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Mama Ruby #2
The Upper Room
The “magnificent, funny, and terrifying” debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of God Don’t Like Ugly (The San Francisco Chronicle).
Maureen, a young black girl torn between her mother, the notorious Mama Ruby, whose healing powers and reputation cause people to fear her, and the harsh realities of life, comes of age, in a powerful, evocative tale set in a migrant labor camp in the bayous of the Florida Everglades. Reprint.
Maureen, a young black girl torn between her mother, the notorious Mama Ruby, whose healing powers and reputation cause people to fear her, and the harsh realities of life, comes of age, in a powerful, evocative tale set in a migrant labor camp in the bayous of the Florida Everglades. Reprint.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 1986
612 people are currently reading
3383 people want to read
About the author
Mary Monroe
62 books2,751 followersI am the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of my family to finish high school. I never attended college or any writing classes. I taught myself how to write and started writing short stories around age four. I spent the first part of my life in Alabama and Ohio and moved to Richmond, California in 1973. I have lived in Oakland since 1984.
My first novel THE UPPER ROOM was published by St. Martin's Press in 1985 and was widely reviewed throughout the U.S. and in Great Britain. An excerpt is included in Terry McMillan's anthology BREAKING ICE. I endured fifteen years and hundreds of more rejection letters before I landed a contract for my second novel, GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. It was published in October 2000 by Kensington Books. GOD DON'T PLAY is my seventh novel to be published, and it landed me a spot on the prestigious New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time! My eighth novel, "BORROW TROUBLE," was released December 2006. My ninth novel, DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, was released September 2007 and my tenth novel, SHE HAD IT COMING, was released in September 2008, and my eleventh novel THE COMPANY WE KEEP, will be released March 2009.
I won the Oakland Pen Award for Best Fiction of the Year in 2001 for GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. I won the Best Southern Author Award for GONNA LAY DOWN MY BURDENS, in 2004.
I am divorced, I love to travel, I love to mingle with other authors, and I love to read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson. I still write seven days a week and I get most of my ideas from current events, the people around me, but most of my material is autobiographical.
My first novel THE UPPER ROOM was published by St. Martin's Press in 1985 and was widely reviewed throughout the U.S. and in Great Britain. An excerpt is included in Terry McMillan's anthology BREAKING ICE. I endured fifteen years and hundreds of more rejection letters before I landed a contract for my second novel, GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. It was published in October 2000 by Kensington Books. GOD DON'T PLAY is my seventh novel to be published, and it landed me a spot on the prestigious New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time! My eighth novel, "BORROW TROUBLE," was released December 2006. My ninth novel, DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, was released September 2007 and my tenth novel, SHE HAD IT COMING, was released in September 2008, and my eleventh novel THE COMPANY WE KEEP, will be released March 2009.
I won the Oakland Pen Award for Best Fiction of the Year in 2001 for GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. I won the Best Southern Author Award for GONNA LAY DOWN MY BURDENS, in 2004.
I am divorced, I love to travel, I love to mingle with other authors, and I love to read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson. I still write seven days a week and I get most of my ideas from current events, the people around me, but most of my material is autobiographical.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
March 16, 2010
Mama Ruby is crazy as a bedbug.
Real Talk.
And everybody is scared of her.
When her best friend delivers a stillborn little girl, Mama Ruby takes it back to her house to bury with the other bodies. But when, quite some time later, the infant miraculously shows signs of life, Mama Ruby chalks it up to her so called "Healing Hands" and hightails it out of town, baby girl in tow.
The residents of her new hometown are just as in awe, and in fear, of Mama Ruby as the folks Ruby left behind. It might have something to do with all those bodies pilling up in the shallow grave her son needs to dig constantly. They also think Mama Ruby is some kind of preacher, although she knows about as much Bible as Madea. Maureen, the kidnapped baby girl, is trapped in the middle of this chaos, and Mama Ruby has her future in a headlock. Will she ever find the courage to break free? Will Mama Ruby ever Do The Right Thing and let her go? Or is Maureen doomed to spend the rest of her natural life stuck with a crazy old lady?
