The Commemoration-what do you do when your kindgom is under attack?

The scene where Grandville walked into Jessica’s old room again was heavy beyond words. You could almost smell her perfume in the air, and the way the room was described made it feel like time had stopped in there. Jabari finally letting go of his anger and crying into his dad’s arms hit me in the gut. It showed how grief passes from one person to another but love can still heal it. Grandville’s guilt was eating him alive, and Jabari’s silence was eating him too. That room became the place where both of them could break down together. Honestly, I had to take a break after reading it. It was painful but also beautiful. It made me think of my own family and how we hold onto memories like that, both hurting and healing in the same breath.

Mary Eggleston

3 reviews

Juliette feels like a character written straight from real life. She’s juggling motherhood, marriage, grief, and even extended family pain with Melinia missing. Her strength is unmatched, but you can feel her cracks too. She cries quietly at night, she remembers Jessica while keeping a smile for the twins, she argues with her husband but still prays for him. That’s what real women do, they carry everything. The moment she checked on Jolene, fixed her medicine, tucked her back in bed—it was such a small thing, but it showed how she never stops caring. To me, Juliette is the backbone of the story. Without her, the family would’ve fallen apart a long time ago. And I respect her so much, she reminded me of my aunties growing up, women who carried worlds on their shoulders.

Edward Gilbert

4 reviews

The way the author described the places made them feel alive. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario felt like silent witnesses to suffering, the Caribbean waters felt endless, and Cleveland streets felt filled with memories. In those places, people carried their burdens—Juliette with her quiet prayers, Grandville with his speeches, Melinia with her chains. Rayshawn Robinson bringing his foundation into the story gave it this extra layer, like the outside world finally cared. But honestly, what I’ll never forget are the women—Melinia, Mimi, Juliette—each strong in their own way. They are the heartbeats of this book.

Patricia Cotter

4 reviews

This book taught me that grief doesn’t have to end in silence—it can become something powerful. Grandville, carrying Jessica’s memory into Oakhill with that clinic, showed strength I could never forget. Franklin’s donation and support made it even more touching, like proof that true friends exist. Meanwhile, Melinia’s nightmare on that cargo boat haunted me, her fight with “china white” was written so raw. Mimi’s kindness, Julio’s small gestures, those moments were light in so much darkness. The story kept reminding me that even in hell, humanity can survive. And when Melinia finally made it home, I was cheering with tears in my eyes.

Thomas Gardner

4 reviews

What really moved me was how even in prison, hope was alive. Grandville didn’t just talk, he built. Joe shared his story, Montell listened, and the Survivors Group gave voice to pain. It showed that even behind bars, healing is possible. Then the boat scenes gave the opposite, silence and fear and control, Rique smothering every bit of hope. But even there, small sparks survived—Mimi’s warmth, Julio’s humanity, Melinia’s stubborn spirit. When she finally reached home, it was like watching a storm break and the sun finally peek through. The balance of dark and light made the story unforgettable.

Elsie Garcia

3 reviews

This book hit me like a wave of emotions I wasn’t ready for. Grandville’s grief over Jessica never left him, you could feel it in every scene. The way he turned that pain into the Jessica Stubbs Behavioral Health Clinic at Oakhill was inspiring beyond words. Franklin was that brother you can only pray to have, always standing beside him. On the other side, Melinia’s life on the boat was almost unbearable to read, Rique’s cruelty made me angry. But Mimi’s care and Julio’s kindness softened it a little. When Melinia finally reunited with Juliette, I cried. This book is about pain, but also about healing.

Efrain Larson

3 reviews

This book reminded me that pain can either destroy you or build you. Grandville chose to build, and the Jessica Stubbs Behavioral Health Clinic was proof of that choice. His speech at Oakhill had me holding my breath, because you could feel every ounce of love for Jessica in it. Franklin being there, solid as ever, made it even more moving. Meanwhile, Melinia’s journey on that boat was hell on earth, and Rique’s shadow was always there, cruel and ugly. But Mimi’s tenderness, and Julio’s quiet decency, gave her a thread to hold onto. When she finally made it home, I felt like I was witnessing a resurrection.

Stella Austin

3 reviews

The clinic dedication scene in Oakhill will forever stay in my memory. It wasn’t just about Jessica, it was about every inmate, every family, every broken soul needing a second chance. Rayshawn Robinson putting his foundation’s money there gave me chills, because it showed that healing can reach across even unlikely people. And yet, the boat chapters pulled me back into darkness—Rique’s grip, the drugs, Carmelita’s disappearance. But even in that nightmare, humanity flickered—Mimi whispering comfort, Julio trying to keep hope alive. That balance of despair and light is what made this book unforgettable for me.

Alex Arnold

2 reviews

One of the things I enjoyed most was how the side characters weren’t just extras, they really added flavor. Franklin wanting to propose, Montell and Maria finding out they’re expecting after so many years, Samantha bringing Jared and joking about drinks—it all made the story feel like real community life. It’s not just about Grandville and Juliette, it’s about a whole circle of people trying to move forward. Those conversations about babies, liquor, even limo rides to Dayton, they gave the heavy story some lighter air. That’s how life is, serious one minute and silly the next. It made me smile even when the sadness was there in the background.

Coy Trout

2 reviews

The Jessica Stubbs clinic dedication was powerful beyond words. At first, Grandville didn’t feel right about naming it after his daughter, but Juliette and Greta believed it was the perfect way to honor her. And honestly, they were right. Reading about the clinic being built at Oakhill, a place of so much pain, turning into a place of healing, gave me goosebumps. Grandville promising a $10,000 check so inmates could have commissary for food with their meds was just thoughtful and deep. It shows his growth, from a man broken by guilt to one giving back to others. That part alone made me admire his journey.

Charles Cope

2 reviews

Melinia’s absence was like a shadow across every happy scene. Even when the family prayed at Jessica’s grave, or laughed at home, you could feel Juliette’s heart still aching for her missing cousin. The postcard mystery was so painful, because it gave hope but also doubt, like is she alive or not? The chapters from Melinia’s point of view on the boat, with Rique controlling her every move, made me wish somebody would just bust in and rescue her. She is living but it’s not really a life, it’s survival. That tension between her world and the family’s world in Cleveland made the book richer and sadder at the same time.

Linda S.

2 reviews

If I had to sum it all up, The Commemoration is really about second chances. Grandville got another chance with his family after prison, Juliette got another chance at motherhood with the twins, Montell and Maria got their surprise baby, and even Franklin got a chance to find love. And deep down I kept hoping Melinia would get her second chance too, to escape and come back home. The book doesn’t hide the pain—Jessica’s death, addiction, missing loved ones—but it also doesn’t leave you without hope. It’s heartfelt, it’s messy like real life, and it made me think about my own family. By the end, I just felt grateful for love and second chances.

Efrain Garrett

2 reviews

I also noticed how the women in this book hold so much of the story together. Juliette, Greta, Maria, Samantha, even Mimi in her own way, they all carry pieces of strength, secrets, and love. Greta having to face her ex Rayshawn after years apart, that gave me tension, like I was nervous for her myself. Maria being pregnant after so long, it felt like a miracle but also scary. And Samantha hiding her feelings for Franklin but smiling through it, that’s so real. It showed me that women in the story weren’t sidekicks, they were the glue. Honestly, I think they kept everything from falling apart.

Arthur Mercado

3 reviews

One of my favorite things about the book was the way Cleveland felt alive. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Heinen’s, the Flats—it wasn’t just thrown in, it was written like someone who knows the city deeply. I liked the way the characters moved through those spaces like real people, eating, talking, joking. It grounded the story. And then the contrast of Oakhill prison hit hard. That place held Grandville for years, and even free, it still haunted him. The fact that they opened the Jessica Stubbs clinic there was powerful, turning a place of pain into a place of healing. I thought that was so well done. It’s like saying even dark places can have light again.

Robert Crawford

3 reviews

The Jessica Stubbs Clinic dedication was honestly one of the best chapters. Everyone gathered, emotions high, people remembering her and also celebrating hope. Grandville was hesitant, but in the end, seeing him stand there and honor his daughter’s name was moving. Greta and Juliette stood strong beside him, and that made me tear up. Franklin’s proposal plan in the middle of it gave the scene extra warmth too. It wasn’t just about grief, it was about life moving forward, love growing, people healing. I think that’s what the book does so well, showing how even in sorrow, joy still finds a way in. It was emotional, powerful, and unforgettable.

Allan N.

3 reviews

Jabari’s character was one of the most real for me. He was angry, hurting, lashing out, but inside he was just a kid missing his sister and trying to figure out how to live with his dad again. When he finally broke down in Jessica’s room, I cried. Kids don’t always show their pain with tears, sometimes it comes out as anger, and that’s what made him feel so believable. He tried to be strong while Grandville was locked up, but deep down he just wanted to be a boy again, not the man of the house. That struggle hit me hard, because so many kids go through that without saying a word. He was written so well, I cared for him deeply.

Cheryl Calder

2 reviews

The humor sprinkled in this book was a life saver. Samantha making wild jokes, Greta clowning about her “affair” with whiskey, the twins fussing about desserts—it made me laugh even when the story was heavy. That’s what life really is, laughing one minute and crying the next. Those lighter moments kept the book from being too heavy, and they made the characters feel alive. It reminded me of my own family, where people will joke at funerals just to stop the tears for a moment. The balance of humor and sadness was perfect here. It showed that healing isn’t just serious, sometimes it’s silly too.

