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wordsofclover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is just so beautiful and painful all at the same time.
The Prophets tells the story of Samuel and Isaiah, two young men who have grown up as slaves on a plantation, and through a life of hardship, pain and being treated in the worst ways possible, they found each other and fell in love. Two pieces of one whole. The rest of the plantation don't take much notice of Samuel and Isaiah, leaving them to find peace in a world of pain together, until another slave called Amos begins to preach the Bible and turn the others against them. At the same time, the plantation owner's son, Timothy, comes home and takes an interest in Isaiah that could prove deadly.
I just loved this book so much. The writing and the characters are absolutely exquisite and the way Robert Jones Jr flipped between the story on the plantation to the voice of 'The Prophets' and then also a story from a tribe in Africa where a female King reins with her male wives, and is suspicious of the new skinless wanderers that have appeared . There is so much in this book that is very hard to read - how everyone on the plantation is treated, and the pain and suffering and trauma every character holds inside of themselves is A LOT but it's also full of beautiful moments from friendship, to love and it comes down to the very special bond between Samuel and Isaiah and that how is more than just two people in love but two souls that are one and that should never be parted.
"This was how he would engage in his own bit of rebellion: he leaned against the wooden bit of the fence that surrounded the barn and stared at the heavens. Crowded, he thought, and wondered if, perhaps , the abundance was too much ; if the weight of holding on was too heavy, and the night , being as tired as it was, might one day let go, and all the stars would come tumbling down, leaving only the darkness to stretch across everything."
I also recommend reading Robert Jones Jr acknowledgements at the end of the book as it is definitely one of my favourites I've ever read.
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
invaderlinz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
wai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Excrement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
kloft1993's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder
anonymousreader's review against another edition
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
doctorcrap's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
n_asyikin_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Interspersed in between were ancestral voices, providing a touch of the supernatural & spiritual; once again, acting as a sort of purveyor of the truth for a group of people who saw their humanity, identity & history erased. These "ancestral voices" returning what was stolen in increment, providing a "break" between the distinct character-specific narration.
Jones gave dimensions to each perspective by enabling readers to compare how their perspectives were influenced by their social standings & their inherent needs. Jones did so by contrasting characters based on their similarity & putting said similarity through the lens of their differences; intersectional identities being the main modulator. Through them, readers were able to explore & infer what motivated each character, see how the 'self' interacted with the external world to drive certain behaviour. This built a complex structure which may require some time for readers to process & digest. At the end though, your time should be worth it. Take it as an in-depth look into each character as the story progressed.
The writings were unbelievably beautiful with its lyricism; the symbolisms used should be perceived as significant, representing the voices of those typically forced not to have any. That beauty can cushioned the brutal reality the characters faced at times, yet also stressed it on others; I thought Jones balanced it out neatly. One constant was how the story felt that it encapsulated something tremendous, beyond what was held amongst its pages.
Please heed to the trigger warnings. I personally found some scenes to be really heavy, so do take care while reading this. That being said, "The Prophets" was a powerful read about re-owning one's being, identity, & history. It spoke about how love could be a balm in a cruel reality. It was unforgiving in its resonance, & deserved to be heard.
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder
jennikreads's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
micaela_mcmullan's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
mindthekat's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence