Reviews

Reviews for gods in Alabama

Reviews for Between, Georgia

Reviews for The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

gods in Alabama

"gods in Alabama has everything a first (or any) novel should possess but seldom does: an engaging plot, a protagonist whose original voice has you alternately laughing out loud and misting up, and a vividly etched sense of place... What really elevates gods, though, is Joshilyn Jackson's fresh, unpredictable way with words. She writes so creatively that you slow down, because every sentence is a delight of some sort... gods in Alabama leaves readers grateful for the journey and smiling at the redemptive powers of love. Fresh...unpredictable...satisfying...the kind of book you hate to finish but can't wait to pass on to friends."
       - Cleveland Plain Dealer

"A winning blend of Steel Magnolias and Sweet Home Alabama with a whodunit twist."
          - Glamour

"Forget steel magnolias---meet titanium blossoms in Jackson's debut novel, a potent mix of humor, murder, and a dysfunctional Southern family."
          - Library Journal, starred review

"Hip... sassy... endearing."
       - Atlanta Journal Constitution

"Southern heroines rarely leap off the page as full of life and trouble as Arlene Fleet, the headstrong protagonist and erstwhile alter ego of young Atlanta writer Joshilyn Jackson, whose marvelous debut, gods in Alabama, is fixing to slap some sense into modern Southern fiction.....Sweet Home Alabama meets Guess Who's Coming to Dinner as Arlene stumbles toward a redemption that even Rhett and Scarlett would never have imagined. Foulmouthed and hilariously frank, gods in Alabama is just the shot of sour to counter the diabetic-coma-inducing sweetness that seems to have overtaken Southern literature lately."
         - Bookpage

"Masterfully constructed... has more twists and turns than a wiggle worm at the end of a small hook... The story intertwines Arlene's present and past - drives the novel to an intense and shocking conclusion."
       - Orlando Sentinel (FL)

"Jackson writes with a crisp voice and has a flair for language."
       - Washington Post Book World

"Sure-handed writing and a bawdy sense of humor that never loses its Southern charm... a book full of self-deprecating, blue-collar humor that conjures up the modern South."
       - Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel

"An appealing and confident debut novel, filled with humor and unexpected twists of fate... both witty and wise about the tangled relationships among women, mothers and daughters, aunts and cousins - whether they're steel magnolias or down-home sweethearts."
       - New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Required reading."
       - New York Post

"Put some Drive-By Truckers on the stereo for this bumpy ride through the dirty South."
       - Entertainment Weekly

"A fresh voice."
       - Albany Times Union

"A compelling first novel that happens to have one of the most striking characters you'll ever encounter... Arlene's sassy, guilt-ridden voice never fails to engage or surprise."
       - New York Post

"Scores with Arlene's honest and tongue-in-cheek narration... passionate dialogue... interesting characters... a breezy, fun read... one of the best-plotted books I've read recently - a page-turner that succeeds and thrives from strong writing."
       - Florida Times-Union

"Cleverly disguised as a leisurely paced Southern novel, this debut rockets to the end, even as the plot turns back on itself, surprising characters and readers alike."
       - Booklist

"Vibrant, endearingly screwed up, funny and fierce, Arlene gets you on her side... a mess on two feet, nonetheless, she's a blessing."
       - The State (SC)

"The writing in this sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking book is disarming and fresh; the voices are authentic; and the story has more surprising twists than a patch of kudzu."
       - Birmingham News

"A frank, appealing debut... Jackson brings levity to familiar themes with a spirited take on the clichés of redneck Southern living: the Wal-Mart culture, the subtle and overt racism, and the indignant religion."
       - Publishers Weekly

"Wild, salacious, and hard to put down... Reading the book is like sitting on your neighbor's porch, drinking lemonade, and listening to all the good gossip... a great new voice for Southern literature. Joshilyn Jackson's sweet, sassy, smart Southern voice is one that will resonate for those born and raised below the Mason-Dixon and Yankees alike."
       - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"An absolute joy to read... This debut novel is as Southern as tomato sandwiches, sweet tea, and hot, muggy summers."
       - Anniston Star (AL)

"Jackson masterfully combines mystery, humor, dramatic irony, social conscience, and prejudice in a plot that pushes the reader to gobble up every fact and action through the startling end."
       - Decatur Daily(AL)

"Some books just suck you in from the get-go, and this is one of them... Thought-provoking."
       - Jackson Free Press(MS)

"This novel has deep shadows and sharp edges. And if you're not careful, it will break your heart."
       - Creative Loafing(GA)

