No One Is Coming to Save Us: A Novel

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not a favorite read at all. Too hard to follow. I got the message the author was trying to get across but just too wordy for me. Wouldn't recommend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Was so glad to be done with it and get away from its almost grotesque melancholy.