samanthamurk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
With every one of tiffany d jackson’s books i read i fall more and more in love with her work. This book is definitely a new favorite. I loved the story start to finish. I loved the multiple points of view, the pop culture references, the appreciation for ms lauryn hill, the wonderful lyrics intertwined in the story, everything about this book is wonderful. I might be a bit biased since books and music are my two favorite things in this world and the combination of them makes me ridiculously happy, but this is one of the best books i have ever had the pleasure of reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Police brutality and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Tiffany D. Jackson is an auto-buy author for me, okay? She is SO TALENTED and I can just trust that her books will be a hit with me. This was no different.
There are two major parts to the plot of this book: Jasmine, Quadir, and Jarrell trying to get their dead brother and friend Steph a record deal, and them trying to solve his murder. The music side of the plot paced the story well from the beginning. It brought some levity to it as the MCs were made to navigate the challenges brought about when you’re trying to get a record deal for someone who is no longer alive. It still had a huge emotional impact though, because it was through Steph’s music that the MCs were processing their grief and mourning for him. The murder mystery plot line mirrored the music one in that through trying to solve Steph’s murder, the MCs were seeking closure and also justice for Steph. And it certainly kept me guessing till the end! Inextricably woven into all of this was nuanced discussion of racism, classism, and sexism, and the way they manifest in social issues (that directly impacted and influenced the story itself) such as police brutality, lack of access and opportunity, and gun violence.
The MCs were excellent. Individually they all had amazing character development, coming so far from where they started out at the beginning of the book. This really is a coming-of-age story, where Jarrell, Quadir and Jasmine are learning a lot about themselves, each other, and the world around them.
The friendship shown in this story was beautiful. Not only was it written so naturally, but the MCs had such loyalty and love for one another, and for Steph. The lengths they went to make his dreams come true and get justice for him spoke to their deep devotion. I also liked the romance between Quadir and Jasmine, and generally loved how community was depicted in people showing up for others when they needed it.
Finally, I loved learning about 90s hip hop culture, like what different artists were known for and the impact their music had on listeners. On that note, Malik “Malik-16” Sharif’s lyrics were incredible in how expressive they were and and how they perfectly tied into the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Police brutality, Violence, Cursing, Racism, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Bullying, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Ableism, Body shaming, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Vomit, Drug use, Racial slurs, Confinement, Colonisation, Death of parent, Slavery, and Gun violence
Major: loss of a loved one Moderate: fainting Minor: texturism, internalised misogynymorganperks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
On The Come Up vibes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Death
Moderate: Murder, Cursing, Police brutality, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Child death, and Violence
invaderlinz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Grief, and Death
jennastopreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see? Sometimes your words just hypnotize me…
Replace Biggie with Tiffany Jackson’s name in that hook, and you have my feelings about this YA masterpiece. Why aren’t more people reading/talking about this book?! Seriously, this book should easily have 50,000 ratings on Goodreads by now
This book described life in 1990’s Bed-Stuy so vividly. I felt like I was walking the streets with the teens and like I was a part of their friendships and romances. The development of each character kept me completely engrossed as I peeled back the layer of each of their stories and learned the motives behind every action they took throughout the course of the novel.
5 adjectives to describe this book:
conversational – I recommend listening to the audio for at least part of it if you can.
informative – I learned so much about a time period/place I didn’t get to live through as an adult.
raw – the way Jackson accesses and expresses emotions is unbelievably powerful.
gripping – never bored.
suspenseful
conversational – I recommend listening to the audio for at least part of it if you can.
informative – I learned so much about a time period/place I didn’t get to live through as an adult.
raw – the way Jackson accesses and expresses emotions is unbelievably powerful.
gripping – never bored.
suspenseful
5 things about this book (4 I loved, 1 I didn’t):
I loved the characters and their unique personalities. I always knew whose POV I was reading just by the language in it.
I loved the budding romance between two of our MC’s.
I loved that everything was not as it seemed.
I loved the layers – they were executed perfectly and woven together so intricately and flawlessly.
I didn’t love how quickly it wrapped up once the mystery was solved.
I loved the characters and their unique personalities. I always knew whose POV I was reading just by the language in it.
I loved the budding romance between two of our MC’s.
I loved that everything was not as it seemed.
I loved the layers – they were executed perfectly and woven together so intricately and flawlessly.
I didn’t love how quickly it wrapped up once the mystery was solved.
Overall, this book packs a powerful punch while still retaining its very readable YA skeleton. Absolutely recommend. 4.75 stars from me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, and Racial slurs
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