Truth be told this wasn't nearly as well written or entertaining as God Don't Like Ugly. At times I was even angry at the writing, knowing Monroe can, and has, done better. Several times I was tempted to toss the book to the side. Only one thing kept me reading, and that was Mama Ruby. What a fruit fly! I was horrified, while at the same time...I couldn't get enough. Am I going to Hell??? I don't know. But I couldn't stop reading til the very last page.
Real Talk.
And everybody is scared of her.
When her best friend delivers a stillborn little girl, Mama Ruby takes it back to her house to bury with the other bodies. But when, quite some time later, the infant miraculously shows signs of life, Mama Ruby chalks it up to her so called "Healing Hands" and hightails it out of town, baby girl in tow.
The residents of her new hometown are just as in awe, and in fear, of Mama Ruby as the folks Ruby left behind. It might have something to do with all those bodies pilling up in the shallow grave her son needs to dig constantly. They also think Mama Ruby is some kind of preacher, although she knows about as much Bible as Madea. Maureen, the kidnapped baby girl, is trapped in the middle of this chaos, and Mama Ruby has her future in a headlock. Will she ever find the courage to break free? Will Mama Ruby ever Do The Right Thing and let her go? Or is Maureen doomed to spend the rest of her natural life stuck with a crazy old lady?
Truth be told this wasn't nearly as well written or entertaining as God Don't Like Ugly. At times I was even angry at the writing, knowing Monroe can, and has, done better. Several times I was tempted to toss the book to the side. Only one thing kept me reading, and that was Mama Ruby. What a fruit fly! I was horrified, while at the same time...I couldn't get enough. Am I going to Hell??? I don't know. But I couldn't stop reading til the very last page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2012
This book was so highly praised.....but I just didn't see why??? The story line of a fat black woman doing things without punishment, killing folk, laying healing hands, calling herself living the gospel of Jesus--- yet would murder someone in a heart beat just didn't make any sense to me.
When I finished the book.... I so wanted to find out the reason behind the title-"The Upper Room" and I am still puzzled???? I would not recommend this book to anyone....
When I finished the book.... I so wanted to find out the reason behind the title-"The Upper Room" and I am still puzzled???? I would not recommend this book to anyone....
September 15, 2012
Storytelling in its finest hour, and in all of its glory. There's very little to say, except I loved, loved this story, and book. Inclusive of a great cast of characters moved by great bodies of rich autistic dialogue, it didn't take long to take a genuine liking to this steep story entrenched in gripping persuasive writing, at all.
Virgil, Hattie, Slim, Fast Black, Mo'reen, and of course Mama Ruby, I couldn't get enough of. I cried laughing throughout. Between `the Lord,' `the Holy Ghost,' and `the devil,' I couldn't make out which spirit was moving the characters, and me, more. But God bless that child Mo'reen, it had to be her role that kept the story moving, and me rocking on my sides every time she spoke. I thought if someone `axed' her another question; or she said another thing, I would for sure lose a spleen, in which case this was the other thing. There really is a devilishly deep mystery working around this `cagy' upper room.
This has to be one of the best, if not the best novel I ever read. Over the top fabulously well-written! A highly recommended Must Read.
Virgil, Hattie, Slim, Fast Black, Mo'reen, and of course Mama Ruby, I couldn't get enough of. I cried laughing throughout. Between `the Lord,' `the Holy Ghost,' and `the devil,' I couldn't make out which spirit was moving the characters, and me, more. But God bless that child Mo'reen, it had to be her role that kept the story moving, and me rocking on my sides every time she spoke. I thought if someone `axed' her another question; or she said another thing, I would for sure lose a spleen, in which case this was the other thing. There really is a devilishly deep mystery working around this `cagy' upper room.
This has to be one of the best, if not the best novel I ever read. Over the top fabulously well-written! A highly recommended Must Read.
