Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

16 reviews

ali1311's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I  loved the descriptions in this book of the setting and everything else, really. It painted such a visceral picture the whole time. The actual plot and content of the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and wondering where things were going, but I think it was a little watered down almost. Where the descriptions and character studies were so detailed and compelling, the story itself felt a bit bland in comparison. Mostly, I wanted more from the magical realism. But overall, I really felt a connection to the characters and wouldn't have minded even more time in their heads. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Police brutality, and Death of parent

lottiegasp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.75

This is a tragic book about the pervading anti-Blackness in the US from Jim Crow era until the modern day, and how this collective trauma is passed down intergenerationally

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Abandonment

This is a very sad book and covers a lot of dark topics relating to Jim Crow era anti-Blackness and abusive, neglectful parents. Read when you can handle it

mel_j's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Sing, Unburied' Sing' was a marvellous reading experience. In some way, I could feel for and understand all the characters and their motives. The magical realism was well-done and felt not too over-the-top; it fit very well into the story.

There was a slight historical feel to 'Sing, Unburied, Sing' that is connected to the magical realism. I loved the historical references and facts; sad, but important, they added a lot to the book

It's a heartbreaking book that made me stop and think quite a few times; very moving.
The ending felt quite rushed and incomplete, which is why I don't give the book 5 stars – I feel there could've been done more, but I enjoyed the reading experience a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Gun violence, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

rhall19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction and Abandonment

voicenextdoor's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a tough read. Be sure to check the content warnings

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Abandonment

reachingforstardust's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Racism, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Rape

maxgardner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

This is a grueling story about family and generational trauma, and the larger trauma and rippling effects of racism and white supremacy. It is a story of coming of age, of accepting who you are and who you are not, told in alternating perspectives of primarily a mother and son with a very strained relationship. Jesmyn Ward’s writing is beautiful and lyrical, and she does an exceptional job of weaving the characters’ histories into the main storyline. Maybe the best way I can think to describe it is it feels very natural, like someone telling the story out loud. And I absolutely loved the aspects of magical realism throughout and the way it connected the family members through the generations, though it culminates in an ultimately confusing finale that took me rereading the final couple of chapters to fully visualize and understand. At its core, Sing, Unburied, Sing is just a very well-told, poignant story with characters that feel alive on the page and a plot that is simple but richly realized.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Vomit

Moderate: Racial slurs and Abandonment

natalienance's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Abandonment

booksnooksandcooks's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Definitely a book I could re-read and pull out parts of the text I never studied before and it could change the whole book.

Beautifully written and the magical realism is both transformative and also bone-chilling. I struggled a bit with the characters and development, but Ward presents the family in such a heart breaking way that the reader weeps alongside them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read magical realism.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Abandonment, and Alcohol

rexpostfacto's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Incarceration and servitude related to jail time