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purplepenning's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"An intriguing genre-bending story" is what I blandly started to write, which is true but bloodlessly inadequate. This story is stacked and packed with creativity and vitality, with sparkling historical fiction, steamy contemporary romance, time-addling magical realism, dark drama, and characters who are hilarious, powerful, misplaced, wise, awkward, desperate, passionate, generous, and nuanced. It celebrates Black history, Black resilience, Black art, Black joy, and timeless Black love in a tale spun of music, voodoo, lush flowers, fashion, Harlem, leap years, found family, wry commentary, and fated love. Like its protagonist, it may be a bit much for some, but dang — I'm going to be over here thinking and rethinking on it for days and weeks to come, wondering what voodoo allowed Tia Williams to get *gestures expansively* all that into one impressively coherent love story.
I just talked myself into 5 stars. I'm tired of being stingy with minute measures of approval when people are pouring this kind of love, energy, and complexity into their work.
I just talked myself into 5 stars. I'm tired of being stingy with minute measures of approval when people are pouring this kind of love, energy, and complexity into their work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Blood, and Death of parent
paulasuze's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was absolutely spectacular and very fun to read during a leap year. 5/5 stars.
I have always been a fan of Tia Williams and was not sure I could love a book as much as Seven Days in June but this one blew me away.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a love letter to Harlem, Black excellence, and the Black historical influence on music and culture. It is a love letter to found family. It is a love letter to neurodivergent girls who don't always fit in or live up to family expectations but find ways to live freely and wholly as themselves.
Ezra was dreamy and the chemistry between him and Ricki jumped right off the page.
I wasn't a fan of magical realism until more recently and I will say it is an aspect of the book that you have to lean into. The storyline becomes fairly predictable, but that doesn't take away from the touching relationships between the characters.
I wept at the end. This story will stick with me for a while. Side note - can we please get a full book about Tuesday???
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have always been a fan of Tia Williams and was not sure I could love a book as much as Seven Days in June but this one blew me away.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a love letter to Harlem, Black excellence, and the Black historical influence on music and culture. It is a love letter to found family. It is a love letter to neurodivergent girls who don't always fit in or live up to family expectations but find ways to live freely and wholly as themselves.
Ezra was dreamy and the chemistry between him and Ricki jumped right off the page.
I wasn't a fan of magical realism until more recently and I will say it is an aspect of the book that you have to lean into. The storyline becomes fairly predictable, but that doesn't take away from the touching relationships between the characters.
I wept at the end. This story will stick with me for a while. Side note - can we please get a full book about Tuesday???
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Hate crime, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming
jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book These are my 100% honest opinions.
I honestly went into this book with no thoughts at all. I had read another book from this author and I didn’t really enjoy it. When I saw the cover of this, something just pulled me to it. (If you’ve read the book, that’s some crazy symbolism) I’m really glad that I chose to read it because I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the magical realism in the romance story between Ricki and Ezra. The beginning of the book switches between the 1920s and modern day 2023. Sometimes large time gaps are hard to keep up with in books but not this one. I was in love with the majority of the characters. Sometimes side characters get lost or seem unnecessary but not Tuesday and Ms. Della. I could read a spin off on the back story of both of them.
While I did guess part of what happened at the end, it didn’t damper my enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed this book a lot and it had put this author’s work back on the radar for me.
I honestly went into this book with no thoughts at all. I had read another book from this author and I didn’t really enjoy it. When I saw the cover of this, something just pulled me to it. (If you’ve read the book, that’s some crazy symbolism) I’m really glad that I chose to read it because I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the magical realism in the romance story between Ricki and Ezra. The beginning of the book switches between the 1920s and modern day 2023. Sometimes large time gaps are hard to keep up with in books but not this one. I was in love with the majority of the characters. Sometimes side characters get lost or seem unnecessary but not Tuesday and Ms. Della. I could read a spin off on the back story of both of them.
While I did guess part of what happened at the end, it didn’t damper my enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed this book a lot and it had put this author’s work back on the radar for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Racism
Minor: Body shaming