August 23, 2023
This book was a lot of fun to listen to. Positively side splitting laughs 😂
January 25, 2018
Great read!
July 17, 2012
Plot:
From the description The Upper Room sounds like it is going to be an interesting read with a Christian slant. Which is what I expected from an author whose most famous books are part of a series entitled "God Don't Like Ugly". The Upper Room is not Christian fiction by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I don't know what genre to even place it in.
This was not what I was expecting, in a bad way. I thought I was getting the book in the description the tale of a women stealing a baby she once thought was dead. It is and it isn't. It's really hard to put into words what The Upper Room is about because I am/was so confused. Instead, of a heartfelt story about a women wanting a child so much that she is willing to steal her best friends baby, The Upper Room is about a crazy, overweight serial killer, who just happened to steal the baby girl she always wanted but never had.
I had gotten to less than 100 pages into the novel when I wen back to re-read the description. I even went back and re-read the reviews, just to see make sure I was reading the right book. After reading the reviews, I figured that somehow I wasn't getting it. Everyone else seemed to think this book was funny. The star rating was 4 and above. I wondered if Mary Monroe was using some form of satire that was just going over my head. I did not find this book funny or even mildly entertaining.
Characters:
There is a whole cast of crazy characters. Characters that I often confused with one another.
The main character, Mama Ruby claims to be a God fearing, Christian with the devil on her coattails. In reality, the devil is on her left shoulder with direct access to her whenever he wants it. She kills people (lots of them) needlessly with out not provocation. If someone wants to collect a debt she kills them, if someone calls her a name she kills them. She kills anyone and everyone, claiming that they were trying to rape her and she had to "chastize" them. She is also and alcoholic and is morbidly obese. Her only redeeming qualities are the she loves her children and if you stay on her good side she is a great friend.
The daughter that she kidnapped, Maureen, was a underdeveloped. All she wanted to do was live her life, which would only be possible if she could escape Mama Ruby, who has no intention of letting her go, ever. I really wish Monroe would have done more with Maureen characters. Yes, she knew that her mother was a "little" crazy, but she turned a blind eye to her antics, instead pretending that she did not know what was going on.
The characters that I liked the most were Virgil, Mama Ruby's son, and Black Jack, Virgil's friend. They were the most believable out of all the characters. They were the only two people that would say that Mama Ruby was crazy and that Maureen needed to run as far away from her as possible.
Writing:
Mary Monroe's writing style is engaging but her writing couldn't cover up what a hot mess this book was.
There were jumps in time without any indication that time had passed. One minute Maureen is a baby, then next she is five, then she is 18. It was confusing and took me out the flow of the story often.
Monroe wasn't consistent and her ages were off. At one point I pulled out a calculator to figure out how old everyone was and it didn't match.
The dialogue was unbelievable. I understand that the characters are from the south and that because of regional accents some words would have different pronunciations but who was "V-Eight Nam" or "so-wee-side"
I have tons of highlights with notes that way "!!!What???" or "WTF".
The person that edited The Upper Room should be ashamed of themselves.
Overall Recommendation:
I would not recommend this book to anyone. That being said, I am looking forward to reading the prequel, Mama Ruby, which was written about 20 years after The Upper Room. I have heard that it is a much better book and show Monroe's growth as an author. I am also looking forward to reading The God Don't Like Ugly series which I have heard good thing about, also. Apparently, Monroe suffered from a bad case of "horrible" debut syndrome with The Upper Room and her other works are much better.
From the description The Upper Room sounds like it is going to be an interesting read with a Christian slant. Which is what I expected from an author whose most famous books are part of a series entitled "God Don't Like Ugly". The Upper Room is not Christian fiction by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I don't know what genre to even place it in.
