Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Este mundo ciego by Jesmyn Ward

109 reviews

ajluedke91's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

The first sentence of the book description is exactly what Let Us Descend is; “a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching”. It reads as a poem and a puzzle, almost, connecting all the dots. It’s a deep think read.

Update after  week of reflection: it truly is a story of self-liberation in all its forms. Beautiful.
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moonyhannah's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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bendercath's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This book’s lyrical writing feels like an epic poem that sears its way into the senses and deeply into the heart. It is haunting.

Jesmyn Ward’s artistry is remarkable. Stunning. I listened to the audiobook read by the author which felt like a privilege and an honor.

I will not forget this book. The parallels and references to Dante’s Inferno are brilliant. What I will not forget in particular is the brutality of this story. The moments of love and longing kept me reading but it was an incredibly difficult read. Painful. I almost gave up but felt that it was important not to look away … just as the author says: we must bear witness.

The relationship between Annis and her mother is so powerful — in that it gives Annis the strength to endure all that she faces. Really, all of the female relationships in the book have power.

I love historical fiction and often read this genre but I don’t know if I will be able to do so for a long time. 
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jakobmarleymommy's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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rexgertspud's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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nrogers_1030's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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bookishkellyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I don’t even really understand what I just read–or what the point of the book was–so I’m withholding a numerical rating. The synopsis was accurate but really undersold how big a role the spirits played in the storyline. I almost felt like the spiritual element got more face time than the main character (Annis/Arese). It revolved heavily around the ambiguous nature of her ‘ancestral’ spirit (Aza). The vibe was ultra gloomy with fleeting tender moments from love interests (Safi & Bastian). If this hadn’t been a book club read, I would’ve DNF’d for sure.
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bluz19's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This story is categorized as literary fiction with the themes of being heavy, supernatural, cerebral, and have LGBTQ+ themes. Trigger Warning: rape, sexual assault, slavery and abuse. This is not a usual read, it is a hard truth, it is harsh and real but it is also lyrical and reads like a song. It is about a generational love and the trust of a daughter. Annis is the descendant of a West African warrior, she comes from so much strength. When her mom is sold in the slave market she is overtaken with grief. Then Annis is sold South, along the journey, a weather spirit using the namesake of Annis’ grandmother appears. She goes on a physical and spiritual journey to understand herself and her past.
It is a hard read because it is based in the time of American slavery, you experience the hard truth that is slavery. The ripping apart of families, the assault on black bodies and disregard for those lives. You also see the traditions of black families that still exist today. You see the strength and the culture. We so often talk about “we lost our history when they stole us” this is a book of transitioning and finding freedom in our current situation. This book by no means glorified slavery, instead it shows us the power that is ourselves and our choices. 
I think I originally picked up this book to just get the experience of the read. I think I would read again just because there is so much to unpack there and a lot of it is about finding the deeper meaning. There involved so many themes that I think could be flushed out more. Although this isn’t my usual read, I think it was definitely a story worth diving into to.
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sarahweyand's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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? No

3.25

I wanted to like this book so badly. I really enjoyed probably the first 40% of the book. Jesmyn Ward has a lovely voice and I really enjoyed her narration of her story. The plot was interesting, I loved our characters, and the prose is really just lyrical and wonderful. I felt the story and momentum start to drop at the halfway point, however, and it had a hard time keeping my attention for the last half of the book. I didn't feel particularly connected to Anise, and I didn't love the magical realism aspects.

This book absolutely has and will continue to find an audience that loves it, and I can certainly appreciate and respect it for what it is. But love it I did not.
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booksarebreadcrumbs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring sad tense
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A poetic masterpiece. Heartbreaking and epic. What a talent.
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