Red at the Bone
Ratings67
Average rating4
The prose was really lovely. The story wasn't super intense or anything but it was really nicely told.
4.5:
Not gonna lie, I teared up while reading Po'Boy's first intervention.
The way each voice is so distinct and recognizable. To let each character tell their side of the story, and have it all coming together at the end. And it was all so bittersweet. The small details, and the subtleties. Gosh, it was brilliant. Chef's kiss
Beautifully written, a little sparse but in a good way. I found the changing perspectives a little confusing, but the characters were well crafted and distinct, and the concept was really interesting. No real plot, more of a family study, and a solid four star read.
Jacqueline Woodson truly has a gift for crafting and compacting so much into short, lyrical phrases and sentences. This is the second book I have read by her and was, yet again, impressed with her talent.
So, why only three stars? I felt that the switching of viewpoints from one family member to another was a great idea and interesting way of showing how a young girl's family influenced her and how the opening situation in the book came to be. Ultimately, although the voices were interesting and authentic, they ended up being a distraction instead of creating interesting layers.
I listened to the audio book. This wasn't really my taste in books. Perhaps if I had read the book instead of listening to the audio book, I would have enjoyed it more.
The shifts in time and narrator were a little jarring at first in the audiobook, but once settled in it's a gorgeous and moving ride. A contender for one of the best audiobooks of the year, for sure. These actors (including Jackie herself) absolutely make these characters live. A quick but sweeping 3 hours, strongly recommend.
A boy from a poor family. A girl from an affluent family. From the boy and girl is a baby. And this is the story, moving forward in time and backward in time, of those families, with their struggles and strengths.
I don't know if it was because this was a short book and there were many characters but I never felt vested in any of the people in the story. I wanted so much to love this book, but I just didn't (though I still love you, Jacqueline Woodson). Not everyone can hit it out of the park every time in every ball field.