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g00sereads's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a lot better than I expected! The first few chapters were a bit confusing but once I got used to the slang and the plot started picking up, I was hooked. The ending did feel a bit contrived (it had a bit of an "and then everyone clapped" kind of skeptical convenience) but I'll give it a pass because of the overall message it was trying to send and because it's good to read something wholesome and uplifting every now and then.
Overall I'd highly recommend it :)
Overall I'd highly recommend it :)
alexseekingspecfic's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
celinegaghadar's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
A beautiful story about friendship, grief, community and music set in 1990’s Brooklyn, this book was delightful! Jackson does a great job of giving each character a unique arc and dolling out information about the mystery to the reader at at rate that keeps the plot moving. I loved all the music references (catch me listening exclusive to Jay Z, Lauryn Hill and Biggie this week) and the original verses included were so lyrical. The author also does a great job of exploring the challenges of living in a historically/ intentionally marginalized community. Jackson has become one of my fave YA authors, highly recommend!
rugbygirlreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
mysteriesofmar's review against another edition
5.0
this book perfectly encapsulates the lengths you will go to in order to celebrate someone you love
more thoughts to come
more thoughts to come
mellowbry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.5
I cannot believe the day has come when I've considered a Tiffany D. Jackson book average. What a shame...
There is a lot to love about this book, like the love letter to early hip-hop, a large cast of compelling characters, and the typical Jackson mystery. But even these aspects were somewhat tinted.
Many of the hip-hop artists I listen to are contemporary. While I am familiar with most of the artists and even songs referenced in this book, I don't necessarily relate to the musical spiritually infused throughout this book.
This cast is special, but these characters don't quite stand out compared to Jackson's other creations. I think Jasmine has the strongest chapters compared to Quadir and Jarrell; however, considering her side of the story was focused on the mystery of her brother Steph's murder, whenever the story diverged from that (which was a lot), there was nothing much to her story. Yes, she did have the Gorilla organization problem but that wasn't crucial to the story until MUCH later.
And I think that's where this book falls the most flat for me: how long it takes for the mystery to commence. It wasn't as focused on as it should've been and instead, we got a romance between Quadir and Jasmine that lacked a lot of chemistry. Even the B-plot with Steph's music career trailed on such a slow incline that I itched for something to happen.
I do wanna give Jackson credit for Ronnie's character and what she signifies as a feminine, confident, sex-positive character. The scene where she calls out Jasmine for her underlying misogyny toward rappers like Lil Kim and Foxy Brown was a specular demonstration of feminism and how even women can sometimes lose sight of the spectrum of womanhood that can and should exist.
Like always Jackson delivers some empowering social messages such as the one above. Nonetheless, I'm afraid that this was the most intriguing part of the book, even more so than the central plot and mystery.
There is a lot to love about this book, like the love letter to early hip-hop, a large cast of compelling characters, and the typical Jackson mystery. But even these aspects were somewhat tinted.
Many of the hip-hop artists I listen to are contemporary. While I am familiar with most of the artists and even songs referenced in this book, I don't necessarily relate to the musical spiritually infused throughout this book.
This cast is special, but these characters don't quite stand out compared to Jackson's other creations. I think Jasmine has the strongest chapters compared to Quadir and Jarrell; however, considering her side of the story was focused on the mystery of her brother Steph's murder, whenever the story diverged from that (which was a lot), there was nothing much to her story. Yes, she did have the
And I think that's where this book falls the most flat for me: how long it takes for the mystery to commence. It wasn't as focused on as it should've been and instead, we got a romance between
I do wanna give Jackson credit for Ronnie's character and what she signifies as a feminine, confident, sex-positive character. The scene where she calls out Jasmine for her underlying misogyny toward rappers like Lil Kim and Foxy Brown was a specular demonstration of feminism and how even women can sometimes lose sight of the spectrum of womanhood that can and should exist.
Like always Jackson delivers some empowering social messages such as the one above. Nonetheless, I'm afraid that this was the most intriguing part of the book, even more so than the central plot and mystery.
kimskindlereads's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️ but let’s round UP. This was such a FUN LISTEN. These types of plots and books are why I love YA. These kids had Steph’s back, period. No questions asked. They rode for him even in death and did what they had to do to keep his music alive and solve his murder. If I have friends/siblings even half of what they are, I’ll be happy.
Tiffany Jackson hasn’t disappointed me yet!
Tiffany Jackson hasn’t disappointed me yet!
mxmaxreads's review against another edition
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
4.5
As a lover of ‘90s east coast hip hop, this was an excellent read! I love Tiffany D. Jackson’s writing. Her books always have a strong sense of setting and original characters. This book was all about the love of music, community, racism, grief, and there were a lot of informative pieces about Black history thrown in there by Jasmine (my favorite character). Loved all of the references to Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, Nas, Biggie, and more.
thisstoryaintover's review against another edition
ahh i loved this SO MUCH. loved each of the characters and what they did for Steph and what he meant to them all <3