Kareela has a decision to make. She’s pregnant, and she’s not sure she wants this baby. She’s not sure about her relationship with Thomas, and she’s not even sure about herself and where she fits in the world. Half white, half black, she’s never felt as if she belongs anywhere. More and more these days, she feels compelled to speak out against society’s injustices, speak out in honor of her brother who was murdered by police years ago. As she works to figure out just which path she wants to take, she wishes she could turn to her mother but that relationship has been fractured for years. Her mom has her own demons she continues to wrestle with. As Kareela struggles to find her way, more and more of her mother's story comes to light. This is a powerful story that spans several generations of women. Thought provoking and heartbreaking at the same time.

We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr is a powerful, multi-generational story about motherhood, race, and secrets. The novel follows Kareela, a 24-year-old social worker who discovers she's pregnant and struggles with her biracial identity. Her mother, Evelyn, fled to Canada during the politically charged Jamaican exodus in the 1980s, and her grandmother, Violet, offers a link to their Jamaican heritage.
The narrative weaves through different timelines, exploring how past traumas and secrets shape the present. It's a compelling exploration of identity, generational trauma, and the impact of systemic racism.

We Rip the World Apart is a heartbreaking, devastating look at racism, police brutality, systemic oppression, and how they all affect marginalized communities, particularly Black communities and families. My heart ached for these characters and it was a stark reminder of how much work there still is to do. The characters are written beautifully, with realistic nuance and complexities that evoke a range of emotions while reading. It's easy to be angry with certain characters for their behaviors and decisions, but when their reasons and own trauma come to light, empathy takes over. There is so much to discuss with this book and would make an excellent book club pick!

Kareela is a biracial pregnant woman who us unsure of motherhood. She struggles with the murder of her brother & the distant mother she grew up with. Evelyn is the mother who lost a son & was never able to get the justice for his murder. She was afraid of getting close to her daughter in fear of losing her too.This book was heavy & so sad! I felt for Evelyn & I loved reading her chapters.

I just finished We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr and here are my musings. I listened to the audiobook and read the e-version.

Imagine being 24 and pregnant and not knowing if you want to bring your child into a world that has taken so much from you. This is Kareela, she doesn’t feel black enough and she doesn’t feel white enough. She feels like she has straddled two worlds but is a part of neither. After her brother was murdered by the police as a child, her family was never the same again. Her Canadian mother never got over the loss and her Jamaican father hit the bottle. Her grandmother was the person who was there for her… Her heart and her family are in shatters and trying to find any path to take a first step on, is the scariest thing she has ever had to do.

This book follows two timelines and POV. We get Kareela in the present and her mother Evelyn in the past.

Firstly, the audiobook was amazing. The narration was top notch.

This book hit me in a way I can’t really articulate. I could never imagine this kind of loss and the feeling of not belonging. Kareela not only doesn’t know who she is in the world but she has the added sadness of feeling like she doesn’t have a family that sees her. Her family fractured the day her brother was killed and she had to grow up fast. Both of her parents may as well have died too considering they basically forgot they had a living child. My heart aches so much. The trouble with me is the whole pregnancy and whether she wants the child purely because the man she is with is white. She allowed his skin color to prejudice her own feelings, well thats how it felt for a good portion of the book but finding out that she didn’t know who she was because she had spent her time bending to make him more comfortable, I had a major lightbulb moment. I understand that it was done for a reason but I felt a little annoyed with her for a majority of the book then I felt really guilty.

This book shows you that your side of what you are feeling based on a situation isn’t always the same as the other person. All 3 women had their own reasons for doing what they did but it had negative effects on others. Honestly I was really drawn into Evelyn’s story and it helped me to understand Kareela more.

This book highlights the fears that POC had then and how those fears are still here today. It’s horrible. I cannot imagine what that must be like to have these kinds of fears on a daily basis. Fear of someone making assumptions over the color of someone else's skin.

This book hit me in a really profound way. It was beautifully written and did a wonderful job of weaving the kind of story that needs to be said loud enough for the people in the back to hear.

4.5 stars
Thank you @netgalley @sourcebooks @recordedbooks for my gifted copies

Charlene Carr's We Rip the World Apart is a sensitive and well-written meditation on motherhood and familial trauma. Carr touches on hot-button issue such as racism, violence, and immigration with a deft hand. This would be a great pick for book club discussions. Despite the heavy subject matter, her characterizations and her prose keep the pages turning. I would recommend this book whole-heartedly.

This book presents so many themes that spark so much thought and . It really makes you sit and ponder your own thoughts and feelings. A really good take on racism in Canada, one complex thoughtful engaging read

Evelyn: who struggles to balance her need for the truth with her need to keep her family safe

Violet: who endeavors to take care of the babies, those born to her and those not

Kareela: who just wants to figure out how to love herself


Powerful storytelling told in the convincing voices of three women of different generations all indelibly marked by violence and loss

I absolutely loved every second of this beautiful book! It was both heavy and wonderful and just what I needed!

Special thanks to the publisher for the review copy of this book!

