A review by starrysteph
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

A quiet and reflective story that examines mothers & daughters, generational trauma, and class divides.

Red at the Bone weaves back and forth through time fluidly, following sixteen-year-old Melody at her coming of age ceremony in 2001, her parents who had her at seventeen, and their parents. 

The language is simple yet beautiful, and shows the ripple effects of decisions made in your childhood that shape the rest of your life, and your children’s lives, and their children’s lives. 

CW: death (parent/child), racism, pregnancy, grief, cancer, abandonment, fire, classism, chronic illness, addiction

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)