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A review by caseythereader
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free copy of this book.
- I have mixed feelings about TANGLEROOT. I was on board for the story and setting, for Noni, and for the mystery of her family history as it unraveled. However, the execution of it fell short for me.
- The big thing I couldn’t get past was Noni’s mother. She was intensely controlling and it was swept away at the end, with Noni coming to the conclusion that her mother knew best. I’m sorry, but in what world is it fine to find out that your daughter made one insensitive comment to a coworker so you decide she can no longer attend the four year college she plans to in the fall and you instead enroll her in the local community college and sign her up for a slate of courses she isn’t interested in at all??? There are several other actions the mother takes that horrified me, and they simply weren’t addressed.
- Whew okay, aside from that, I appreciated that this is a YA novel that explored aspects of slavery that aren’t usually touched in books for this age group.
- I have mixed feelings about TANGLEROOT. I was on board for the story and setting, for Noni, and for the mystery of her family history as it unraveled. However, the execution of it fell short for me.
- The big thing I couldn’t get past was Noni’s mother. She was intensely controlling and it was swept away at the end, with Noni coming to the conclusion that her mother knew best. I’m sorry, but in what world is it fine to find out that your daughter made one insensitive comment to a coworker so you decide she can no longer attend the four year college she plans to in the fall and you instead enroll her in the local community college and sign her up for a slate of courses she isn’t interested in at all??? There are several other actions the mother takes that horrified me, and they simply weren’t addressed.
- Whew okay, aside from that, I appreciated that this is a YA novel that explored aspects of slavery that aren’t usually touched in books for this age group.
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Racism, Slavery, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Rape