This was not what I was expecting, in a bad way. I thought I was getting the book in the description the tale of a women stealing a baby she once thought was dead. It is and it isn't. It's really hard to put into words what The Upper Room is about because I am/was so confused. Instead, of a heartfelt story about a women wanting a child so much that she is willing to steal her best friends baby, The Upper Room is about a crazy, overweight serial killer, who just happened to steal the baby girl she always wanted but never had.
I had gotten to less than 100 pages into the novel when I wen back to re-read the description. I even went back and re-read the reviews, just to see make sure I was reading the right book. After reading the reviews, I figured that somehow I wasn't getting it. Everyone else seemed to think this book was funny. The star rating was 4 and above. I wondered if Mary Monroe was using some form of satire that was just going over my head. I did not find this book funny or even mildly entertaining.
Characters:
There is a whole cast of crazy characters. Characters that I often confused with one another.
The main character, Mama Ruby claims to be a God fearing, Christian with the devil on her coattails. In reality, the devil is on her left shoulder with direct access to her whenever he wants it. She kills people (lots of them) needlessly with out not provocation. If someone wants to collect a debt she kills them, if someone calls her a name she kills them. She kills anyone and everyone, claiming that they were trying to rape her and she had to "chastize" them. She is also and alcoholic and is morbidly obese. Her only redeeming qualities are the she loves her children and if you stay on her good side she is a great friend.
The daughter that she kidnapped, Maureen, was a underdeveloped. All she wanted to do was live her life, which would only be possible if she could escape Mama Ruby, who has no intention of letting her go, ever. I really wish Monroe would have done more with Maureen characters. Yes, she knew that her mother was a "little" crazy, but she turned a blind eye to her antics, instead pretending that she did not know what was going on.
The characters that I liked the most were Virgil, Mama Ruby's son, and Black Jack, Virgil's friend. They were the most believable out of all the characters. They were the only two people that would say that Mama Ruby was crazy and that Maureen needed to run as far away from her as possible.
Writing:
Mary Monroe's writing style is engaging but her writing couldn't cover up what a hot mess this book was.
There were jumps in time without any indication that time had passed. One minute Maureen is a baby, then next she is five, then she is 18. It was confusing and took me out the flow of the story often.
Monroe wasn't consistent and her ages were off. At one point I pulled out a calculator to figure out how old everyone was and it didn't match.
The dialogue was unbelievable. I understand that the characters are from the south and that because of regional accents some words would have different pronunciations but who was "V-Eight Nam" or "so-wee-side"
I have tons of highlights with notes that way "!!!What???" or "WTF".
The person that edited The Upper Room should be ashamed of themselves.
Overall Recommendation:
I would not recommend this book to anyone. That being said, I am looking forward to reading the prequel, Mama Ruby, which was written about 20 years after The Upper Room. I have heard that it is a much better book and show Monroe's growth as an author. I am also looking forward to reading The God Don't Like Ugly series which I have heard good thing about, also. Apparently, Monroe suffered from a bad case of "horrible" debut syndrome with The Upper Room and her other works are much better.
November 6, 2012
Mary Monroe is one of my all time FAVORITE authoress'. She REALLY knows how to create colorful characters and page turning plot lines that keep you coming back for more. HOWEVER....this book was not one of those for me. Despite all the positive reviews I read about it over the internet, I personally did not enjoy it. The story centers around a morbidly obese, emotionally unstable women called mama Ruby. In the story Mama Ruby resurrects her best friend's stillborn daughter (by performing a christian practice called "layingon of hands") and runs away with the child raising her as her own. The book is filled with a bunch of nosey annoying, irrational people that just got on my nerves. The whole book was just annoying to me. It took me FOREVER to read it, I was left with the question of what was so sacred about that upper room. NOTHING! You get through through the entire book HOPING to find out what was so special about the upper, and it's LITERALLY NOTHING! SO ANNOYING. I hated the whole thing!
December 18, 2012
After the cliffhanger ending in Mama Ruby, I was anxious to continue her story in The Upper Room.
