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titalindaslibrary 's review for:
Ring Shout
by P. Djèlí Clark
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I blazed through this novella in an evening and couldn't put it down.
This is a fictionalization of historic events set in an alternate Jim Crow South, and it weaves elements of horror, magic realism, Black history, and racism to explore concepts of intersectionality and privilege. Which our author does an incredible job of accomplishing!
It's 1922 in Macon, Georgia, and the demonic KKK are gaining a greater foothold in society. And when I say demonic, I mean literally - they are monsters that intend to bring hell on Earth. Maryse, Sadie, and Chef are the Black resistance fighters and our main heroines, wielding blade, bullets, and bombs to fight back.
At the heart of this novella is the unmistakable lesson on hatred and the monstrous ways it transforms humans. I really appreciate the way Clark differentiates between the roots of anger versus hatred and the thin (but important) line that separates the two. He's also snuck in a ton of reader education about American history, particularly parts that pertain to Black Americans that have been largely ignored by history books. I found myself Googling some of the topics mentioned in this book to double check what was fiction and what was history. I actually couldn't tell how much was real - how horrifying is that?
And yeah, it's gory, but if the body horror makes you cringe more than the history that's shared in this book, I'd suggest you re-read it more carefully.
This is a fictionalization of historic events set in an alternate Jim Crow South, and it weaves elements of horror, magic realism, Black history, and racism to explore concepts of intersectionality and privilege. Which our author does an incredible job of accomplishing!
It's 1922 in Macon, Georgia, and the demonic KKK are gaining a greater foothold in society. And when I say demonic, I mean literally - they are monsters that intend to bring hell on Earth. Maryse, Sadie, and Chef are the Black resistance fighters and our main heroines, wielding blade, bullets, and bombs to fight back.
At the heart of this novella is the unmistakable lesson on hatred and the monstrous ways it transforms humans. I really appreciate the way Clark differentiates between the roots of anger versus hatred and the thin (but important) line that separates the two. He's also snuck in a ton of reader education about American history, particularly parts that pertain to Black Americans that have been largely ignored by history books. I found myself Googling some of the topics mentioned in this book to double check what was fiction and what was history. I actually couldn't tell how much was real - how horrifying is that?
And yeah, it's gory, but if the body horror makes you cringe more than the history that's shared in this book, I'd suggest you re-read it more carefully.