Between, Georgia

"One of this decade's most commendable novels. Every now and then a remarkable writer, following in the footsteps of great authors, comes along to reenergize American fiction. So it is with Joshilyn Jackson. ...overflows with gut-wrenching sadness and laugh-out-loud humor. Jackson's novel brilliantly explores abstractions - redemption, love and grace - through the most compelling characterizations to be found in contemporary fiction. Between, Georgia is an exemplary novel by a singular writer who is in full command of the art of story telling. Don't miss it!"
          - Bookpage

"Jackson's author biography reveals her to be a "former actor," but listeners will guess that for themselves from the first few tracks of this wonderfully realized audiobook. Her brand of Southern fiction was born to be read out loud, with its quirky characters and astute observations about human nature. And Jackson herself is the one to do it; it's clear throughout the narration that she's having a raucous time as raconteur. As she spills forth the story of Nonny, a young Georgia woman caught in the tumble of a feud between her adoptive and biological families, there is palpable energy and sustained warmth."
          - Publishers Weekly Starred Review.

"She knows how to grab a reader - and not let them go."
          - USA Today

"Funny, entertaining, warm-hearted... a winner."
          - Boston Globe

"[One of the] summer's hottest reads... The author's warm twang makes her novel about feuding Southern families resonate."
          - People

"Adept at the kind of farce that require characters to hide from each other in the bushes... she's also good at poignancy and at darker scenes of mayhem."
          - Washington Post Book World

"Tires are slashed, romances blossom, and buildings burn, but it's the cast of lovable characters that gives this page-turner its soul."
          - Marie Claire Magazine

"Compulsively readable... brims with humor... cleverly explores the nature of family and belonging... [It] delivers the kind of sheer reading enjoyment that keeps bookworms up way past their bedtimes."
          - Christian Science Monitor

"Quirky... a strong follow up to her debut."
          - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Colorful and evocative."
          - Sunday Express (UK)

"By turns heartbreaking and funny, it is a powerful story."
          - St. Petersburg Times

In her accomplished second novel, Jackson sweeps the reader away to a place where gravel crunches underfoot and the smell of corn bread wafts in the air. Between, a tiny dot on the Georgia state map, is oversized when it comes to personalities. The plot is precise and sweet, and Jackson includes the perfect ingredients: quirky characters, a picturesque setting and ample surprises. Evocative and lovingly crafted.
     - Kirkus *starred review*

"The author brings a whole new cast of riveting characters to life."
          - Birmingham Times

"Jackson is a powerful writer."
          - Daily Mail (London)

After a great debut with Gods in Alabama, Jackson's follow-up poses the same dilemma for readers: you can't wait to finish it but don't want it to end... Jackson's got a winner.
     - Library Journal

Jackson returns with a second quirky and touching novel about the South. Jackson has been compared to Fannie Flagg, and rightfully so; her characters are vivid and lovable, put in situations that are so hard to explain that it's just easier to pass the book lovingly along to a friend...A climactic ending with perfect story resolution makes this book tidy and uplifting, and even the most cynical reader will surely smile as the back cover closes.
- Booklist *starred review*

"Plenty of Southern Sass... rueful, charming... a theatrical and well-paced Southern family drama."
          - Publishers Weekly

"Tender, funny, and realistic... Jackson has captured the small town feel perfectly."
          - Pembroke Observer (Ontario)

"A humorous, touching story about belonging and what people will do to keep what's theirs."
          - Myrtle Beach Sun-News

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

"...this novel about estranged sisters reunited by a mysterious death is a treat."
          - People Magazine

"Jackson doesn't tease in her new novel, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. Instead, she strategically places these pivotal moments as a backdrop for her tension-filled, character-driven, Southern family drama...the writer's characteristic tongue-in-cheek narration and Southern wit bring an engaging lightness to the novel's Gothic undertones...Jackson, again, delivers a page-turner, further securing her status as a must-read author in the Southern literary scene. "
          - St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

"...spellbinding southern-gothic tale...."
          - Family Circle

"...a great tale. It's a southern mystery filled with troubled characters and a whodunit crime. The story builds to an exciting and violent ending, one that surprises yet seems to fit. Following the twists in the odd, sultry story is not unlike traveling a hot, dusty lane down in Florida, where colorful characters and unexpected behavior become the norm."
          - USA Today

"A ghost story, family psychodrama, and murder mystery all in one. Jackson's latest is a wild, smartly calibrated achievement. A-."
          - Entertainment Weekly

"Bottom line: The ghosts of suburban life, a breakthrough novel for the Powder Springs author. Best-selling author Joshilyn Jackson's third novel...is a buoyant and moving examination of the power of the supernatural to reveal meaningful truths behind hidden family secrets....beautifully balanced between magical and realist fiction and is closer in tone and voice to Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" or Richard Ford's Frank Bascombe trilogy."
          - Atlanta Journal Constitution

