A review by sisithelyricist
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I liked the poetic feel of this book. The writing and imagery is stellar, and the inclusion of racism and incarceration in this deeply moving story of a family doing their best was incredible. I disliked how wordy some parts got. Sometimes it took away from the story. Only a couple instances though. I also got a bit confused when picking up and putting down due to the jump around of character narratives. That’s why i rated it a 4.5. I would say this is a straight through read.  However, depiction of the humanity of ALL characters was beautiful as well. That made the multiple narratives worth it in the end. All in all a beautiful and compelling story. I actually cried. I will be reading her work again! All the best to Jesmyn Ward! I recommend this book to all Americans, but especially Black people all over the diaspora. This is an important piece of work.

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