Reviews with content warning for Racism - Reel

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Reel by Kennedy Ryan

24 reviews

searchingforhappilyeverafter's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Reel by Kennedy Ryan is a love letter to Black art history. The book's unique narrative brought to life the impact of generational racism and the struggle of Black artists through its beautiful and richly layered story. The romance and Black history are outstandingly well-written and highlight the struggle marginalized people have gone through in the past and still go through today in order to get the recognition they deserve.

I haven’t read many books written like this one, where we have a dual timeline with Neevah and Canon’s romance and the story of the biopic they are producing. I was completely captivated by this unique way of storytelling and Ryan’s poignant and emotional writing style.

There was one aspect that I wasn’t completely thrilled with. And that is the resolution with Neevah’s sister. It felt really unsatisfying to me. I can’t say more without going in to spoilers, but I really disliked the sister mainly for how she reacted when they reunited for the first time.

Having said all of that, I still think this book deserves all the stars and would read it over and over again. That is how powerful Ryan’s writing is. Neevah and Canon’s journey is just so hearttouching. And the things Canon would do and say practically had me melting into a puddle.

It’s difficult for me to read with my eyes or ears only. Most of the time I need both the audio and print or ebook going at the same time. So the quality of the audiobook and performance of the narrators is extremely important to me. Eboni Flowers, Jakobi Diem, and Nicole Small did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life. I especially enjoyed the musical elements that the production team brought to this story.

Content Warnings

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense 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? No

5.0

Reel is a love letter to Black creatives overlooked by fame and history. In Reel, we are navigating the modern-day love story of performer Neevah Saint and her director Canon Holt, and our story-within-a-story biopic on the fictional performer Dessi Blue. Through these nested narratives, we see how Black artists across generations have been constrained by racism in its many forms: socioeconomic oppression, legal persecution, day-to-day violence and disproportionately poor health outcomes. While our biopic star Dessi is launching a career in the early years of the Civil Rights movement, our modern-day protagonist, Neevah, is launching a career as she battles lupus, a disease that disproportionately impacts women and, specifically, women of color. We learn through Neevah that more than 90% of people living with lupus are women, and that it is 2-3x more prevalent among women of color.

And this is where it is both brilliant and stressful (particularly for those who’ve experienced medical trauma, as a patient or as a caregiver - Neevah and Canon’s experiences give us perspective on both). Neevah’s experience of chronic illness shows us the highs and lows - the days she feels well and capable and strong, and the days her immune system escalates attacks on her organs, threatening her ability to work and forcing her to reevaluate her priorities in all spheres of her life. Canon cycles through fear and anger, denial and hyperfixation, rest and action, balancing his love for Neevah with his fear for her health. Readers can rest easy that this is a low-conflict love story, in that the real conflict is the battle both protagonists must wage to keep Neevah well and define their love for each other.

I listened to this on audio, and the dual narration includes musical numbers and dialogue from Dessi Blue - I HIGHLY recommend audio if you can get it!

Content Warnings

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

takarakei's review

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emotional 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? No

3.75

Hollywood romance
Chronic Illness Rep

Was just a bit too long (but it's not a slow burn?) for my taste. I did really enjoy the audiobook presentation - since the story follows a movie being made about a jazz singer, there is some singing amidst the story.

4/5 🌶️

Content Warnings

triple_m's review against another edition

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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? No

4.0

I enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more than the first. I didn’t enjoy the forbidden love aspect between Canan and Neevah very much. I found myself very frustrated with her, I think her mentality about the situation was very reckless and naive. She could’ve killed her career before it truly began, yet she had this blind optimism about it.

That being said I do think Neevah and Canon are perfect for one another. They’re a wonderful couple and really inspire and lift one another up.

I wish Neevah’s professional future was addressed. Realistically, will she be able to be a lead in a movie again? Or is the demand of acting in film too strenuous?

Also, fuck Terry. I’m sorry but in my opinion some things can never be forgiven. I do think Kennedy Ryan handled the situation realistically though. I just fault so frustrated that people felt Neevah’s was also somehow responsibility for the rift in her family. She was driven out!

Content Warnings

dearbookboyfriend's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

what_karla_reads's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Content Warnings

discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I’m going to be so honest; if I had read only the synopsis of this book and not the reviews, I probably wouldn’t have given it a chance. I didn’t think the premise sounded all that appealing, but SO MANY people were raving about it so I thought “ok I’ll see what all the fuss is about,” and BOY am I glad I did.

This is both a beautifully-crafted love story and a love letter to the Black artists who have shaped culture time and time again only to be excluded from the pages of history written by and for white people.

As someone with lupus nephritis, it was both validating and gutting to witness Neevah’s onset and rapid progression of symptoms, especially since they so closely mirrored my own. Lupus is such a misunderstood and under-represented disease, so I really appreciated that that story was told.

Not to mention the dynamic between Neevah and Canon while Neevah navigated her diagnosis at the beginning stages of a new relationship. I so intimately understand the fear that your partner will leave because they didn’t “sign up for this,” and wanting to push them away or not let them see you at your worst. That could not have hit any closer to home for me.

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Late last year I listened to Reel, a romance between two Black creatives, Canon who is a famous film director and Neevah, a Broadway performer. I like my romances to have some depth and breadth and this book delivered. Interwoven with the main plot was a look at Black singers of an earlier era with Desi, who Neevah is selected to play in Canon’s latest film, obviously being inspired by the likes of Billie Holliday. The plot also includes great disability representation with Neevah being affected by Lupus, and requiring a transplant. There is a more minor plot line involving Canon’s mother’s multiple sclerosis. Other storylines focussed on estranged family, grief over the loss of a parent, a sapphic romance, the paparazzi, racism, and the reality of life in creative industries. The romance certainly sizzled and overall I enjoyed the book despite feeling it was a bit too long and somewhat overwritten in places.

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