✨ Review ✨ The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis

Thanks to Knopf and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This multi-POV book is primarily divided between 1980s Philadelphia with Ava, and her son, Touissant, trying to make it, and Bonaparte, Alabama, where Ava's mom is one of the last remaining Black elders living on what used to be a huge Black settlement (10,000 acres of Black-owned land, independent and very much anomalous).

The book blurs together historical fiction through its settings and historical context, literary fiction through its wildly shifting POVs, and a big of magical realism as well in the forces protecting Bonaparte.

I really enjoy multi-POV books, especially those that do it in innovative ways, and this really struck me as doing that (some minor characters have almost cameo POV appearances). This, for me, made the book feel well-rounded and exciting.

I also really appreciated the historical context -- looking at issues of the unhoused, of Black militancy and self-sufficiency (e.g. the health clinic opened by Ark in this book), growing suburbanization and land encroachment, policing, etc. and this felt like it tackled both urban and Southern rural Black life in the 1980s.

This wasn't an easy read, and not one that everyone will love, but I really appreciated what Mathis tackled here. Kudos!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction, literary fiction
Setting: Philadelphia and rural Alabama in the 1980s
Pub Date: 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ historical fiction with multiple POVs
⭕️ multigenerational Black family stories
⭕️ 1980s settings

Ayana Mathis' The Unsettled is a captivating exploration of family, history, and the complexities of the Black American experience. The Unsettled is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read that will stay with readers long after the final page.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I could not get into this book. I was often confused and wasn't interested in the book. This was a DNF for me

This is a hard one to rate. There are a lot of moving parts, lots of characters, and many themes covered here. The writing was both beatify and disjointed. I don’t find the story to be gripping enough to leave me this dissatisfied, but I can also see why others, primarily fans of literary fiction, may enjoy it more than me.

I have waited to read this book, and upon reading it, I regret having ever picked this book to review for NetGalley. I won't finish it.

Heard so much about this book from my Bookstagram friends. I had to get a physical copy for my own library. Read it in spooky October.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This book is a heartbreaking story about race, discrimination, and fighting not only for justice, but fighting for your life as well. Told in dual timelines, it shines a light on how time can only heal so much, and the racial discrimination surfaces itself in similar ways over the span of many years for this family.

Ava and her 10-year-old son Toussiant initially escape a bad home situation in Philadelphia, only to end up in the deplorable conditions of a group home. In Ava's effort to improve upon their situation, she unfortunately makes decisions that put their lives through more turmoil, the worst of which is inviting Cass, Toussaint's biological father, back into their lives.

An educated doctor by trade, with social justice on his mind, he creates a commune type household, with cult likenesses, in his effort to align people on his ideologies. The whole thing is an unfortunate mess and sadly Toussant is right in the middle of it all.

On the flip side of the story, Ava's estranged mother Duchess's life in Bonaparte, Alabama is at the center of things. She has lived her entire life in that same southern small town. She is a part of a proud community there, one whose strength has come from years of fighting for the rights of the community and its people.

Overall the book was just plain sad. I think given the title, it was intentional that it felt disjointed and unsettling. There were storylines that I wished had grabbed me more. I wanted to care about more of the characters, but the narrative unfortunately did not draw me in, in that way.

The thing that did draw me in and that saved it for me was the narrator of the audiobook. Bahni Turpin was absolutely phenomenal in her narration. She kept me invested because she depicted the characters plight so well and she was overall a pleasure to listen to. I went on to see what other books she has narrated, and some of the awards she has won, and I will say she certainly deserves all of them. Really wonderful job.

Had I been reading this book myself; I think I may have abandoned it, but I am glad I didn't. I still thought about it afterward and I have a feeling I will sit in my unsettled discomfort with it for a while, wondering how I truly feel about it.

Ayana Mathis’s character development is unparalleled, which makes The Unsettled compelling from the start. In just a few chapters, she establishes a layered backstory for each of her characters through shifting points of view. While the beginning feels like a page turner, the novel slows in the middle, as the intricacies of these relationships pan out, including Ava and her sons father, and all the bad decisions that spiral out from the two of them, as well as Ava’s relationship with her mother Duchess. With patience, the threads of the story come together, but as I read, I missed that sharpness of the beginning chapters.

I think that this is a very good exploration of family, laws, and hope. It’s written with a sort of lyrical pros that draws you in, and really makes the issue of gentrification and historical trauma poignant. It’s a little slow in places, but very compelling very interesting very relevant to understanding some of the challenges in the back community Overall highly recommend.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for accepting my request to read and review The Unsettled on NetGalley.

Published: 09/26/23

Stars: 3.5

There is profanity and I am not condoning the use, I am stating the argument could be made it was socioeconomic setting appropriate and lead to authentic dialogue. I do believe the writer could have been equally effective without the swearing and with the use of her writing skills. Also, the ending confused me.

I thought the storytelling was good. I followed along and wasn't bored. The story is day-to-day life. I laughed, choked up, was teary eyed, and disgusted with human beings throughout the book. The synopsis is clear.

In essence, this is the life of a black woman and her son with a multitude of problems and standards -- hers and societies.

If the language won't bother you, I suggest picking this up. The story is told really well. The language went too far and thus my 3.5 rating.

