Categories: Racism, Social Justice, Protests, Family, History, Contemporary, Young Adult
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
The Hate U Give meets Get Out in this honest and powerful exploration of prejudice in the stunning novel from sister-writer duo Maika and Maritza Moulite, authors of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine.
ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?
When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.
One of the good ones.
Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.
I loved how this story explored racism and it’s history through Kezi’s life and death which happens because of a protest for a black man who lost his life, Jamal. The story ties into racism in American history with Happi and Genny’s road trip using The Negro Motorist Green Book! This trip also helps Happi and Genny learn about their own family history. I learned a lot of things through their journey.
The road trip opens Happi and Genny’s eyes to a lot of history and to some things in Kezi’s life they were missing. It’s a healing journey for them and Kezi’s youtube followers too.
The way the Smith family copes after Kezi’s death is different, as everyone grieves differently. I thought it was interesting how religion is brought into the story and how the Smith parents have to deal with certain truths about Kezi’s life. I like that it touches on how the girls were “raised”. How they were the good ones: good life, grades, looks, family, etc…as opposed to the bad ones who are vilified in the media because they don’t have all those things.
The plot twist in this book made my eyes go wide. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I kept on reading, but the ending of the book is really unexpected. It goes in a direction I never expected!
Triggers: mention of lynchings, racism, police brutality, stalking, grief, kidnapping
I had a hard time getting into the story at first because there are many different perspectives with many different dates (timelines): Kezi, Happi, Shaqueria, and Evelyn. They are all connected but I’m not even sure if Evelyn’s story perspective was needed since Kezi explains who she was and how her family was close to Derek’s.
I feel like this story turns into something else entirely in the second half and almost wish it picked one story to go with. I would have been satisfied with an amazing road trip story or the plot twist really could have been a separate book on it’s own. Honestly…the second half would be my pick because then the story becomes a thriller!
With all this said, there are so many great stories in this book, but I think maybe there was too much going on.
Overall, I think this is an impactful story when it comes to talking about racism, American history, family dynamics and social justice. It took me awhile to get into because of all the different perspectives and timelines but I do love how thrilling the ending becomes, which was so unexpected. This is an important story about how society as a whole values black lives.
♥️ ~ Yolanda
About the Authors:
MAIKA MOULITE is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s sharpening her skills as a PhD student at Howard University’s Communication, Culture and Media Studies program. Her research focuses on representation in media and its impact on marginalized groups. She’s the eldest of four sisters and loves young adult novels, fierce female leads, and laughing.
MARITZA MOULITE graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. Maritza is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy in under-resourced communities after being inspired to study education from her time as a literacy tutor and pre-k teacher assistant. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Well…this week was wonderful because it started with my daughter’s 4th birthday! I love her so much and she had a great time with our little luncheon ~ she didn’t want food, she just wanted family, cake and gifts, and that is what she got.
The week got even better when the Georgia election Tuesday night showed Georgia turning blue…thank you Stacey Abrams and all your amazing hard wook, teamwork…all of it. 👑 Then Wednesday morning I was watching the news to make the Georgia results official…and realized the electoral college votes were going to be certified…and they got to Arizona, and there were objections so they went to debate it…and then all hell broke loose outside and inside. I am appalled, mad at the hypocrisy, just disgusted…can they just remove him today (as I write this on Wednesday during the protest)? So I wasted a day watching the news…
Anyway enough of that negativity…sigh…how was my reading week?
Newly Acquired Books:
NetGalley:
Kindle Unlimited:
TV, Movies, Etc…:
Netflix:
The Queen’s Gambit ~ finished the series and enjoyed it! It’s dark, sad, but love love love how it’s filmed, the aesthetic, her make-up, her hair, style…ugh, love. It was fascinating watching Beth Harmon’s life and how she grows from child to young woman. I love Jolene being real with Beth. ♥️ Compelling story for sure!
Adulting:
We got a fish. Haha…my son did his 2nd quarter project on an axolotl and I saw our local pet store had one so I took them there to see it. And we came home with a fish – daughter wanted the axolotl and I said no, told her to get a betta fish instead since ours died last year. Our fur baby died 2 years ago and I was waiting until my daughter turns 5 to get another dog…so I’ve been looking since last year! The search continues…
My son will start hybrid schooling come February and I’m happy for him. I wish they could roll out the vaccine quicker, teachers need them – my sister got hers because she works at the hospital. But yes, would be great to get that out quicker.
I hope your week went well and you are staying safe out there!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.
Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.
