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A review by renskunk
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ward's writing is always stunning and this isn't any different. We follow Annis as she descends through the levels of hell made manifest through slavery and the systems built in the US to profit off of it. I love elements of the supernatural and the natural world turned character, and this delivers on both of those. The story rapidly picks up its pace through the last two chapters, which I read holding my breath. Beautiful and brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Incest
This is a book that honestly details the lived realities of enslaved people in the United States and all of the abuse and trauma that was inflicted through the institution of slavery.