sieldevos's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fiction, WLW, ETL
Very good written historical fiction book that tries to capture the struggle of integration in 1950's in the USA and the way people thought back then. WLW romance included but did not pull the focus off of the main theme of integration
Very good written historical fiction book that tries to capture the struggle of integration in 1950's in the USA and the way people thought back then. WLW romance included but did not pull the focus off of the main theme of integration
alpacalunch's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book. Lots of chemistry between main characters, and the supporting characters were well rounded too.
allbookedup_'s review against another edition
3.0
The reason I enjoyed this book was because it was real. It wasn’t one of those books that had a character suddenly decide that they were wrong and see the right side. It showed a character with human flaws. It was true to the 1950/60s segregation in the South and spoke of things that made sense.
The story is about two girls, one black and one white, suddenly going to the same high school after a law was passed to integrate the High School. It talked about hardships that teenage girls have to face and deal with as well as hardships people had to face at the time.
It was a good book-not great. Not to spoil anything but at the end there was a “twist” thrown in there that I can understand but just seemed to have been a last minute thought instead of weaved in throughout the book. Overall it was ok.
The story is about two girls, one black and one white, suddenly going to the same high school after a law was passed to integrate the High School. It talked about hardships that teenage girls have to face and deal with as well as hardships people had to face at the time.
It was a good book-not great. Not to spoil anything but at the end there was a “twist” thrown in there that I can understand but just seemed to have been a last minute thought instead of weaved in throughout the book. Overall it was ok.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
2.0
The writing of this is important. The integration of schools was so difficult for African American children and their voices deserve to be heard.
However, it felt that Talley couldn't decide which voice she wanted to be heard. Her characters stumbled between causes and stances. Racism was "switched" over too quickly to non-racism, and I just never found myself absorbed in this one.
However, it felt that Talley couldn't decide which voice she wanted to be heard. Her characters stumbled between causes and stances. Racism was "switched" over too quickly to non-racism, and I just never found myself absorbed in this one.
bardicbramley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
elliebailey's review against another edition
5.0
I will add a more detailed review tomorrow because it is late, but my initial reaction after finishing is simply WOW .
alice94's review against another edition
5.0
This book was one that I got recommended from my manager and honestly it was not one that I thought I would enjoy as much as I did. Well it ended up being a book that not only did I enjoy, but I also managed to complete in just a single day. Honestly, putting this book down for even a minute from starting was difficult for me as I wanted to know what happened on the next page.
It is a book that tells of how people were segregated in America and how the influence of the parents can have a great impact on their children and their future decisions. Although this book is an LGBT book I must say it was also one that was not completely focused on that topic but rather touched up on how LGBT community was treated in those times. Additionally, it shows how meeting people and their perception of different religions and races can effect how you view them.
The book spoke to me from the race, religion and LGBT perspective, all of those showing how the individuals around you and how they carry themselves can change their environment and become better despite decades of their preconceptions. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone.
There is a cross burning in Chuck's yard. That's what Daddy and the others are doing. Making sure the fire's out. And trying to find the white men who set it. I pray Daddy and Mama aren't the one to find them. I don't know how we make it home.
It is a book that tells of how people were segregated in America and how the influence of the parents can have a great impact on their children and their future decisions. Although this book is an LGBT book I must say it was also one that was not completely focused on that topic but rather touched up on how LGBT community was treated in those times. Additionally, it shows how meeting people and their perception of different religions and races can effect how you view them.
The book spoke to me from the race, religion and LGBT perspective, all of those showing how the individuals around you and how they carry themselves can change their environment and become better despite decades of their preconceptions. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone.
