Sing, Unburied, Sing

A story about a family struggling with the racial injustice of the South, crime and poverty, and the close presence of ghosts and demons of the past. Told from 3 different viewpoints, Ward's writing is lyrical and powerful, yet at the same time makes it sometimes hard to follow. Maybe I needed to spend more time with the characters, but besides Jojo and Kayla, I don't feel like I attached to them. Plus it took me a while to accept that a surprisingly big part of the plot was dedicated to beings from the astral plane :)

3.5

Wow. Beyond deserving of all the awards and accolades. The audio is stunning and perfectly cast. Rutina Wesley is always welcome and a real magical pairing of voice and text and JoJo was spot on. I'll definitely be recommending this to adults and teens, and it will stay with me for a long time.

JoJo and his young sister, Kayla, live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop, in Mississippi. Their mother spends much of her time high and their father is in prison. There is a thread of mysticism that runs through the family which enables them to know native healing plants and to see ghosts. It's a sad story of poverty and racism and struggle and addiction, beautifully written.