In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
Kristin Hannah is an auto-read author for me. She does it again with The Four Winds and wow, this is a heavy read. But like the amazing writer she is, she makes you feel despair, desperation, fear, loss and eventually hope. This story is a hard journey into a bleak time during American History, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era.
Not only does this book make you feel – it places you in the specific time and place so you can be there in person, struggling with Elsa and the Martinelli’s. I was praying for rain to help them! I was pleading for her daughter to give her mom a break. I was begging them to take the government help. I was enraged at the discrimination and poverty they experienced in California. Kristin Hannah always does research for her books and it shows! It’s why I love her books so much.
Elsa is our main character and she is a girl who just wants to be loved. She’s been ruled by fear and rules all her life only to be discarded by her family. But does she survive? Hell yes…she does everything for the love of her children. My god, her mother’s love is heartbreaking and enduring. Her daughter Loreda is a strong force in this story as well. She is carefree like her father and is at an age where she fights her mother on everything. It’s a long road for all of them, but mostly for these two and their relationship.
This story is so multi-layered. There are so many themes in this book: motherhood, pride, discrimination, poverty and survival.
Triggers: poverty, discrimination, depression
This story is pretty bleak and depressing. There isn’t much happy times at all in this book.
Kristin Hannah once again weaves an emotional tale of brutal struggle and hope. The mother-daughter relationship in this book hit me hard, especially at the end. Elsa Martinelli’s journey is one of courage and strength and I wished so much life was kinder to her. This is an inspiring story to remind us we can get through hard times and no matter what, love endures.
Categories: Romance, Young Adult, Holiday Romance, Teen Readers, Contemporary
A fun and upbeat paperback original romance about a girl who has a New Year’s resolution to make the coming year epic in every way—and is willing to put herself out there for love.
Tess and her opinionated older sister Lauren are spending the week after Christmas at the snowy Evergreen Lodge in Vermont and they aren’t happy about it. Their stern grandmother, who owns the holiday resort, is not known for her warmth and good humor. But when shy, straight-laced Tess meets Christopher in the lobby, things are suddenly looking up. And when she decides to get out of her comfort zone and create a bucket list of things to accomplish before the New Year-like singing in public and skiing a black-diamond slope-Christopher is happy to help, even as he keeps a secret that could turn everything upside down. When the ball drops, will Tess and Christopher share a magical kiss-or will Tess start the new year off alone?
It’s short, sweet, wholesome, and a quick light holiday romance story.
I like the setting of a holiday resort in Vermont where it’s got snow, skiing and a quaint town. It’s a perfect read for Christmas/New Year’s.
It’s one of those books where the main character makes a list of things she’s never done and tries to accomplish everything on the list before a certain time, this one would be by New Year’s – she has like a week to do it.
Definitely more for teen readers than young adult because it’s light reading. Tess’s parents are going through a divorce and she and her sister Lauren are trying to bond while at their grandmother’s lodge. There isn’t much drama going on in the book, no depth. I was bored in the middle since we pretty much knew what was going to happen.
Didn’t really connect to any of the characters.
For what it is, a romance teen holiday story, it hits all the marks – we have the right location, family time (that you dread) and meeting cute boys. Tess goes through some drama but nothing heavy at all and in the end there is a happy ending. If you want a quick holiday romance read geared towards teens, then you will like this one.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021
January 2021 Releases:
We Free the Stars – 1/19/21
***
February 2021 Releases:
A Court of Silver Flames – 2/16/21
Reaper of Souls – 2/18/21
***
March 2021 Releases:
Red Tigress – 3/2/21
A Queen of Gilded Horns – 3/16/21
***
April 2021 Releases:
Blessed Monsters – 4/6/21
What’s Not to Love – 4/20/21
***
May 2021 Releases:
Soulmate Equation – 5/18/21
Blade of Secrets – 5/4/21
***
June 2021 Releases:
The Cruelest Mercy – 6/15/21
Out of all these titles I think my MOST anticipated reads are A Court of Silver Flames and The Cruelest Mercy. Leave your TTT link in the comments so I can check out your list!
Title: Shadow City (The City of Diamond and Steel, #2)
Author: Francesca Flores
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 1/26/21
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Categories: Young Adult, Duology, Action, Crime, Fantasy
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
The stunning action-packed conclusion to The City of Diamond and Steel duology.
Aina Solís has fought her way to the top of criminal ranks in the city of Kosín by wresting control of an assassin empire owned by her old boss, Kohl. She never has to fear losing her home and returning to life on the streets again—except Kohl, the man who tried to ruin her life, will do anything to get his empire back. Aina sets out to kill him before he can kill her.