There is a cross burning in Chuck's yard. That's what Daddy and the others are doing. Making sure the fire's out. And trying to find the white men who set it. I pray Daddy and Mama aren't the one to find them. I don't know how we make it home.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read 2021: 7 years later and I decided it was high time to re-read this one! This was an amazing read and I loved it just as much as I did when I read it almost 7 years ago (time flies!). It is wonderfully written, though at times hard because of the topic (racism) and the things that happen to the black people in the book. My heart broke for our group of teens and all they experienced. The shouting, the tripping, the spitting, and the violence. :( Next to racism there is also religion and figuring out your feelings/who you like, and that is not easy when While I wasn't always a fan of Linda, I did love her growth and seeing her change. Sarah was an interesting character, and just like Linda, she grew, changed.
The ending had me smiling and I wouldn't have minded two epilogues. One what we have now and the other featuring a few months later with Sarah and Linda.
Highly recommended!
-----------------------------------------------------
I have always been interested in this period in history, the day(s) that black people were able to go to school with white people (and later on also stores and other things). I haven't yet found a book like this one that talks about how it went. And sure it is fiction, but the author did their research, talked to people and more, so the base of the story will have truths. It was really interesting to see the situation from two sides. A black girl and a white girl, both telling their point of views on the situation. And that balances it, you see why white people did their things, why they thought like this. And mostly it is because of the parents, parents who kept telling their kids that black people are (insert a lot of stereotypes) and that they should avoid them. Add to that group pressure and the fear that you might get murdered because you are hanging around a black person, it is a complex situation, and the book really shows it clearly from both sides.
I really liked the 2 main characters and while it wasn't like from the beginning (it took a few chapters), in the end I really liked them and was cheering for them. Since not only were they in a country and time where hanging out together is not really sociably acceptable, they also had something else going on (not telling what, I will let you read about it).
They both had their good and bad sides. Both were convinced of their rights and they slowly started seeing it from the other side as well as the book progressed.
The truths/lies thing was something I liked. It was really creative to start with lies and end with truths. Because even though they said they were fine, they would be fine, they were lying. Things would happen and they wouldn't be fine, not until much later.
The book gave me goosebumps, good (as in something lovely happened) and also bad (as in something gruesome happened). There are quite a few situations that made me happy, and others that made me angry. Angry at people for being such racists, for being so horrendous just because someone has a different colour. Not looking at them individually but looking at them as one unit, black, white, yellow and so on. Adults and children everyone was just positively horrendous at times. But thank Lord, there were people who were kind, who tried to help out, who tried to stop things.
I would truly recommend this book, everyone should read this and I think it would fit perfectly at school when this period of time comes up for discussion.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Spoiler
you are both girls and you have two different skin types in a country and time where that isn't accepted.The ending had me smiling and I wouldn't have minded two epilogues. One what we have now and the other featuring a few months later with Sarah and Linda.
Highly recommended!
-----------------------------------------------------
I have always been interested in this period in history, the day(s) that black people were able to go to school with white people (and later on also stores and other things). I haven't yet found a book like this one that talks about how it went. And sure it is fiction, but the author did their research, talked to people and more, so the base of the story will have truths. It was really interesting to see the situation from two sides. A black girl and a white girl, both telling their point of views on the situation. And that balances it, you see why white people did their things, why they thought like this. And mostly it is because of the parents, parents who kept telling their kids that black people are (insert a lot of stereotypes) and that they should avoid them. Add to that group pressure and the fear that you might get murdered because you are hanging around a black person, it is a complex situation, and the book really shows it clearly from both sides.
I really liked the 2 main characters and while it wasn't like from the beginning (it took a few chapters), in the end I really liked them and was cheering for them. Since not only were they in a country and time where hanging out together is not really sociably acceptable, they also had something else going on (not telling what, I will let you read about it).
They both had their good and bad sides. Both were convinced of their rights and they slowly started seeing it from the other side as well as the book progressed.
The truths/lies thing was something I liked. It was really creative to start with lies and end with truths. Because even though they said they were fine, they would be fine, they were lying. Things would happen and they wouldn't be fine, not until much later.
