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melaniereadsbooks's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Teen for a finished copy of this book.
I loved Candice Iloh's debut, Every Body Looking, and knew I needed to read their second. Yaminah has been living in Brooklyn with her father for years, trying to stay away from the wreckage of the rest of her family. But when she gets an invite to a family reunion and realize her abusive mother has died, she heads back to Obsidian to reckon with her past and family.
This book was poignant and deep. Even though it is not written in verse, it felt like it at times with the poetry of the prose. Minah is a great main character and I loved the growth and understanding she was able to go through in this book. It talks about a lot of concepts such as emotional abuse, gentrification, and family.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more by Iloh!
I loved Candice Iloh's debut, Every Body Looking, and knew I needed to read their second. Yaminah has been living in Brooklyn with her father for years, trying to stay away from the wreckage of the rest of her family. But when she gets an invite to a family reunion and realize her abusive mother has died, she heads back to Obsidian to reckon with her past and family.
This book was poignant and deep. Even though it is not written in verse, it felt like it at times with the poetry of the prose. Minah is a great main character and I loved the growth and understanding she was able to go through in this book. It talks about a lot of concepts such as emotional abuse, gentrification, and family.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more by Iloh!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
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