Antonio Falgoust

3 reviews

The more I sat with this book the more I realized Jessica is still the heart of it all. Even though she’s gone her room, her grave, even the clinic that carries her name keeps her alive in every chapter. I thought about how families carry their dead with them every single day, not in a sad way always but in a way that shapes them. Grandville couldn’t escape the guilt, Juliette couldn’t escape the love, and Jabari couldn’t escape the loss. That’s why the commemoration mattered so much. It was not just a ceremony, it was them saying she will never be forgotten. And honestly I felt like I knew her too by the end.

Sharon Inman

2 reviews

It’s one of those books that leaves you feeling heavy and hopeful, elements, despite being opposites that Wallace ties together seamlessly. JJ Winston also takes us into Melinia’s life of bondage and addiction, as well as gives depth to Grandville Tubbs and his family’s wrestling with loss and redemption. Most of all, I loved that the characters felt so real flawed, but deeply human. The food, the Keystone Cottages family arguments, all of these small acts of love grounded the story. This isn’t all tragedy; this also is about survival, forgiveness and the power of familial connections. A powerful, unforgettable read.

Coleen Johnson

2 reviews

The Commemoration is a kind of attraction that I felt. The tale of Melinia on the cargo boat is spectral and the effort of Grandville to keep his family together following the prison and tragedy is touching. The most moving aspect that I found was Winston striking a balance between hopelessness and hope. Despite all the darkest moments, one can find some moments of loyalty, faith, and resilience. To me in particular, Juliette stands out because of her silent power that holds the rest of the crew. It is a pain novel, though it is also a survival novel, a community novel, a redemption against the odds novel.

Jose Russell

2 reviews

The book is not a light one but a significant one. Winston includes the bleakness of addiction, prison, and trauma, but he also introduces some of the happiest moments and relatedness. I even liked the fact that Franklin, Greta, and other side characters were not just the background but they actually served the larger purpose of community. It is a richly expressed emotional writing, whose scenes stick in your head. The thing that impressed me most of all was the impression that despite being broken, people can still be rebuilt, and that one can always be redeemed provided that love and faith do not die.

Salvatore Weiner

3 reviews

Grandville Tubbs ranks among the most multifaceted male characters that I have read in the recent fiction. He has been burdened with guilt, grief and the burden of past errors, but is still adamant to prove that he is a good father and husband. Of particular emotion were his struggles with Jabari, his eldest son, which were not only honest but painful, but too filled with love. Winston does not make him a perfect hero, but this is what makes him believable. It was inspirational to see him struggle to earn the trust of his family. This novel helps us to remember that the process of growth and redemption is never simple but should always be followed.

Kenneth Silva

3 reviews

This will be true, I admit, of some parts of the book. The chapters on the captivity of Melinia and her use of drugs are crude and torturous. However, they are required, as they demonstrate the truth of exploitation and living. Meanwhile, the chapters of the Tubbs family provided me with a sense of warmth and equilibrium. I also found it pleasant that Winston never put any dramatics in the dark; rather he employed the dark to emphasize perseverance. This book made me remember that in the most unfavorable conditions, people have still some ways to survive and love. It is not an easy read but worth the pages.

Shirley Jaynes

3 reviews

Juliette became my favorite character soon. She is never loud or dramatic but the mainstay of her family. She blames her husband, takes charge of her children, and copes with her loss like a dignified and strong woman. Numerous novels pay little attention to the silent strength of women such as her, but Winston makes her the center of the picture. We see through her the active nature of love, the patience and endurance of love that has the power to glue pieces of a marriage into its shape. The Commemoration is worth reading because it is one of the instances that help one feel the power of Juliette and how it influences everyone around her.

Marie Tellez

3 reviews

The aspect I liked most of this book is that it was community-based. The Tubbs family does not live in a vacuum, their friends, siblings, and even those with complex backgrounds have their part to make in their recovery. Franklin and Greta are not mere side characters, they both demonstrate how friendship, loyalty and even old wounds affect the survival of families. This gave the book a larger than life feel than a story of one family. It is an encouragement that recovery does not always occur by itself. Winston presents us with the picture of community that is beautiful and messy at the same time.

Christopher Johnson

3 reviews

The timing of this book is good. The chapters take the form of an addition to the puzzle, switching between the captivity of Melinia and the family life of Grandville. The building made me feel engaged, as I was interested in discovering the way these two worlds were going to intersect. As the major events came to fruition I had come to feel like I had lived with these characters. The fact that Winston chose to intertwine the points of view made the novel rich and deep. It is not a simple narrative, but this is what makes it so strong. Life is not simple, and this novel depicts the complexity in a genuine manner.

Thomas Shugart

3 reviews