This book took me longer than I expected to finish because I was so emotional while reading it that I had to keep putting it down. I even considered DNF’ing a few times, the emotions were running too deep.

I’m so glad I stuck with it. This book was both beautiful and ugly, but a story that needs to be to told.

If you love multigenerational stories, this book is for you!

Kareela is a young woman in the midst of finding herself when she discovers she is pregnant. Although in a serious relationship, Kareela isn’t sure she is ready to bring a baby into the world- especially a world where Kareela, a mixed race woman, is currently struggling to find her own place.

As we learn about Kareela in the present, we simultaneously learn about Kareela’s mother, Evelyn and her own past struggles with the complexities of identity and the mystification of motherhood. Interestingly Evelyn, a white woman who married a black man is the near reverse situation of Kareela and her partner. Both woman grapple with race and culture, only through varying perspectives. Also, though told decades apart, each woman’s cultural concerns are unfortunately, still timely and relevant.

With We Rip the World Apart, new to me author Charlene Carr writes a gut wrenching story that sheds light on racial injustices that permeate class culture. It’s also a story that highlights the fragile relationship between parent and child, a bond that shapes one’s identity arguably just as much as race does.

THANK YOU to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read "We Rip the World Apart" before its release date on 1/28!

"We Rip the World Apart" is a multi-generational story about a biracial family navigating their lives in Toronto Canada, after their son, Antony is murdered by the police at a rally.

The story moves back and forth between the past and the present, from the multiple point of views of the mom, Evelyn, her daughter Karina and Karina's grandmother and Evelyn's mother in law Violet. The story touches on race, identity and motherhood and shows how Antony's murder impacts his family.

While I enjoyed this one, it did take a while for me to get into the story, but was an excellent story, nonetheless!! This was my first time reading about the political conflict in Jamaican during the 80s and I was so intrigued that I wanted to research it once I was done reading this book.

Great story! Highly recommend!

Special thanks to the author, @bookmarked for my gifted copy, & @recordedbooks for my ALC‼️

I have to give it to Ms.Carr she is without a doubt an amazing writer. If you’ve read Hold My Girl then you’ll understand why I say that after reading this book. She knows how to craft a story that will pull you in and fiddle with your emotions and make you think. Her stories and characters are always so complex to the point you don’t know if you should be angry with them for their choices or sympathize with them because certain things are out of their control.

The novel follows Kareela as she struggles to find her place in the world. Born half-Black and half-white she doesn’t feel she belongs or fits into either ethnic group. Then coming from a family who raised her to conform to society in order to make others comfortable. Kareela has lost her sense of identity and now being pregnant with a child she doesn’t know if she wants this kind of life for her baby.

When I first started reading this I literally had to restart the book out of confusion not realizing that all of the characters were connected. I did not agree with many of Evelyn’s choices for most of the book but in the end I found myself sympathizing with her a little. I felt she turned a blind eye to the experiences lived by her son Antony and daughter Kareela way too much.

It’s like she wanted to make the racism and discrimination they encountered less than what it was. Always making an excuse or having a reason for why someone may have stereotyped them. She couldn’t teach them what it meant to be Black (Jamaican) or how to carry themselves only how to blend in and not draw unwanted attention. Then their father Kingsley was a different story smh!!!

Overall, I did enjoy this book just not as much as Hold My Girl but it’s still a very thought-provoking read. The author delved deep into themes of motherhood, race, police brutality, self-identity, and generational trauma. If you’re looking for a good multigenerational story add this to your TBR.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Charlene Carr's "We Rip the World Apart" is a raw and unflinching exploration of grief in all its messy, unpredictable glory.

This isn't a neatly packaged story of healing; it's a visceral journey into the depths of despair, the fragile threads of hope, and the enduring power of human connection.

Carr's prose is brutal yet beautiful, capturing the rawness of grief with a searing honesty that leaves an indelible mark. The characters, flawed and deeply human, feel achingly real, their struggles and triumphs resonating with a profound authenticity.

"We Rip the World Apart" is a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit. It's a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of love and resilience.

Thank you Sourcebooks for my #gifted copy and thank you Recorded Books for my #gifted listening copy of We Rip The World Apart! #sourcebooks #bookmarked #sourcebookslandmark #WeRipTheWorldApart #CharleneCarr #RecordedBooks #rbmedia

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: 𝗪𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝗧𝗲𝗯𝗯𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 - 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘄!

𝟱★

This book left me speechless. It is an extremely emotional and powerful multi-generational story about motherhood, race, family dynamics, and secrets. We Rip The World Apart is told in multiple timelines, with multiple POVs. Kareela, a 24 year old biracial woman who is pregnant and unsure if she wants to keep the baby. She has just learned more about the death of her brother, who was shot by the police a long time ago, and is unsure of how she fits in with those around her. Her mother, Evelyn, has many secrets of her own. She fled to Canada with her husband and their first born child from Jamaica during the politically charged exodus in the 1980s. Violet, Evelyn’s mother-in-law, moved in after the murder to help the family and served as a link between Kareela and her Jamaican heritage. In the present day, Kareela must determine if she is going to keep her baby, after everything she finds out about family and the past.