But Alsane Bautix, the old army general who was banned from his seat in the government after Aina revealed his corruption, is working to take back power by destroying anyone who stands in his way. With a new civil war on the horizon and all their lives at risk, the only way for Aina to protect her home is to join up with the only other criminal more notorious than her: Kohl himself.
As Bautix’s attacks increase, Aina and Kohl work together to stop his incoming weapons shipments and his plans to take back the Tower of Steel. To defeat them both, Aina will resort to betrayal, poison, and a deadly type of magic that hasn’t been used in years.
Through narrow alleys, across train rooftops, and deep in the city’s tunnels, Aina and Kohl will test each other’s strengths and limits, each of them knowing that once Bautix is dead, they’ll still have to face each other. If she manages to kill him, she’ll finally have the freedom she wants—but it might forever mark her as his shadow in a city where only the strongest survive.
World building ~ We are back in the city of Kosin. It is a city run by gangs. Aina finally has broken free of Kohl, The Blood King. and is running her own gang. But is she really free of him? We return to the gritty streets of Kosin and it’s rough as ever.
Aina and Kohl, it’s the two of them that really pull the story along because they are complicated. Kohl knows how to get under her skin and I was just hoping Aina doesn’t fall for his lies again. It’s a back and forth between them and you wonder how it ends between them.
The crew is back and we see Ryuu, Teo, Tannis and Lil. I think they keep Aina level headed and I like that she has them around her.
It’s a dark story because there emotional abuse and a whole lot of action. There is a lot of killing, daggers in throats, throats being sliced but I like that Aina doesn’t hesitate…except when it comes to Kohl. But she works through all those emotions in this book.
The magic aspect seemed to take sort of a backseat in this one. There is a few chapters in the middle of the book that deals with learning the magic and it comes in handy in the final battle, but other than that – I wondered if it was even needed in the story. They barely knew how to use the magic so it would have been nice to the magic being explored and used much more.
I would have liked more about the side characters because they were such a big part of book one. They help her in this book, but I felt like I was just drawn to Kohl and Aina so much more than her friends.
Triggers: violence, killing, abuse
I enjoyed this duology because it was dark and had lots of action. Aina is a girl who had to overcome grief, glue addiction, and being under Kohl’s thumb for years. Seeing her break free and find her power was great. If you like young adult crime fantasy, you may enjoy this series.
Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Cyberbullying, Mental Health, Teenage Pregnancy
Disclaimer: *I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
In this gripping YA novel about social media bullying and half-truths, one girl’s discovery of a dead baby in her high school locker room rocks an entire community.
Nobody in Beckett’s life seems to be telling the whole story. Her boyfriend Jake keeps hiding texts and might be cheating on her. Her father lied about losing his job before his shocking death. And everyone in school seems to be whispering about her and her family behind her back.
But none of that compares to the day Beckett finds the body of a newborn baby in a gym bag-Jake’s gym bag -on the floor of her high school locker room. As word leaks out, rumors that Beckett’s the mother take off like wildfire in a town all too ready to believe the worst of her. And as the police investigation unfolds, she discovers that everyone has a secret to hide and the truth could alter everything she thought she knew.
My Attention: read in two days
World Building: small town
Writing Style: easy to read
Crazy in Love: no, there is a troubled relationship but this is not a romance book
Creativity: A mystery that kept me guessing!
Triggers: suicide, drug use, cyberbullying, bullying, teen pregnancy, grief
My Takeaway: The truth can be shocking.
I like how raw this story is. Beckett finds a dead baby in the locker room and all evidence point to her. She hasn’t had an easy life, her dad just died from suicide – he was a veteran dealing with an injury and PTSD and had a drug problem because of it. Her mom is a cop, and unbeknownst to Beckett there has been talk about her family in town.
It is a mystery and one that was intriguing to solve. The story of a dead baby is already sad, but the conclusion just takes it to another level. It’s shocking and unexpected.
Cyberbullying and bullying in general happens in this book – all of it towards Beck because she’s suspected of being the baby’s mother. The press hounds her, the town and kids at school talk about her, crucifying her for supposed choices she’s made and tying all her family history into it as well. It was ugly. But the issue of women’s reproductive rights does get some
Beck’s father is a veteran who was injured in Afghanistan. I like how this story touched on PTSD and drug abuse. All of these are heavy topics but important topics.
Beck is clearly a girl going through a lot of emotions. She lost her dad, her mom is always at work and she’s also going through a breakup with her boyfriend. Finding the dead baby was the tipping point for her, but personality wise, she doesn’t come off as someone likable – I didn’t really connect to her character, but the mystery kept me reading.