I loved The Unsettled and the story has stayed with me for awhile. What an emotional roller coaster., it felt to me like a slow burn and tough story and realistic look at homelessness. It made me, the reader, a bit Unsettled.
I think this book is well written and interesting and I'd recommend it if you like painful and sad stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the elements that are relatable to anyone in any walk of society. Relationships between mother and daughter…mother and son…..neighbor to neighbor and many others. This was a slow burn for me, but still interesting. I stayed invested until the very end. I would definitely read another book by this author, the book was well written and the characters were believable. Matter of fact….I believe I have people in my life that could very well be in this book.

I really loved the multi POV's in this story. It was extremely well written with characters that were fully fleshed out. However, the story was just too slow for me and because of that, I had a difficult time staying in the story.

I will try to reread this at some point because I enjoyed it, I just think it has to be read at a certain time when more focus can be dedicated to the story. Thanks for NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!

Ayana Mathis's "The Unsettled" delivers a poignant narrative, delving into the multigenerational struggles of a Black family spanning Philadelphia and their ancestral roots in Alabama.

Set in 1985, Ava Carson finds herself fleeing her abusive husband, Abemi Reed, only to face homelessness and unemployment. While seeking refuge in a dilapidated shelter with her young son, Toussaint, Ava grapples with the lingering trauma of her past, while Toussaint becomes entangled in the dangers of street life. Interwoven with their harrowing journey is the narrative of Ava's mother, Dutchess, a former blues singer in the dwindling town of Bonaparte, Alabama, facing the encroachment of white developers. As the family's turmoil unfolds, a glimmer of hope emerges with the return of Toussaint's father, Cassius Wright, a doctor and former Black Panther, determined to establish a community health clinic. Yet, amidst their efforts, the oppressive forces of systemic racism threaten to tear apart their dreams of stability and unity.

Mathis' prose echoes the lyrical storytelling of writers such as Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, capturing the heartbreak of broken families and the resilience that defines their struggle. Through the indomitable spirits of Dutchess, Ava, and Toussaint, Mathis masterfully portrays the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of adversity. "The Unsettled" perfectly captures the essence of Mathis' powerful exploration of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds of kinship.

As publisher, I requested this book as background reading for a review we running on BookBrowse. You can see this at https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4707/the-unsettled#reviews

Stated strong but as it went on the situations felt too extreme, making it hard to be immersed. I won’t forget it and I loved how it covered deep, important topics in an unconventional way.

This was a slow burn style of story, If you like fast paced, this might not be for you. I liked it, through-especially liked how everything came together at the end. Will read more from this author in the future.

The Unsettled is a slow burn literary narrative from split perspectives. We are granted POV between daughter Ava and her son Toussaint in Philadelphia and their mother/grandmother Duchess in Bonaparte, Alabama. There are a lot of important and difficult themes explored. Although the characters were complex, the story was disjointed, and it was a struggle to finish. I think the author has potential, but this story needs a lot of refinement and polish to compete with the current offerings in this genre. I would not recommend this book.

3.5⭐️

In 1985, ten-year-old Toussant Wright and his mother Ava are rendered homeless after Ava's husband Abemi threw them out of their home in New Jersey. Penniless and with nowhere to go, they eventually land in Philadelphia, where they are allotted a room in the Glenn Avenue Family Shelter. Forced to survive in the less-than-ideal living conditions of Room 813, Ava struggles to stay afloat and finds it difficult to secure employment despite having worked before she was married and Toussant finds it equally difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Ava often shares stories of her childhood spent in Bonaparte, Alabama, with Toussant. Her mother, Duchess, who still lives there among friends, takes pride in her community, but her journey has not been an easy one. Times have changed, and many of her near and dear ones have left Bonaparte, but Duchess has stayed on and is fighting to protect their land from the clutches of corrupt land developers. Ava and Duchess are estranged, having drifted apart after Ava left Bonaparte hoping for a fresh start away from the memories of an unhappy childhood, but her life hasn’t turned out the way she had hoped. In the present day, Toussant’s biological father Cassius Wright re-enters her life she is quick to trust him. Cassius is a doctor and former Black Panther who now leads a cult-like commune “Ark” from a home on Ephraim Avenue, where he also runs an illegal health clinic. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that Cassius’ volatile temperament and controlling nature will change the trajectory of Toussant’s and Ava’s lives in a way neither of them had anticipated.

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis is a heartbreaking story. The story is presented through multiple perspectives woven together in a relatively slow-paced yet engaging narrative that revolves around themes of racial discrimination and segregation, poverty, homelessness, mental illness and generational trauma. Needless to say, this book is not an easy read. The characters are well thought out and though I would have liked certain aspects of the novel (such as the reasons behind the rift between Ava and Duchess) to have been explored further overall I felt that the author has done a remarkable job of depicting the dynamics between these complex characters. The prose is excellent and though I liked how the different threads of this story intersected, I did find the narrative a tad disjointed. I was left with several unanswered questions, and this detracted from my overall reading experience.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley.

I typically love a multigenerational saga that follows characters throughout their lives. This was a tough one for me though, it seemed to move very slowly and I struggled to get into it for the first half. I did appreciate how everything was tied together in the end, however!