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mysterymom40's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Racial slurs and Trafficking
Minor: Alcohol and Sexual assault
alli_cat_book_rat's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
All We Were Promised is a historical fiction novel set in Philadelphia, PA in the midst of the abolitionist movement. The book is an enlightening and interesting story following 3 black women, Charlotte who is a runaway slave from Maryland living under the weigh of lies and lack of freedom, Nell a well born black woman fighting to abolish slavery, and Evie a young enslaved woman just starting to fight for her own freedom.
The book is full of information and I loved getting a glimpse into this time in American history. I enjoyed the contrast between the characters and their unique life experiences. Their perspectives, as well as some of the supporting characters like Alex and Darcel, were what made this story so interesting.
My biggest concern and the reason this book falls around 3/3.5 stars for me is that the story was written in the 3rd person narrative. This ultimately made it feel clunky and hard to connect with the characters, which is really important to me. Additionally, some of the biggest plot twists were revealed in way that felt anti-climactic, so some of the emotion that comes from a plot twist was lost/lacking. Because of these reasons, I didn’t always want to dive into this book as much as others I had available.
Overall, this book is worth reading simply for the perspective on a time in our country’s history that isn’t written about as much. I feel proud of the author for venturing into the world of novel-writing and am grateful everything she shared with the world through this book!
Thanks NetGalley and Ballantine Books for early access to this novel!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
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