daniscorner's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Child death, Drug use, and Death
tallycat007's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
seawarrior's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Kindest Lie skillfully weaves together the experiences and perspectives of multiple characters in a floundering small town to present a novel where there are no easy answers. Johnson excels at giving her characters unique voices and slowly unraveling their life story to explain who they've become and why. Ironically, the character I felt least compelled by was Ruth. Her naivety and lack of planning frustrated me at times, while in other scenarios her dialogue read too perfect to believe a real person would react how she was. Luckily by the end of the book I felt like Ruth had matured into accepting more responsibility for herself while still speaking her truth. Otherwise, I thought each of the characters were written very authentically, and that Johnson obviously did the research to ensure they would be. The book was much less dramatic than I had expected it to be, which isn't a negative feature. Instead of using flashy, scandalous tropes, Johnson grabs the reader's attention by pitting Ruth's differing responsibilities against each other to a devastating effect. Ultimately, this is a story about the weight of the sacrifices families must make to protect their youngest members, and how Black families are always expected to sacrifice more. I would recommend this book to other readers, especially those looking for stories with multifaceted narratives about race and class in the United States.
Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Hate crime, Police brutality, Death of parent, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Infertility
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