"...you'll feel compelled to race to the end, but slow down for Jackson's great descriptions - you'll be rewarded for the effort. Jackson illuminates not just the complexities of family live as a source of safety and support but also the complexities of danger and death. The life-affirming epilog provides satisfying closure...."
          - Library Journal

"Joshilyn Jackson's vivid characters and spellbinding prose - you can almost hear the drawl and smell the earthiness - weave a tale as intricate and fascinating as one of Laurel's quilts."
          - Midwest Book Review

"...bears the mark of Jackson: well-drawn characters, quirky little towns and emotionally scarred relationships webs that would make a soap opera writer proud. Jackson is thoughtful and gothic. One of Jackson's gifts is her ability to make the improbable seem not only possible, but also true. Jackson is definitely an author to watch."
          - Tampa Tribune

"A veritable southern gothic, Jackson's fluid, masterful novel builds to an exciting...finish that at last weaves together Laurel's past and her present."
          - Booklist

"Jackson takes us on an action-packed ride in which seeing rarely equates with believing, and logic loses its footing....a solidly entertaining novel...."
          - Chattanooga Times Free Press

"Jackson matches effortless Southern storytelling with a keen eye for character and heart-stopping circumstances. What makes this novel shine are its revelations about the dark side of Southern society and Thalia and Laurel's finely honed relationship, which shows just how much thicker blood is than water."
          - Publishers Weekly

A People's Friend Book Club Choice: "Wonderfully written, this story will take you on an emotional journey to the very core of what is meant by 'family', 'love' and 'history', and leave you with a sense of hope in the power of those bonds and relationships to triumph over even the worst of adversity."
          - People's Friend (UK)

"The yin and yang of the sisters' sparkling verbal exchanges is one of the book's greatest strengths."
          - Charlotte Observer

"...from the first page of Jackson's recently-released novel... this author reveals herself as a force to be reckoned with. Swimming is a ghost story, a murder mystery, an examination of family dysfunction, a discussion of the third world living conditions that exist right here in the U.S., and how that form of poverty manages to touch us even in the most manicured and gated of suburban safety. It's all of this, but with none of the self-righteous lecturing that could come from such socially significant themes. Instead, Swimming almost shrugs at its own depth and focuses, instead, on its wildly vivid characters."
          - Mountain Xpress

"Few authors have the ability to completely immerse the reader in the storyline. Yet Jackson does just that...[a] captivating novel..." Top Pick, 4.5 stars
          - Romantic Times

"Joshilyn Jackson is a born storyteller. She genuinely speaks the language of the South, the secretive, the family. Jackson writes with the observant eyes of someone who has been there and seen the ugliness boiling under the carefully manicured surface. She doesn't maneuver around the truth, but deals her characters out evenly on the table like a hand of cards, mixing in mystery, sorrow and even a little hope."
          - Myrtle Beach Sun News

"Jackson's characters are rich, multi-layered and humorous...She's a rising literary star..."
          - Louisianna Gannett

"A hot read...Third time's still a charm in this Southern novel..."
          - The New Orleans Times-Picayune

"The Girl Who Stopped Swimming is full of intrigue, and Jackson has a great narrative voice. With her Southern flair for drama, witty dialogue...and well-built characters, she is a brilliant storyteller who gets better with each book."
          - The Denver Post

"...skillfully weaves convincing Southern dialect in telling conversations... Jackson is a master at keeping time, carefully suspending the reader between the past and the present. She captures the unique and difficult relationship among mother, daughter and sibling. A surprise ending offers an explosive illumination of the truth...Clues to solving this engaging mystery, like unearthed treasures, lie just beneath the surface."
          - McClatchy Wire Service (picked up by The Charlotte Observer, Tricity Herald, The Ledger-Enquirer, The News Observer, Fresnobee, The News Tribune, The Bellingham Herald, Centre Daily and more)

"Rich in the intricacies of Southern life, the story will leave the reader longing for another tale by Joshilyn Jackson."
         - The Biloxi Sun Herald

"You'll be hooked from the moment Laurel is woken from her bed by the ghost of the dead girl. And through the finely tuned plot, the voice of Ms. Jackson, with her sweet southern drawl, will tell you all of the deep dark secrets..."
          - Country Roads Magazine

"A crisis grabs readers' attention right away. The first two pages introduce ghosts and a drowned girl. Secrets are the threads that weave this fast-paced book together... The Girl Who Stopped Swimming kept me guessing and made me think."
          - The Montgomery Advertiser

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