The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
lcg527's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
I mistook this novel to be in the horror/thriller genre but it’s actually historical fiction which I was ok with. At first, once I got about 20/30% in I was confused on where the timeline was going. But I realized this was being told backwards. We meet Ava and her son, who are in Philly after leaving Alabama. We aren’t 100% sure why Ava and her child are so far from home but the backwards story telling reveals the beginning of Ava’s romance with Cass, her son’s father and the disruption that caused everything to fall apart. This almost was a four star read for me but I felt like the disjointed storytelling gave me a little bit of whiplash. Otherwise, an important viewpoint of Black lives from the 80’s as well as the 60’s.
asnyder9's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
pdxpiney's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
iliana_cg's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
lit_eraryqueen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
bethinohio's review against another edition
4.0
3.5⭐️
From the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. She is repulsed by the shelter's squalid conditions: their cockroach-infested room, the barely edible food, and the shifty night security guard. She is determined to rescue her son from the perils and indignities of that place, and to save herself from the complicated past that led them there.
Unsettled started strong but soon became a bit disjointed and meandering. It began as a very personal story about the spiraling effects of sudden poverty, providing a window into the many dehumanizing elements found in the system. What could have been an important social commentary then got lost as the story began to jump around in time, place, and perspective- at which point I became confused both on what was going on, and what the point was. Mixed feelings on this read.
Thank you Ayana Mathis, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
From the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. She is repulsed by the shelter's squalid conditions: their cockroach-infested room, the barely edible food, and the shifty night security guard. She is determined to rescue her son from the perils and indignities of that place, and to save herself from the complicated past that led them there.
Unsettled started strong but soon became a bit disjointed and meandering. It began as a very personal story about the spiraling effects of sudden poverty, providing a window into the many dehumanizing elements found in the system. What could have been an important social commentary then got lost as the story began to jump around in time, place, and perspective- at which point I became confused both on what was going on, and what the point was. Mixed feelings on this read.
Thank you Ayana Mathis, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
rozereads's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.25
cherreadssharereads's review
3.75
From the get-go, I was already rooting for Ava & Toussaint, and so I felt so disheartened the whole book bc it seemed like everything was going wrong and mother & son just could not catch a break. This was a multi-POV book and I especially enjoyed Dutchess chapters— her I love my gun and I don’t give a damn attitude was so refreshing.
The quote from Ava about how the human body still continues on doing what it does despite all the trauma it’s going through was funny.
The quote from Ava about how the human body still continues on doing what it does despite all the trauma it’s going through was funny.