What readers think of Sing, Unburied, Sing, plus links to write your own review.

Poetry. Sheer, beautiful, pure poetry. But it's prose. Of course, it is. This is a novel. And. Every. Word. Is. Perfect. That is what makes it poetry. That is what makes the language sing. This book is worth reading just for the writing.

Jojo is 13, almost a man, but still very much a boy. Because his drug-addicted mother, Leonie, is aloof toward and neglectful of her children, Jojo becomes his baby sister Kayla's surrogate parent. Their bond infuriates Leonie. Her man is about to be released from prison in Parchman, Mississippi, and she is going to drive three hours to get him, along with her friend Misty and the two kids. Jojo and Kayla live with their grandparents, Pop and Mam, and this road trip, which is shrouded in danger, makes Pop very nervous—and for good reason. Pop can't make himself go with them, as he was once an inmate there himself. And he has some horrific, bone-chilling tales to tell about his time in prison.

What happens on the drive up and back, as well as in the days following make up the bulk of this novel as the story holds up the past and the present like mirrors to delve into the sacred meaning of family and love but especially grief, death, and the afterlife in ways both profound and passionate.

At its heart, this is a story about the South, of what it means to be white or black, of privilege and prejudice, but it is also just as much a story about America.

This is a short, but oh-so-difficult book to read. It broke my heart, but it also made me think—a lot—about all those grown-up problems from poverty to racial hatred to distant, bitter parents that endanger children and force them to grow up too fast. This is a book that will linger with me.

I love Jesmyn Ward, so I grabbed this off the ARC shelf at work as soon as I saw it! She writes in a way that sucks you into the world of the characters, and manages to evoke pity even for the most unlikeable people by giving us a way to connect with their human experience. You will think about these people and their lives and how so many are set up to fail from the very beginning. This one will definitely punch you in the gut but it's worth it. I won't even try to describe what happens because I'm too afraid to accidentally provide spoilers. Highly recommend!

The meat in this book is all the characters and their portrayal as a part of a rural poor family set in the south. The writing is amazing and it gives a vivid picture of their lives. The story highlights a lot of complicated family dynamics and also looks at the issues of race and death from a different perspective.
The character-driven drama also has a nice twist and some ghosts from the past. The author refers to the ghosts the children are able to hear and see as birds on the tree, singing their song of grief, those who were killed or mistreated and left unburied, without justice!
Overall I really like the plot and how the story is told and the characters will be remembered for a long time.