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bookishrealm's review against another edition
4.0
Listen, eventually I'm going to read everything that Randi Pink has to offer. I haven't been disappointed yet. If you're looking for an interesting mix between historical fiction and realistic fiction, this is the book for you. CW: death of a loved one, grieving, selective mutism, racism
We Are the Scribes follows main character Ruth Fitz who has a political analyst as a mother, a professor as a father, and a sister who is an up and coming activist. Unlike the rest of her family, Ruth has a more difficult time finding her voice so she writes instead. Unfortunately, when a family tragedy strikes, Ruth makes the decision to stop writing. Soon she begins to receive letters from Harriet Jacobs the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with a seal titled "We Are the Scribes."
One of my favorite aspects of this book is it's simplicity. It isn't overly complex, but does a brilliant job communicating the power of finding one's voice. Ruth doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of activist family. It's through the course of changing family dynamics that she realizes how much she contributes to the fight against racism and misogyny. To be honest, I really enjoyed Ruth as a character. When her mother gets the opportunity to run for office, Ruth attempts to stay true to herself even through the simple things like hairstyles and clothing.
The connection between Ruth and Harriet is seamlessly woven into the framework of the story. As Harriet details the struggles and trauma of her own life, readers begin to understand her connection to Ruth. While they are not going through the same exact experiences, the struggle to find one's voice in a sea of many is so perfectly done. I didn't realize how much both of their stories would impact me on an emotional level. They both lose so much that I couldn't help but to empathize with their journeys.
Honestly, this book has so many great elements. I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read it. My only criticism is that I wish that it was just a tad longer so we could spend more time with the characters; however, I do recognize and realize that I am not the intended audience and that this book would work well for younger teen readers as well as reluctant readers.
We Are the Scribes follows main character Ruth Fitz who has a political analyst as a mother, a professor as a father, and a sister who is an up and coming activist. Unlike the rest of her family, Ruth has a more difficult time finding her voice so she writes instead. Unfortunately, when a family tragedy strikes, Ruth makes the decision to stop writing. Soon she begins to receive letters from Harriet Jacobs the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with a seal titled "We Are the Scribes."
One of my favorite aspects of this book is it's simplicity. It isn't overly complex, but does a brilliant job communicating the power of finding one's voice. Ruth doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of activist family. It's through the course of changing family dynamics that she realizes how much she contributes to the fight against racism and misogyny. To be honest, I really enjoyed Ruth as a character. When her mother gets the opportunity to run for office, Ruth attempts to stay true to herself even through the simple things like hairstyles and clothing.
The connection between Ruth and Harriet is seamlessly woven into the framework of the story. As Harriet details the struggles and trauma of her own life, readers begin to understand her connection to Ruth. While they are not going through the same exact experiences, the struggle to find one's voice in a sea of many is so perfectly done. I didn't realize how much both of their stories would impact me on an emotional level. They both lose so much that I couldn't help but to empathize with their journeys.
Honestly, this book has so many great elements. I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read it. My only criticism is that I wish that it was just a tad longer so we could spend more time with the characters; however, I do recognize and realize that I am not the intended audience and that this book would work well for younger teen readers as well as reluctant readers.
wicklh1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
queenmudds's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.5
cass_lit's review against another edition
4.5
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Randi Pink so far, and We Are the Scribes was no different. Ruth’s journey was so sweet and so powerful, despite the tragedy she and her family experienced. I loved reading about her relationship with her brother and sister (even though it was also heartbreaking). The letters from Harriet Jacob’s were a little jarring to get used to in the story, but they ended up meaning so much to Ruth that I looked forward to her getting the letters too.
jennybeautifulbook's review against another edition
4.0
I love how the narrative highlights Ruth’s journey to reckon with her complex feelings and rediscover her love for writing. She also really comes into her own as an activist in her own right.
megjchild's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
This book pulled me in from the first chapter. This was written beautifully
lyonmir16's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
5.0
This was such an incredibly well-written and powerful YA story about Ruth, a young Black girl whose mother is running for Vice President of the United States while the rest of her family is still grieving the death of her older sister.
Added to all the timely BLM content, political activism, racism and misogyny was an extra layer of historical fiction/magical realism, in which Ruth is gifted scribes from the past written by Harriet Jacobs, a real African American slave and author.
This was excellent on audio narrated by Imani Jade Powers and perfect for fans of books like One of the good ones by Maika Moulite or The conductors by Nicole Glover. I loved seeing Ruth's journey to find her voice and her family's path to healing.
Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Added to all the timely BLM content, political activism, racism and misogyny was an extra layer of historical fiction/magical realism, in which Ruth is gifted scribes from the past written by Harriet Jacobs, a real African American slave and author.
This was excellent on audio narrated by Imani Jade Powers and perfect for fans of books like One of the good ones by Maika Moulite or The conductors by Nicole Glover. I loved seeing Ruth's journey to find her voice and her family's path to healing.
Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
uadjyt's review against another edition
5.0
This book is for all writers but especially young black femme writers who are trying to finally use their voice after locking it up for so long. My heart squeezed and was elated at this novel. Ruth is wonderfully authentic character and I saw so much of myself in her. The pain of loss and the finding your way back to yourself was such a relatable message. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it left me with a deep impression of "Write, Girl". I highly recommend this one, it's a 10/10 for me.