No One Is Coming to Save Us: A Novel
Product ID: 57281092
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*WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD FOR DEBUT NOVEL* *THE INAUGURAL SARAH JESSICA PARKER PICK FOR BOOK CLUB CENTRAL* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 WILLIE MORRIS AWARD FOR SOUTHERN FICTION* NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY The Washington Post • Refinery29 • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Bookpage NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2017 BY Entertainment Weekly • Nylon • Elle • Redbook • W Magazine • The Chicago Review of Books JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava. But as he reenters his former world, where factories are in decline and the legacy of Jim Crow is still felt, he’s startled to find that the people he once knew and loved have changed just as much as he has. Ava is now married and desperate for a baby, though she can’t seem to carry one to term. Her husband, Henry, has grown distant, frustrated by the demise of the furniture industry, which has outsourced to China and stripped the area of jobs. Ava’s mother, Sylvia, caters to and meddles with the lives of those around her, trying to fill the void left by her absent son. And Don, Sylvia’s unworthy but charming husband, just won’t stop hanging around. JJ’s return—and his plans to build a huge mansion overlooking Pinewood and woo Ava—not only unsettles their family, but stirs up the entire town. The ostentatious wealth that JJ has attained forces everyone to consider the cards they’ve been dealt, what more they want and deserve, and how they might go about getting it. Can they reorient their lives to align with their wishes rather than their current realities? Or are they all already resigned to the rhythms of the particular lives they lead? No One Is Coming to Save Us is a revelatory debut from an insightful voice: with echoes of The Great Gatsby it is an arresting and powerful novel about an extended African American family and their colliding visions of the American Dream. In evocative prose, Stephanie Powell Watts has crafted a full and stunning portrait that combines a universally resonant story with an intimate glimpse into the hearts of one family. Review: Wow. - Not going to write a dissertation here. The writing is fluid and poetic. Sometimes the author tosses in a phrase that feels like an impulsive thought - incomplete and unexpected but accurate and concise. The story is sleepy but engaging. There is pain of unfulfilled plans on almost every page and the characters just go on living despite the disappointment and despair. It's so heavy to read that I had to frequently put the book down. There is a birthright about love among many Black American women. This love is strict, uneffusive and cold but at the same time fierce and unconditional. It keeps families close despite the lack of "warm fuzzies". Watts has portrayed this love throughout the novel, giving what I think is a realistic glimpse into the every day experiences of Blacks in America. Review: Patience is required - It gets better towards the end but the first third of the book lacked flair and excitement in the story. By the second half, the plot really begins to unfold and it is a more enjoyable read.
| Best Sellers Rank | #931,099 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #889 in Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books) #2,243 in Southern Fiction #2,827 in Cultural Heritage Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 3.6 out of 5 stars 861 Reviews |
E**E
Wow.
Not going to write a dissertation here. The writing is fluid and poetic. Sometimes the author tosses in a phrase that feels like an impulsive thought - incomplete and unexpected but accurate and concise. The story is sleepy but engaging. There is pain of unfulfilled plans on almost every page and the characters just go on living despite the disappointment and despair. It's so heavy to read that I had to frequently put the book down. There is a birthright about love among many Black American women. This love is strict, uneffusive and cold but at the same time fierce and unconditional. It keeps families close despite the lack of "warm fuzzies". Watts has portrayed this love throughout the novel, giving what I think is a realistic glimpse into the every day experiences of Blacks in America.
B**N
Patience is required
It gets better towards the end but the first third of the book lacked flair and excitement in the story. By the second half, the plot really begins to unfold and it is a more enjoyable read.
E**A
powerful
No One Is Coming to Save Us is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of race, community, and resilience. The story is emotionally gripping and beautifully written, offering a raw and honest look at the struggles faced by the characters. The author’s storytelling skill draws you in from the first page and keeps you hooked until the very end. It’s a compelling read that encourages reflection and empathy. Highly recommend for anyone interested in meaningful, impactful literature.
P**B
The House on the Hill
At this time when our nation is called once again to an examination of our seemingly inextricable entanglement in the sin of racism, No One Is Coming to Save Us provides a up-close look at the experiences of a family living in a small North Carolina town. While the lectures and essays on the power and dynamics of race relations are well and good, it is through novels such as this that we truly come to know one another. Watts' beautiful prose brings the reader quickly and deeply into the lives of her characters as we feel their hopes and dreams, their fears and passions as our own. All in all, this novel is highly readable with much to remember and ponder.
B**E
Author Needs to Trim the Fat
I tried to give this book a chance; tried to like it. I really did. I usually have a 10-page rule. If I am not hooked on a book by then, I chuck it. I read close to 100 pages of this book, and it was much to do about nothing. It rambled and went in 4 different directions. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. And it seemed that the author was showing off. Like, "Look at me, I'm writing." I usually find the good in a book, and I did here too. The author has talent. She does very well with imagery and phrases that resonate, but needs to brush up on plot development, and keeping it moving.
J**S
frustrating.
I bought this book because I heard an interview with the author. She sounded lovely and fascinating, as did the book. But it's slow and uninteresting and sad. All the characters are only developed enough to emphasize how sad they are. At the same time, it is full of weird punctuation errors and odd run-on sentences, which make it altogether a frustrating read.
K**R
"Love and Marriage" What does it really mean ?
It was a good story about families living in a small town. Sometimes it was hard to follow the story line of who was talking. In general it was a good story about what the characters thought was love and what marriage really means to one another.
A**R
Slow Read
No One Is Coming to Save Us is a very slow read. The story is depressing with no closure or hope for the future. The writing is very confusing, the book constantly changed subjects and direction and I found myself day dreaming throughout this book, which caused me to re read sections only to find myself daydreaming again because it was so boring.
R**L
Really good writing
This is fine writing, building up a rich story of a decidedly non-nuclear black family in beat-up Carolina. The struggles to cope, to live and to feel loved are expressed beautifully, with the author using phrases written either from experience or a great, empathetic imagination. I don’t understand how anyone would struggle to understand each of the characters as their stories are laid out bare. Highly recommended.
V**N
Simply average
After all the reviews I was expecting a much better book. I did not find the story or the characters that interesting and generally speaking the book was not very compelling.
J**S
Very Depressing with No Point
Was so glad to be done with it and get away from its almost grotesque melancholy.
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