A review by cbrigs99
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

dark emotional sad tense 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? No

3.25

This is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story delving into the horrors of slavery. The story is told through the lens of Dante’s Inferno, and there are numerous parallels displayed by the author as the main character goes through the stages of sinking deeper into her personal hell and rising out of it. Overall, I thought the prose was nice and the over arching message is amazing. The ending was a great way to wrap the whole story up and a nice conclusion to the story of the main character, Arese. I did struggle to get through this book at times, mainly due to the way the author wrote out some of Arese’s experiences and the incorporation of the gods/goddesses guiding the main character. I had a hard time following what was occurring at times, but part of this has to do with it being a first person perspective of a traumatic life and numerous damaging experiences. I think it was an intentional artistic choice, but for me it inhibited my ability to grasp the story. However, this is a beautiful book and I think many people should read it. 
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