While I enjoyed The Upper Room very much, the reason WHY Ruby and Othella leave Shreveport, and their travels to Florida is completely different from the first book. Their "why" in Mama Ruby is what carries the book, and I'm confused as to why Mary Monroe chose to change those facts in The Upper Room. It's as if she remembered the characters but forgot the details and didn't bother to go back and check them.
Separately, both Mama Ruby and The Upper Room are excellent reads. Dark and suspenseful, they are both well-written and descriptive. If you're going to read them both, though, I would recommend waiting a few months before reading the second. To have the details of Ruby and Othella's journey fresh in mind leaves the reader saying, "huh"?
While I enjoyed The Upper Room very much, the reason WHY Ruby and Othella leave Shreveport, and their travels to Florida is completely different from the first book. Their "why" in Mama Ruby is what carries the book, and I'm confused as to why Mary Monroe chose to change those facts in The Upper Room. It's as if she remembered the characters but forgot the details and didn't bother to go back and check them.
Separately, both Mama Ruby and The Upper Room are excellent reads. Dark and suspenseful, they are both well-written and descriptive. If you're going to read them both, though, I would recommend waiting a few months before reading the second. To have the details of Ruby and Othella's journey fresh in mind leaves the reader saying, "huh"?
May 24, 2013
This book was hilarious. Mama Ruby is quite the character and crazier then anything in this world. Monroe is gifted, making this tale flow so fluently with all the country banter, historical background, and constant surprises. It is no wonder I can't stop laughing or rereading my favorite quotes. This one right here is a classic! I can't wait to get started on part two. There were times I could not hold back my laughter in public, one time I laughed so hard I was in tears bent over. The characters in this book are unique, cooky, and something to talk about but nobody compares to Mama Ruby! Now as she would say: Let the church say amen for Mary Monroe!
August 18, 2024
Good powerful story
June 30, 2012
I read "Mama Ruby" first and then read "The Upper Room". I was really disappointed! As two separate stories, they're okay, but as a set ("The Upper Room" being the "sequel" to "Mama Ruby"), they are inconsistent. It's almost as if the author did not reread "The Upper Room" before writing "Mama Ruby" as the prequel. Also, the endings of BOTH books left too much to be desired. I did enjoy "Mama Ruby" much more than "The Upper Room" but that was only because there was a consistent story that progressed till the end. "The Upper Room" seemed more like a chronological tale of this family with lil stories haphazardly linked in an attempt to make a cohesive book....and just when you think it will never end, it does so in a very abrupt manner. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give "The Upper Room" a 5 and "Mama Ruby" a 6.5. They're not the WORST two books I've read, but I'm not dying to read anymore about these characters.
April 24, 2012
Where do I start in talking about this book? Don't worry there are no spoilers here, but I will say that I was in no way prepared for where this story took me. I experienced sooo many emotions while reading (er- listening) to it thanks to Audible. I was shocked, I was intrigued, I laughed, I was kept on the edge of my seat. Did I mention how much I laughed? This book was a treat! Now it's on to the prequel Mama Ruby and I'm prepared to be shocked all over again. Great story!
December 24, 2016
I don't know how I feel about this book. There's something I'm struggling with in regards to mental illness disguised (or not so disguised) as religious fervor. I am working on that aspect of the book and my thoughts about it. There is also something swimming around about manipulative family members and escaping them.
A lot to think about but I didn't like this book at all.
A lot to think about but I didn't like this book at all.
June 17, 2018
The book was entertaining but in the end I felt like I was hanging? Why didn’t Virgil or Othella tell Maureen the truth? What was the significance of the photo with the dark spots? It just ended!
December 15, 2022
Mama Ruby's City.....
This Book Started Out Kind Of Slow, But Once It Got Going It Was Good/Strange Read, On To Part 2 Of The Series
This Book Started Out Kind Of Slow, But Once It Got Going It Was Good/Strange Read, On To Part 2 Of The Series
August 13, 2023
I didn’t like the book. I’ll keep my comments to myself until after the book club discussion.