The book gave me goosebumps, good (as in something lovely happened) and also bad (as in something gruesome happened). There are quite a few situations that made me happy, and others that made me angry. Angry at people for being such racists, for being so horrendous just because someone has a different colour. Not looking at them individually but looking at them as one unit, black, white, yellow and so on. Adults and children everyone was just positively horrendous at times. But thank Lord, there were people who were kind, who tried to help out, who tried to stop things.
I would truly recommend this book, everyone should read this and I think it would fit perfectly at school when this period of time comes up for discussion.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
jessica_flower's review against another edition
3.0
TW: racism, several (!) racial slurs, hate crimes, severe bullying, bystander effect, racial discrimination, institutionalized racism, internalized racism, segregationist views, 1960s typical sexism, homophobia, internalized homophobia and religious angst, domestic abuse, secret relationship between a high school student and school staff member
The writing in here is arguably the best part; the book crackles with the sort of tension that makes your back seize and your shoulders scrunch up. However, please please please heed the trigger warnings before picking this book up. The racial harassment and verbal abuse in this book is no joke. Case in point, I've never seen the n-word in a story so many times before, and it made me so uncomfortable I had to put the book down for a few months before I felt ready enough to go back into the story.
A few times, I wondered if it was worth reading through all this to the end, because reading about Sarah (our main POV) and her sister and the rest of the black students go through so much hate just for being in a previously all-white school made me want to slap the shit out of all their bullies myself. Linda (our other main POV), wasn't even one of those bullies; no, she has a strong case of bystander effect even when black kids are getting hit in front of her. It made her such an unlikable character, but I guess she's supposed to be. She's supposed to represent the internalized racism that white people have and need to get over. But, I decided to continue because I wanted to find out - how does the story end? What happens to the new black students at the school? Does Sarah stop hating herself and thinking she's sinful for liking girls? Does Linda realize all the segregation bullshit she's heard all her life from her hateful father is wrong? Do these two girls actually end up in a relationship together, and how?
Well, the answer to the last one is yes. They end up going north together after they graduate, and if I'm being honest, while Linda did make some progress to unlearn her racial bias against black people, I don't think she and Sarah should be in a relationship together. Linda still has a lot of baggage, conscious and unconscious racial bias and I doubt that relationship would be healthy.
I also doubt this book would be published the same if it came out in 2021 instead of 2014.
The writing in here is arguably the best part; the book crackles with the sort of tension that makes your back seize and your shoulders scrunch up. However, please please please heed the trigger warnings before picking this book up. The racial harassment and verbal abuse in this book is no joke. Case in point, I've never seen the n-word in a story so many times before, and it made me so uncomfortable I had to put the book down for a few months before I felt ready enough to go back into the story.
A few times, I wondered if it was worth reading through all this to the end, because reading about Sarah (our main POV) and her sister and the rest of the black students go through so much hate just for being in a previously all-white school made me want to slap the shit out of all their bullies myself. Linda (our other main POV), wasn't even one of those bullies; no, she has a strong case of bystander effect even when black kids are getting hit in front of her. It made her such an unlikable character, but I guess she's supposed to be. She's supposed to represent the internalized racism that white people have and need to get over. But, I decided to continue because I wanted to find out - how does the story end? What happens to the new black students at the school? Does Sarah stop hating herself and thinking she's sinful for liking girls? Does Linda realize all the segregation bullshit she's heard all her life from her hateful father is wrong? Do these two girls actually end up in a relationship together, and how?
Well, the answer to the last one is yes. They end up going north together after they graduate, and if I'm being honest, while Linda did make some progress to unlearn her racial bias against black people, I don't think she and Sarah should be in a relationship together. Linda still has a lot of baggage, conscious and unconscious racial bias and I doubt that relationship would be healthy.
I also doubt this book would be published the same if it came out in 2021 instead of 2014.
sophiaoquias's review against another edition
5.0
I was dragged in from beginning to end. I couldn't stop reading it. The characters were also written very well, most particularly Sarah Dunbar and Linda Hairston. Lies We Tell Ourselves easily became a favorite. I only wish that the story were longer. I want to know what happens after the ending.