Reviews

When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown

jenntate's review against another edition

emotional

5.0

maylah's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Very eye-opening and thought provoking account into racial discrimination/tension of the 30s. However the book fell flat for me because of the ending. Things felt extremely unfinished and the whole premise of the book about racial tensions was kind of left up in the air? I was disappointed bc I feel like the author didn’t do much with the ending when it could’ve had a great impact if there was truly a deep conversation between Opal and Jimmy Earle, for example. Overall though I would still really recommend this book. I think there’s a lot to be said about how religion was used as something people could rely on, and the debate posed about why a god/holy figure would let terrible things happen to people. Complex characters and u really get a sense of the community the Black characters had with one another in “Colored Town”. (It reminded me of that one scene from Princess & the Frog when everyone was outside in the evening lol)

pam2375's review against another edition

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While this was not a literary masterpiece, it had great characters in Opal, Granny, Uncle Little Bud and more. Ms Jackson-Brown wrote the book in such a way that made me want to keep turning the pages and I sure hope that we get to read more of this family.

This is the story of a 'colored' family in the 1930's South. And, as you can imagine, the Klan is there terrorizing the community. How this family and community join together is what makes this story so sweet. Have your tissues at the ready for the last couple of chapters, because you are going to need them.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in April 2021.

barnesbookshelf's review against another edition

5.0

I had no idea what to expect going in to this story. But I loved every. minute. of. it. Opal is such a good character and a good person. Her internal struggles are relatable, in a way. She is relatable in the way that she doesn't necessarily see the same thing in herself that everyone else does. The story is gutwrenching at times. I sobbed through the entire end. I loved the way the novel portrays the relationship between "good" white people and black people. I appreciated that the "good" white characters often times just wanted to help, but that didn't negate the harm that they actively did to the black characters. Man, there are just so many well-done things in this novel. I think I will need to read it again at some point.

lilaypad's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The book made me cry at the last chapter and i cried the whole way through. That being said, when i picked up WSRD i felt the blurb and book summary lied !!! It was not as much of a love triangle as i expected. The more i read though, the less i wanted a love triangle and the more i wanted a happy ending.

kleonard's review against another edition

4.0

This is a sad story, but one full of truth. So many books are being written right now (especially by white writers) about Black characters in the immediate pre- and post-Civil Rights era in the South that end with what white writers think is triumph and uplift: Black women going to college, or joining the movement and bringing about serious material or social change to their communities, or marrying into white families, or being accepted by white society. But not every Black woman wanted those things: Opal, a young Black woman, wants the love of her family, to marry a good man, and to feel safe. She works alongside her grandmother as a cleaner for a white family. While this particular family is "good," some of their relatives are members of the KKK, intent on terrorizing the small Black community to which Opal and her grandmother belong. There is a Klan raid on their community, and later Opal is almost raped. Opal finds herself attracted to the white family's son and to the Black preacher's son; she has to rethink her Christianity a bit after coming into contact with the work of the local roots woman; and she has to grapple with how her employers view her. The end of the book is a little pat and neat, but the trauma and fear the author describes is harrowing, and real, and needs to be recognized.

emquegeeaye's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I'm not a synopsis reader so idk which direction this book was going to go. I am so happy I found this book. It is so very well written. I loved Opal and granny. Honestly, I loved the entire Pruitt family. And they loved each other. It was beautiful. I also liked Mrs. Peggy and Ms. Corrine. Now I will say I teetered between liking and disliking Jimmy Earl. He seemed like a good person and although in some situations he would stand up for Opal there were other times I felt like he let things linger a little too long when he could've said something. But now Jimmy Earl's paternal family...they were the absolute worst! Didn't like them! I felt immersed in this story. I was happy at times, laughed at moments, was sad in others, was shocked by some and teared up during other moments. Rarely if ever do I cry while reading a book but I was so hurt and angry during a scene in this book. I had to put the book down and hug my husband bc I just needed some of his energy. I loved this book. I would definitely recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, and Death

debs4jc's review against another edition

4.0

Opal gets one of her feelings that something bad may be looming on the horizon just as the summer of her 18th year is fixing to start. The year is 1936, the place is Parsons, Georgia and the trouble most certainly could be related to the tenuous relationship between the white folks and black folks in Opal's community. Opal would like nothing more than to enjoy outings with her cousins and friends, evenings with her grandmother, and days working for Miss Peggy. But the arrival of the Klan will test everything that Opal knows about life and keep her from living her life unnoticed. She and the other members of the community must discover how they will respond to evil and cling to faith in adversity.
This was a powerful story. I loved the descriptions of Opal's tight knit community and the pleasures that they enjoyed. The scenes were well written and painted many vivid pictures in my mind. It's a pity that some of them were sad and disturbing, but it's important to confront the evils of history and seek ways to keep it from repeating itself. Opal learned how to live through hard times with her head held high and her faith intact, and I'm glad this author is giving us stories like these to add to the Christian fiction genre.

randywgravitz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

hollielovespink's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0