July 4, 2013
I can't say that I really GOT this book. This was only my second time reading Mary Monroe (last week I read "Red Light Wives") so I am just getting acquainted with her style. This story was all over the place, ups and downs, no clear direction...I could not get a sense of where it was going. There were no happy endings, that was for sure. Basically Ruby kidnapped, lied, fornicated, killed, bullied, stole and drank her way through life. That was it. No lesson. No redemption. I think I kept reading just to find out if anything of significance was going to happen, and the next thing I knew, the book was over. So... I haven't given up on Mary Monroe. She's more famous for the "God don't like ugly" series so maybe I'll try those and see what happens.
November 18, 2024
So I read Mama Ruby first and I can somewhat see some people’s criticism about the consistency in the two stories. But I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Mama Ruby is a character you can never forget. Her view of herself and her justifications for the things she did frustrated me to no end. And everyone around her enabling her did too. But if a book can get emotional out of me the story did its job
April 23, 2018
There wasn't anything likeable or redeeming about the characters. I couldn't relate to them and the story itself was hard to read through. I didn't enjoy this book at all.
April 28, 2023
3.5 Not a Mama Ruby fan
July 9, 2023
Not what I expected and I didn't enjoy it.
October 20, 2023
Mama Ruby and her whole crew are NUTS! Worst part is, I think she believed her own hype. This book had some hilarious and disturbing parts. What a crazy ride!
August 17, 2023
Quite an interesting storyline, filled surprisingly with humorous, and catastrophic events...
Every character stood out, with their bizarrely unique personalities & physical quirks, especially Mama Ruby.
Every character stood out, with their bizarrely unique personalities & physical quirks, especially Mama Ruby.
October 2, 2025
I can always count on Ms. Monroe to bring me out of a book slump! This story was HILARIOUS and the narrator did a great job-per usual. Ms. Ruby is even crazier than I thought, but you can’t help but love her.
March 11, 2025
Loved!!! Mama Ruby is one of a kind that's for sure! The narrator for this book, chefs kiss!!
August 13, 2025
When an author can write a book about an alcoholic, mordidly obese, serial-killing kidnapper and make it hilarious, you know she has talent.
July 23, 2024
2.5
This book got more and more outlandish with every page lol. It’s not one I would recommend.
This book got more and more outlandish with every page lol. It’s not one I would recommend.
February 15, 2019
Mamma Ruby is something ...
I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed the characters who were hilarious! This was an easy read. There some discrepancies from the first book though.
I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed the characters who were hilarious! This was an easy read. There some discrepancies from the first book though.
March 28, 2023
Empty, Just as the upper room was!
I read this book over ten years ago, but evidently forgot every thing I read, otherwise I would have never re-read it. I've also read other books by this author that I enjoyed reading. I have at least one that I've never read, however I will read it.
Even though, I read this book straight through, I don't have the words to review this book. It was unbelievable, unrealistic, nonsensical and sometimes ridiculous. It was often distasteful to me because of the way African-Americans were depicted because I lived that period of time. Yes, there was a lot of injustices and black folks had a hard time simply because of the color of their skin. Still, most people worked hard and made a better life for their families. Most decent people would not have entertained anything about Mama Ruby and wouldn't have been afraid of her. You knew people similar to her, however her world was very different from the majority of ordinary black folks. Most God-fearing black Christians were serious and wouldn't have tolerated her hypocrisy.
Ruby was a violent, alcoholic, insane person and only cared for herself. Even if you tried to stay on her good side, you never knew what would set her off. And, if she did something for you, you were forever in her debt and had no idea what payment she would require. She was a terrible mother. She had her son dig graves for the people she killed. Often she had him and other people help her kill people. She stole her daughter, Maureen, from her best friend; and forced her to live in the upper room which was a dreary, dark and uninviting place. No one was allowed in the room except Mama Ruby and Maureen. Mama Ruby wasn't spiritual so she had nothing to share with others. The emotional support she offered was nonexistent and often involved killing someone. What type of advice can an insane person offer? None that anyone should embrace.
