustice
• fans of Ask Again, Yes and/or We Are Not Like Them
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"This is what it must be like to be married to a widow. You give her bandages for her wounds; you offer comfort when memories sneak up and she cries for what looks like no reason. When she reminisces about that past, you don't remind her of the things she has chosen not to recollect, all the while telling yourself that it's unreasonable to be jealous of a dead man."
"But home isn’t where you land; home is where you launch. You can’t pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land."
Author: Tayari Jones
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 6 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Complex • Insightful • Powerful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Newlyweds, Roy and Celestial, are settling into their new life together - he as a young executive and her with a promising career in the arts. But when Roy is arrested and wrongfully convicted to twelve years in prison for crime he didn't commit, they are torn apart by their circumstances. In Roy's absence, Celestial finds comfort in her childhood friend, Andre, eventually finding herself unable to hold onto the love. When five year's into his sentence, Roy's conviction is over turned, he leaves prison ready to resume their lives together. An exploration of love and marriage, and of race and injustice.
💭 T H O U G H T S
At it's heart An American Marriage is a love story and impossible choices, yet it is also filled with twists and turns. It most certainly was the book I was anticipating, rather it was so much more. The story is narrated through the POVs of the three protagonists, Roy, Celestial, and her childhood friend, Andre; this multi-character narration works brilliantly here. It is a well-crafted story with complex character development, and I was instantly invested in how it would all unfold.
Beyond the plot and beautiful writing, I loved the role both sets of parents played within the story. This portion contributed extra layers to already complex relationship. This isn't just a novel, but a book that asks hard questions, made me think, and opened up dialogue around the foundations of marriage, as well as, injustice and betrayal. The fact that parts of the story are narrated through letters was an added bonus. It drew me into the characters lives even more.
This one started out with 5-star potential, but for some reason I found my interest waning throughout the second half of the book. Despite this, it is a thought-provoking book that truly reflects the complexities of relationships and marriage, with a powerful messages surrounding the injustices Black people face. There's no doubt in my mind that Tayari is an incredibly talented writer, and I will keeping an eye out for more of her work.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers looking for an exploration of marriage and injustice
• fans of Ask Again, Yes and/or We Are Not Like Them
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"This is what it must be like to be married to a widow. You give her bandages for her wounds; you offer comfort when memories sneak up and she cries for what looks like no reason. When she reminisces about that past, you don't remind her of the things she has chosen not to recollect, all the while telling yourself that it's unreasonable to be jealous of a dead man."
"But home isn’t where you land; home is where you launch. You can’t pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, and Abortion
Moderate: Cancer, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
kcarney86's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Abortion
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Death of parent