bookinitwithahtiya's reviews
1996 reviews

While Untethered does take place during 1967 and certain plot points are directly influenced by historical moments, this story felt like it could have taken place at any point in history and still make sense. Jackson-Brown does an excellent job balancing multiple plot-lines that create a full story and allows for a very real feeling experience. Untethered has nicely balanced moments of humor, heart breath, joy, and despair. Katia is a magnificent character and it was rewarding watching her grow and evolve, even with everything life was throwing at her. Untethered explores what it means to be a Black woman in American society and the many ways in which Black women can and do mother the young even when those young might not be theirs in a biological or conventionally sense. Jackson-Brown celebrates Black community, Black family, and Black love in all forms, and she employs beautiful prose to do so, penning moments that almost brought me to tears or had me grinning from ear to ear.

While Hylee’s character growth was frustrating yet believable, especially considering everything that she experiences prior to the beginning of the book and the dynamics within her family. There’s a cute love story that didn’t overtake the main plot, which I appreciated. Lewis employs a very cool horror element that is both surrealist and a chilling analogy for struggling mental health and the dangers of family secrets. Paced excellently, especially at the end, the conclusion of the book was quite satisfying. I’m looking forward to Britney S. Lewis’ next work.

There’s a lot to appreciate in this novel, like the strong focus on community and togetherness that has been a staple for Black folks, the mother-daughter relationship that we see between Rue and Miss May Belle, and the shifting timelines that mirror and inform one another. This book is full of strong writing that keeps you gripped and engaged.

Where it fell off a wee bit for me was the ending. The ending started to feel a bit rushed and kind of convoluted, which doesn’t work in a story that has a shifting timeline and relies on clearly distinguished storytelling. The ending is also a bit wonky and comes fast and out of nowhere, but otherwise, this is overall a solid story. It shows the horrors of slavery without glorifying it or being overly traumatic, and it’s very much a story about one woman (Rue) who is trying her best to live her own version of her life after seeing two women in her life, one she looked up to and another she grew up with, who didn’t get the same courtesy. If you’re someone who enjoyed REMEMBRANCE by Rita Woods because of the way the story is told, the elements of light magic, and the writing, then I’d definitely recommend this book and vice versa.