Was there anything good about this book? If there was, it was so exaggerated that it became nonsensical. Even though the premise was interesting, there was no follow through. The book really had no redeeming qualities. Still, I'll probably read the last book in this series because I would like to know what became of Maureen and other relatives of Mama Ruby.
I read this book over ten years ago, but evidently forgot every thing I read, otherwise I would have never re-read it. I've also read other books by this author that I enjoyed reading. I have at least one that I've never read, however I will read it.
Even though, I read this book straight through, I don't have the words to review this book. It was unbelievable, unrealistic, nonsensical and sometimes ridiculous. It was often distasteful to me because of the way African-Americans were depicted because I lived that period of time. Yes, there was a lot of injustices and black folks had a hard time simply because of the color of their skin. Still, most people worked hard and made a better life for their families. Most decent people would not have entertained anything about Mama Ruby and wouldn't have been afraid of her. You knew people similar to her, however her world was very different from the majority of ordinary black folks. Most God-fearing black Christians were serious and wouldn't have tolerated her hypocrisy.
Ruby was a violent, alcoholic, insane person and only cared for herself. Even if you tried to stay on her good side, you never knew what would set her off. And, if she did something for you, you were forever in her debt and had no idea what payment she would require. She was a terrible mother. She had her son dig graves for the people she killed. Often she had him and other people help her kill people. She stole her daughter, Maureen, from her best friend; and forced her to live in the upper room which was a dreary, dark and uninviting place. No one was allowed in the room except Mama Ruby and Maureen. Mama Ruby wasn't spiritual so she had nothing to share with others. The emotional support she offered was nonexistent and often involved killing someone. What type of advice can an insane person offer? None that anyone should embrace.
Was there anything good about this book? If there was, it was so exaggerated that it became nonsensical. Even though the premise was interesting, there was no follow through. The book really had no redeeming qualities. Still, I'll probably read the last book in this series because I would like to know what became of Maureen and other relatives of Mama Ruby.
March 9, 2024
Honestly, I enjoyed this book a whole lot. Especially since I read it with my mom (another semi-country girl from 'bama) so it gave me a lot of context for everything that was going on. It is a wild ride and Mama Ruby was a wild character.
She's honestly a character that exemplifies that 'just because they're a protagonist doesn't mean they gotta be wholesome and good." She runs the full scale of that back and forth because sometimes you wanna cheer for her and her involvement and sometimes you want her to trip down a flight of stairs and never get up.
She's that kind of character and the people around her are like that too for some of it. I consider this book the best book so far in the Trilogy. The characters come to life here. I didn't need to know a lot about them (even though I still learned a lot about them anyway) to know or understand their motivations and why they act as they do.
There's also a supernatural element that falls into magical realism a touch because you can't be sure if these people possessed magic at all or if they're just that tough/are super good at judging people. Who knows? But it does add flavor and mystic.
I feel like the only let down this book had was somewhere towards the end
The mid-ending (before the actual ending) was the only wrinkle in an otherwise pretty good and crazy story.
She's honestly a character that exemplifies that 'just because they're a protagonist doesn't mean they gotta be wholesome and good." She runs the full scale of that back and forth because sometimes you wanna cheer for her and her involvement and sometimes you want her to trip down a flight of stairs and never get up.
She's that kind of character and the people around her are like that too for some of it. I consider this book the best book so far in the Trilogy. The characters come to life here. I didn't need to know a lot about them (even though I still learned a lot about them anyway) to know or understand their motivations and why they act as they do.
There's also a supernatural element that falls into magical realism a touch because you can't be sure if these people possessed magic at all or if they're just that tough/are super good at judging people. Who knows? But it does add flavor and mystic.
I feel like the only let down this book had was somewhere towards the end
The mid-ending (before the actual ending) was the only wrinkle in an otherwise pretty good and crazy story.
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