lady_elle's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Violence, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
Minor: Slavery, Alcohol, Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Racism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Police brutality
chelsaat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There's a lot of melodrama here, but the writing was distant in a way that meant I couldn't fully connect with these characters as much as I was expected to. I did like Ruth, but don't think Midnight's POV was wholly necessary. This book felt more like a depository for Themes than a fully lived-in story, if that makes any sense. Still, those themes are important and I'm glad I read this.
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
blackcatkai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this type of contemporary isn't usually my go-to, so I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, but overall a really good read. Johnson has a way with words and I'd be interested in what she writes next.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Bullying, Blood, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Drug use, Death of parent, Infidelity, Infertility, and Sexual content
kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Classism, Abandonment, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Alcohol, Police brutality, and Terminal illness
Minor: Infidelity
alyx_d's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Racism
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Cursing, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use
wellreadmegs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is all about the secrets we keep out of love & protection. To give our loved ones every single advantage they can have in this world to succeed. It's a beautiful message but as this story proves - it can be messy & complicated all the same. Every decision has its consequences, but you won't always know its consequences right away.
I was just a little bit older Midnight & Corey in 2008. I was wrapping up 8th grade and I didn't know what a new presidency, a recession, & the financial fallout would bring. All I knew is that the adults around me were nervous. This book did a great job of showing the fears of all different kinds of people at that time.
It took me a little bit to get into Midnight's storyline in the beginning. I struggled to figure out his role in all of this, but the last 100 pages or so flew by as I couldn't want to find out what happened.
The book ended with some questions - I'd like to find out how Xavier and Ruth move on & if they decide to have children.
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Racism
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
While this was a perfectly fine book it fell a little short for me and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hope. What worked well for me was the exploration of the intersection of race and class - the ways the lives of working class Blacks and whites were similar and the ways they’d diverged, plus similarities and differences between working class Blacks and those who were at least middle-class. The portrayal of a small town suffering from an economic downturn, and the scenes showing police attitudes and behaviour towards Blacks were also well done. The family drama component of the plot also worked reasonably well. I may not have agreed with the way Mama handled the baby’s adoption but I understood her motivation, and Ruth’s reaction when she learnt the truth of it.
Where I struggled especially was with Ruth who often seemed selfish and self-centred. Some of that could perhaps be put down to her struggles as a Black woman from a poorer background and for having had decisions regarding her baby’s adoption made for her. However, the way she revealed herself to that child seemed inexcusable with the focus on her wants not his needs. Too often the book told rather than showed, and did so in a way that I failed to find convincing. Ruth’s friendship with Midnight is just one example. The ending also seemed a little too quick and neat to be satisfying or believable.
To reiterate, a perfectly fine book that didn’t fully click for me.
Graphic: Alcohol, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality
cayv97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Gun violence
Moderate: Pregnancy
sam_h's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Grief, Drug use, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Cancer, and Animal cruelty