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hannahfeathers's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
4.0
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
5.0
I actually finished this fantastic, thought-provoking YA book a few weeks ago but forgot to mark it as read. Had to work myself up to start this book because it’s about gaming, which I’m not into at all, but, wow! This book is about gaming, which I actually enjoyed, empowerment and many other deep topics. Fantastic read for teens!
annab3lla's review against another edition
5.0
Second read (2021):
Yep, still love this book!
First read (2019):
I devoured this book in a day and loved it to bits.
Yep, still love this book!
First read (2019):
I devoured this book in a day and loved it to bits.
cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition
4.0
Slay
By Brittney Morris
4.5/5⭐️
Slay is a novel about Kiera, a teenage girl who has to constantly monitor herself (how she speaks, how she acts, etc.) as one of the only Black students at her school. But none of her friends or family know that she's the game developer behind Slay, the popular online roleplaying game that celebrates Black culture all over the world. When a boy dies over a Slay dispute, Kiera's game is labelled exclusionary and racist. She has to try to save her game while remaining anonymous as the creator. She created Slay to be a place for Black people to be themselves and celebrate without fear of racism, and she isn't going to let it be taken away from her without a fight, especially when a troll threatens to sue her.
This book wasn't written for, or aimed at, white people like myself, but I really enjoyed reading it!
Kiera was a very brave protagonist, I found myself really hoping that she'd succeed, and drop her violent, sexist boyfriend Malcolm along the way. (He acted as if he owned her!) I loved Steph, Kiera's sister, and how she helped Kiera unquestionably.
Throughout this book, there are chapters from the pov of Black gamers all around the world who Slay. These were my favourite chapters, especially the one from a trans girl within a very unaccepting family who used Slay as an escape to be herself.
The world inside Slay was so well-described! I could easily imagine the duels, the characters, the cards. It was a brilliant concept!
I highly recommend this ya contemporary book!
TWs: murder, racism, blackface, bullying, online harassment, false accusations, toxic relationship, racial slurs, misogyny, death, police brutality (offpage), violence
By Brittney Morris
4.5/5⭐️
Slay is a novel about Kiera, a teenage girl who has to constantly monitor herself (how she speaks, how she acts, etc.) as one of the only Black students at her school. But none of her friends or family know that she's the game developer behind Slay, the popular online roleplaying game that celebrates Black culture all over the world. When a boy dies over a Slay dispute, Kiera's game is labelled exclusionary and racist. She has to try to save her game while remaining anonymous as the creator. She created Slay to be a place for Black people to be themselves and celebrate without fear of racism, and she isn't going to let it be taken away from her without a fight, especially when a troll threatens to sue her.
This book wasn't written for, or aimed at, white people like myself, but I really enjoyed reading it!
Kiera was a very brave protagonist, I found myself really hoping that she'd succeed, and drop her violent, sexist boyfriend Malcolm along the way. (He acted as if he owned her!) I loved Steph, Kiera's sister, and how she helped Kiera unquestionably.
Throughout this book, there are chapters from the pov of Black gamers all around the world who Slay. These were my favourite chapters, especially the one from a trans girl within a very unaccepting family who used Slay as an escape to be herself.
The world inside Slay was so well-described! I could easily imagine the duels, the characters, the cards. It was a brilliant concept!
I highly recommend this ya contemporary book!
TWs: murder, racism, blackface, bullying, online harassment, false accusations, toxic relationship, racial slurs, misogyny, death, police brutality (offpage), violence
htaylor34's review against another edition
5.0
It talks about racism in school and sexism for being a girl coder. I would definitely read it again and I would recommend it to black girls.
sinamile's review against another edition
4.0
CW/TW: mention of murder, mentions of death, racism, racial slurs, mention of lynching, allusion to nazis, abuse, transmisia, doxxing, hacking, internalised racism
1. Wipipo exhausting
2. Malcom is a trash bag, no, he's the whole bin, no he's the whole vehicle, the whole trash collector building. This is why I don't trust those "my nubian queen" types, smh
I enjoyed this so much, and the end was just
1. Wipipo exhausting
2. Malcom is a trash bag, no, he's the whole bin, no he's the whole vehicle, the whole trash collector building. This is why I don't trust those "my nubian queen" types, smh
I enjoyed this so much, and the end was just
ceena's review against another edition
5.0
This is so entertaining and I love the game she created. I think it is so creative.
The whole story really focuses on racism and if a game is racist if it is only available for a minority group, plus how it affects Kiera and her anxiety about it all.
I feel like it is all done so very well. I laughed, I cried, and continued to root the main character on, just hoping for the best.
I will be recommending this book all the time. Definitely for people who like video games and main characters finding their inner strength which leads to a happy ending.
The whole story really focuses on racism and if a game is racist if it is only available for a minority group, plus how it affects Kiera and her anxiety about it all.
I feel like it is all done so very well. I laughed, I cried, and continued to root the main character on, just hoping for the best.
I will be recommending this book all the time. Definitely for people who like video games and main characters finding their inner strength which leads to a happy ending.
thebookishhedgewitch's review against another edition
5.0
Kiera, after a disappointing and racist interaction on the equivalent of WOW, decides to program her own gaming world, just for black kids, so they have somewhere to feel accepted and not have to think so much about the things that are important to them. Until a boy is killed over the game; now Kiera is worried that people may be out to get her while grappling with the question of whether a Blacks-only space is discrimination in it's own right.
I loved the premise of this book - Black, teenage girl develops her own game. You do have to suspend a little bit of doubt about whether a seventeen year old would be able to both get great grades in school, have a social life, AND run the game essentially entirely by herself. Once you're able to let go of that, the book is very good. The character development in some of the secondary characters, especially Harper, is sort of filled with holes (although I did really appreciate that Harper turned around and "got it" by the end of the book, just would have liked to see more). I would have loved to see more of Cicada.
One thing I was a little disappointed in - the treatment of Kiera's relationship with Malcolm. Holy cow, it was as unhealthy as the grass is green. Teenagers get wrapped up in that "I'm in loooovveeee" feeling, I know, and they don't see unhealthy warnings the same way that adults do. So I guess, my main issue was that literally no one but her younger sister even steps up and says "hey WTF, this guy shouldn't talk to you like that." Kiera's interactions with Malcolm and his comments are what I would expect from a seventeen year old, but I was disappointed we never saw her parents chime in on their relationship.
I loved the premise of this book - Black, teenage girl develops her own game. You do have to suspend a little bit of doubt about whether a seventeen year old would be able to both get great grades in school, have a social life, AND run the game essentially entirely by herself. Once you're able to let go of that, the book is very good. The character development in some of the secondary characters, especially Harper, is sort of filled with holes (although I did really appreciate that Harper turned around and "got it" by the end of the book, just would have liked to see more). I would have loved to see more of Cicada.
One thing I was a little disappointed in - the treatment of Kiera's relationship with Malcolm. Holy cow, it was as unhealthy as the grass is green. Teenagers get wrapped up in that "I'm in loooovveeee" feeling, I know, and they don't see unhealthy warnings the same way that adults do. So I guess, my main issue was that literally no one but her younger sister even steps up and says "hey WTF, this guy shouldn't talk to you like that." Kiera's interactions with Malcolm and his comments are what I would expect from a seventeen year old, but I was disappointed we never saw her parents chime in on their relationship.
ekimball's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the_laibararian's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25