flowerrunner's review against another edition
- 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 against another edition
- 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 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, 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
charlajane'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? 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
burnourhistory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality, War, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent
nora_knight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Slavery, Animal death, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Classism, Blood, War, Rape, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
mymosstx's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and War