Reviews

Spin by Lamar Giles

shellysbookcorner's review against another edition

4.0

I've read other works by this author before in anthologies so I was excited to read a full length novel. It did take me some time to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. I enjoyed how in depth this book was when it came to music, shady people and the intense fandom as well. This book also touched on the lack of media coverage when a person of color is killed which I thought was an important topic as well. When the killer is revealed I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be that person. I had my money on someone else. Way to keep me on my toes! I love the fact that book had diverse characters and not just your stereotypical black characters as well. As a black woman I found this very refreshing! Overall, I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more books from this author.

'Shelly's Book Corner received a review copy from Amazon Vine and voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.'

mdettmann's review against another edition

A 2020 BFYA Nominee! Check out my blog post here:
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2019/04/19/best-fiction-young-adults-bfya2020-nominees-round-april-19-edition/

scrollsofdragons's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

annebennett1957's review against another edition

3.0

Interestingly I just finished ON THE COME UP by Thomas. Both books have similar themes...creation of Hip-Hop music. This book has a mystery as well, but I liked the other better. I had a hard time picturing the characters and the settings described and found myself confused quite often about the action.

alyram4's review against another edition

3.0

Borrowed this from the library since that tagline on the cover caught my attention. I liked it, but it definitely could've been a lot better in terms of mystery/thriller. It was fairly easy to catch onto the gist of the clues, and I found had a suspicion of who the murderer was before Fuse and Kya. The reveal itself was lacking, and the ending chapters were very lackluster. Even though you could tell the book was trying to tug at your heartstrings all throughout, especially at the end, it's a bit difficult to feel a connection to Parsec's character. Again, I think it could've been a lot better, but it was still fairly good.

stara87's review against another edition

2.0

Well written (particularly for YA) but too long, implausible to the degree that I was straining to suspend belief (the darknation parts), and the twist was predictable.

girlreading's review against another edition

4.0

Not only does this book feature a brilliantly gripping mystery, it also superbly explores the all too prevalent and dangerous issue regarding the lack of interest/effort from the public and police when it comes to looking for justice for crimes against Black girls and women.

Despite a somewhat slow start, I found myself entirely hooked to this story. I loved Kya, Fuse and Paris's distinct voices (which were especially well portrayed in the audiobook narration).

It's got a gripping mystery, fantastic social commentary, a wonderful slow burn friendship, powerful teens, exploration of the dark side of fandoms and some Veronica Mars style detective work. Basically, this book has truly got it all.

afro8921's review against another edition

4.0

DJ Parsec is a hip-hop artist known for her unique sound and her ability to rock a party. Her star is just beginning to rise when she is tragically murdered. DJ Parsec’s two best friends, but mortal enemies must put aside their differences to find her killer. Social media’s effect on ways a rap artist achieves stardom takes center stage in this novel.

b_jud's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.0

notlikethebeer's review against another edition

5.0

This was bloody incredible, and any words or description of it I can think of just don't do it justice. Just... wow. Please read it. As a white reader, I would especially urge other white readers to read it, particularly those into true crime and/or crime of any sort- it raises a plethora of important issues in a fantastic way. Blimey, have I said it's amazing?