The reveal is a shocker, a very sad one. For me it showed how everyone in Beck’s family was in their own grief and didn’t see what was going on in front of them.
I got sucked into Beck’s family history, the tragedy of her father’s death and how their family tried to cope with it’s aftermath. I think this book brings up many different issues that should be discussed like mental health, grief and teenage pregnancy or just women’s reproductive rights in general. Overall, this story was a mystery that kept me hooked and wanting to find out who was the mother and father of the baby that was found in the locker room.
Fireworks have been popping off here for weeks now, but last night was crazy as usual. Today is my nephew’s birthday so we are going to celebrate that and Sunday is my daughter’s birthday so we’ll be having cake all weekend it seems. 🎂
Since I didn’t do a weekly updated Christmas week, let’s do one today:
New Books Acquired:
NetGalley ~
Overdrive Online Library ~
Kindle Books ~ (bought)
TV, Movies, Etc…:
Netflix ~
Bridgerton – whoa…talk about 🔥🔥🔥…spoiler ~ there are lots of sexy times in Episode 6 haha. I mean there are some here and there in the previous episodes but yeah…episode 6? Overall, I’m a sucker for romantic period pieces so I enjoyed this one. I read a few of the Bridgerton novels years ago, but not all of them and I don’t think in order either. I don’t remember much because it’s been years but I’m definitely down for watching season 2. I LOVE Eloise, the actress who played her was great, yes Eloise and Penelope and Lady Danbury were my favorite characters in this first season of the Bridgertons. The diversity is great because we all know historical romances are usually white characters, so seeing various ethnicities in the show was fantastic.
excuse me, i love you ~ Ariana Grande’s concert documentary ugh, her voice is ridiculous. Would love to see her live in concert and this show made me miss concerts SO much. 😭 I loved concerts when I was younger and it slowed down when I had kids, but the times I can go to a concert is a TREAT. Anyway, I loved the show.
Adulting:
My nephew’s birthday is on 1/1 and my daughter’s birthday is on 1/3. She expects more presents and honestly, all I want to get her is a cake haha…she has way too many toys. I donated a bunch of clothes, toys and books the past two weeks to make room for more things coming into the house. But now I just want to clean house again. 🤦🏻♀️
I wanted to get a dog halfway through the pandemic. It’s been 2 years now since our fur baby Sky (a husky) has passed and seriously…this year was so trying I missed having a doggy. So I thought I was ready, it hurt losing Sky…but wow, is everyone buying the puppies and how are they buying them because the ones I’ve seen are SO expensive? I looked on humane society and the spca a bunch but the small dogs are usually adopted so fast and though I love big dogs, this time around I’m looking for a small dog, even small/medium is fine. My doggy nephew jumped into my car this past Christmas, I was about to take him home haha – he must remember that I dog-sat him when he was a puppy and he slept in my daughter’s bed for a week! Yes Aunty spoils him with lots of love.
I got to sleep in this week, meaning I slept in until 7:30am! HOORAY! lol…I honestly do not look forward to remote schooling coming back again. We’ll see if my son’s school makes any changes tot he schedule.
Etsy shop: I have a 25% off sale going on to clear out items before I start making anything else. Honestly I haven’t poured resin in almost 3 weeks now! Maybe I had a little bit of burn out. So I’m gonna rest for a bit and decide what I want to do next.
Have a great weekend everyone! And happy new year!
Here we are at the end of 2020 – HOORAY! We made it! I pray for a better 2021, I really do. Here’s what I read during this busy month ~
Light Singer by. Audrey Grey – 4/5 Stars
Maybe This Time by. Kasie West – 3.5/5 Stars
Uncaged by. Celia McMahon – 3/5 Stars
You Have a Match by. Emma Lord – 4/5 Stars
Moon Claimed by. Kelly St. Clare – 3/5 Stars
Among the Beasts & Briars by. Ashley Poston – 4.5/5 Stars
Unleashed by. Celia McMahon – 3.5/5 Stars
The Fallout by. Frost Kay – 3.5/5 Stars
To Whatever End by. Lindsey Frydman – 3/5 Stars
That’s all I read this month – it wasn’t a lot because there was just too many to do with the holidays. I had to help my son finish up his work and projects for school, we celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas so gift shopping, baking, cooking, and yes donating things to make room for new toys that my kids got. So packing up donations and carrying it off to be dropped off was work.
And then entertaining the kids during winter break AND making sure I got all my Etsy orders shipped on time. So I am glad this year is over, glad this month is over and on to the next. Let’s have a great 2021! Happy New Year everyone!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 