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dramagirl2003's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
ahhh some of the characters and situations made me so angry at times, so author’s job well completed! this is a book about racial injustice, and succeeds greatly in making the reader feel the injustice in their soul
age rating — 15+
age rating — 15+
thoughts while reading
p8: hehe jackson and aimee are cute together
p31: i am incredibly offended on jackson’s behalf
p60: dry eileen is very quickly growing on me, she sounds like an excellent foster mum
p73: honestly chantelle makes an excellent point, we need more diversity in school reading
‘My little cousin in Birmingham got killed and he was just eleven. It’s like, if you make it to twenty you’re doing well.’
💔😭
p100: NO
I hate this school so much sometimes, but the truth is, I'm actually pretty scared of leaving. This is all I've known for ages and what if I don't figure out what I'm supposed to do with my life?
damn that’s so relatable
I remember how my mum would run into my room and pull me out of bed, so she could hide behind me. Like I was some sort of human shield.
that is so freaking messed up dude
p250: this whole incident is really pissing me off. so blatantly racist, and this is gonna change jax’s life forever. next time he gets an unsolicited background check, this is gonna pop up even though none of this was his fault
p282: what the actual hell is wrong with harrison 😡
p307: nah i suspect that eileen wants to make the placement more permanent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, and Blood
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Raw, emotional and so, so real, When Our Worlds Collided is a coming-of-age book involving three black teens are brought together after getting caught up in the aftermath of a fatal stabbing of another black teen. Neither of the trio were involved in the attack, but they were the only ones willing to try and help the victim, and I don’t know about you, but this is where I started crying.
With great sensitivity and care, Jawando brings to us this unfiltered, hard-hitting perspective of what it’s like to be young and Black in today’s society (specifically in the UK, though I assume it’s applicable to other countries as well). We witness forms of racism that range from passing remarks to upfront bigotry, intolerance and discrimination—and though we may have heard of those before, they will still leave an impact.
Moreover, our three main characters aren’t just battling with society’s prejudice, but with GCSEs and how their future can change depending on those results too. There is so much pressure and tension in this book, it feels like the characters can never get a break. But, that’s the reality. Because of this, I’m all the more thankful for the happier moments of friendship between the trio because they really helped to lighten things and provided a much needed balance (for the sake of the reader) to the story.
Nevertheless, despite my appreciation for how real this story feels, I must admit that the ending felt anti-climatic. It’s a realistic ending, but still abrupt which is probably due to how the pacing seems to have gone off track in those final few chapters.
Anyway, everything considered, this is a book with a powerful message and everyone needs to read it. If you’ve Angie Thomas’ Concrete Rose and The Hate U Give , and felt deeply for or resonated with them, you should definitely read When Our Worlds Collided . If you’ve not read any of Thomas’ books, I still urge you to read this one (and the other two).
Raw, emotional and so, so real, When Our Worlds Collided is a coming-of-age book involving three black teens are brought together after getting caught up in the aftermath of a fatal stabbing of another black teen. Neither of the trio were involved in the attack, but they were the only ones willing to try and help the victim, and I don’t know about you, but this is where I started crying.
With great sensitivity and care, Jawando brings to us this unfiltered, hard-hitting perspective of what it’s like to be young and Black in today’s society (specifically in the UK, though I assume it’s applicable to other countries as well). We witness forms of racism that range from passing remarks to upfront bigotry, intolerance and discrimination—and though we may have heard of those before, they will still leave an impact.
Moreover, our three main characters aren’t just battling with society’s prejudice, but with GCSEs and how their future can change depending on those results too. There is so much pressure and tension in this book, it feels like the characters can never get a break. But, that’s the reality. Because of this, I’m all the more thankful for the happier moments of friendship between the trio because they really helped to lighten things and provided a much needed balance (for the sake of the reader) to the story.
Nevertheless, despite my appreciation for how real this story feels, I must admit that the ending felt anti-climatic. It’s a realistic ending, but still abrupt which is probably due to how the pacing seems to have gone off track in those final few chapters.
Anyway, everything considered, this is a book with a powerful message and everyone needs to read it. If you’ve Angie Thomas’ Concrete Rose and The Hate U Give , and felt deeply for or resonated with them, you should definitely read When Our Worlds Collided . If you’ve not read any of Thomas’ books, I still urge you to read this one (and the other two).
Thank you so much Pansing for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! When Our Worlds Collided by Danielle Jawando is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Hate crime, Blood, and Police brutality
Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
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