This is an emotionally charged read. There is so much grief and trauma packed into this book. It is so heartbreaking at times. It is not an easy read. It’s not meant to be. But it’s the type of book that you can still find hope in. Carr is a beautiful storyteller and I loved watching this one unfold. You will not want to miss this one.

This book would make an excellent book club pick, with dynamic discussions. If you enjoyed Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, I think you will enjoy this book too!

🎧I read this book both with my ears and my eyes. Tebby Fisher was so dynamic in her role as narrator. In this multiple POV book, she did an excellent job distinguishing each character and I loved my time listening to her bring each character to life. Fisher made me fall even more in love with this book, and I cannot recommend the audio enough!

Posted on Goodreads on January 28, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around January 28, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 28, 2025
**-will post on designated date

𝑊𝑒 𝑅𝑖𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 is a story of race, identity, acceptance, grief, and trauma. What I can say about Charlene Carr is that she knows how to tell a story and weave the past and present together to engage her readers, keeping them in the story. I absolutely loved her novel 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 last year, and while this one read a bit differently, I loved it too. Told from multiple POVs from Kareela, a biracial girl in search of her place in the world while dealing with a huge decision, her mother Evelyn who is dealing with grief and trauma past and present. It also sprinkles in the POV of Violet who brings added depth to the story as well.

I paired this one with the audiobook of course and loved that version as well. I enjoyed the Jamaican accent of Violet and what it brought to the story’s past. The audio was an added piece to hear Kareela and Evelyn’s voices as they make the most difficult decisions and deal with the hardships. I will say I had a love hate relationship with Evelyn’s character given some of the choices she made in the story, but I also have a slight understanding for her decisions by the end. I was a little conflicted.

Perfect for book clubs! There were so many raw and tough topics including racism, trauma & grief but the book did not push me out of my comfort zone as it was more thought provoking than punishing. I finished a week or so ago and I’m still thinking about it constantly.

Where do I begin with the book?? We’ve known atrocities in our lifetime and prior….

This book is nothing I haven’t read already, or learned about already. However, what’s different about this one is that it provides and inside to what happens to a family when life deals them a bad hand such as this one. How one single moment in life, defines you and the rest of your existence.

I really thought this was well written. It’s very raw, and sad. But it needs to be for this kind of story. The FMC break my heart. I was angry at times with this book. But the anger directed at an incident, not the writing.

TW: racism, rape, self sabotage, depression, to name a few.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to let me read this.

Charlene Carr’s bestselling novel, HOLD MY GIRL was one of my favorites of 2023, so naturally, I’ll be reading everything she writes from here on out. Her latest, WE RIP THE WORLD APART releases tomorrow, and trust me, you’re gonna want to grab a copy.

It’s told from the perspective of three different women: Twenty-four-year-old Kareela, her mother, Evelyn, and Kareela’s grandmother, Violet. Their story is an emotional and heavy one that deals with some deep-rooted generational trauma involving some of their male family members.

Spanning decades, the reader learns how racism and prejudice has impacted the family for years. Through past and current events, we see firsthand the injustice inflicted upon Kareela’s brother and father. I truly appreciated the insight and history lesson on the Jamaican exodus in the 1980s, which I admittedly knew very little about. It made for a heartbreaking, yet informative and eye-opening read.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Multiple POVs and timelines
- Multigenerational stories
- Reflections on motherhood
- Mother/daughter relationships
- Complex family dynamics
- Dealing with loss and grief
- Social justice activism
- Politically-charged novels
- Themes of race, identity, and belonging

If you found THE HATE U GIVE and CONCRETE ROSE by Angie Thomas impactful, then you don’t want to miss this one. It’s powerful, timely, and I can’t recommend it enough. 4/5 solid stars for WE RIP THE WORLD APART! Out tomorrow, January 28th!

“I’d rip the world apart to keep her safe.”

A heart-wrenchingly raw and beautiful generational novel about women, family, and race, Carr writes with nuance and depth creating a story that I will think about long after the final page has been read. Moving between the past and the present, Carr adeptly covers the topics of race, discrimination, violence, identity, grief, family, unplanned pregnancy, and parenthood as we see first hand what Evelyn, Kareela, and Violet have overcome and the ripple effects of the tragedies they’ve faced. Each of these three women are paragons of strength and resilience as they struggle to survive to live another day.

“We Rip the World Apart” is necessary and oh-so-important. It is meant to be savoured, absorbed, pondered, and shared.

I alternated between the ebook and audiobook. Narrator Tebby Fisher brought the characters to life giving each character a distinctive voice including a Jamaican accent which I loved. I have to confess I mainly listened to the audio, only occasionally switching to the ebook because I found Tebby’s narration so compelling.

Thank you @bookmarked for the ebook and @rbmedia.groupvc for the audiobook which I read on @netgalley The ebook contains a reading guide and bibliography for further reading, which I really liked.