bendercath's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Spoiler
quite abrupt and shocking to me. I really hated that Theo was killed. What if the author had chosen a different ending … he could have been accused and maybe even beaten by an officer … but shot in cold blood while in a defenseless stance? I found Jess’ fascination with skeletons to be so symbolic … like she was literally learning about creatures from the inside out. What if that would have been a metaphor for her understanding of racism? Did the author intend to kill off any hope that Theo could contribute to Black scholarship? That part just did not compute. <\spoiler> reading about Jarrett … his intelligence, his love of horses, his expertise and insight into horses and humans … all of it was so beautiful. One cringey section was the romanticization of his time picking cotton in the fields. No way in hell should that have been portrayed so wistfully, as if he were somehow better after being subjected to such brutality.I have read many articles and heard interviews about Geraldine Brooks being white and writing about Black characters and racism. I am sensitive to that and want to learn more about her perspective. This book definitely got me thinking a lot.
Graphic: War, Slavery, Racism, and Gun violence
king_rune's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gun violence
flowerrunner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, Blood, Grief, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, War, Animal death, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
fifteenthjessica's review
- 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
4.0
Geraldine Brooks definitely did her research while working on this and can create interesting characters as well as poignant imagery. Characters are complex and not necessarily likable. Jarret is my favorite of the PoV characters, and I enjoy his arc from acceptance of his fate to a determination to make his best life, as well as his attempts to show kindness when he can. A lot of historical fiction that comment on modern day issues tend to focus on more rebellious protagonists, and I like that Brooks made a compelling character within the reality that many people, unfortunately, can be accepting of unfair systems, even if they are the ones who are crushed by it. Another strength of Jarret's plotline is that all of the major white characters, including Scott, both oppose and are complicit with different aspects of life in the antebellum South. The modern cast features many dorks that are enjoyable because of their passions.
The book is not perfect. It talks a lot about racism in multiple points of American history, but African American women are almost exclusively relegated to bit roles as love interests. I'm not sure how to fix this (maybe tell Martha's story through the eyes of Annie, the maid whose family had inherited the painting?). Theo's justified resentment of racism paired with his utter lack of self awareness about how his parents' wealth sheltered him from some of the worst parts can be grating, and attempts to address this flaw fell flat for me.
Spoiler
His death in the third act also feels like it's more about shocking than a satisfying conclusion for his and Jess's arcs, but it is a good illustration of how far society has to go that the modern characters' arc has a more depressing end than the arc that heavily features slavery.Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Racism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Trafficking
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Bullying, Death of parent, Sexism, Police brutality, Murder, Violence, and War
Racism, slavery, and mistreatment of horses are very important to the themes of this book, but did not feel gratuitous to me.atamano's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Gun violence, Police brutality, Animal death, and Classism
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death of parent, War, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Mass/school shootings, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol and Infidelity
finsleft's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Gun violence
elliece's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Hate crime, and Police brutality
ladyk8ie8's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Moderate: War, Racism, Slavery, Murder, and Gun violence
charlajane's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The characters wrap around your heart in a way that makes this story of a horse in the time just before the American Civil War, the actual historic figures in the story, and the characters in all the timelines relevant to today’s headlines about prejudice, history, and critical race theory (also known as teaching the real parts of history, not just the sanitized versions).
Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent
chgray's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Murder