Reviews

Whiteout by Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson

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katieeigenfeld's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

jessicasilfenroy's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5⭐️I read Blackout last year and LOVED it. It’s one of my favorite YA books out there and one I recommend to all my students, so I was thrilled to see that the same team of authors were coming together for a Christmas-themed story. Just like in Blackout, this book follows different couples through a major event, this one being a big snow storm in Atlanta. I really loved the interwoven narratives, the variety of romance tropes, the sexual diversity, the Atlanta setting and the holiday spirit. However, I thought the big grand gesture this book was centered around was a little over the top for high schoolers, which prevented be from fully buying into the premise. Also, I found some of the character’s storylines to be similar, making it harder to differentiate between the full cast, especially when they were text chains.

Read if you like:
-YA romance reads
-Holiday books
-Atlanta setting
- Black and LGTBQIA+ voices

Pub date: 11/8/22

booksnbrains's review against another edition

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hopeful fast-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? No

4.0

thebooknerdscorner's review against another edition

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3.0

I read "Blackout" a couple days ago, so it's only natural that I picked up "Whiteout" soon after. Rather than a blackout in New York City, "Whiteout" takes place during an unexpected snowstorm in Atlanta. This novel is more tightly woven together than "Blackout" is, so it reads as more of one coherent story rather than a selection of short stories. The main premise of the book is that Stevie messes up badly in her relationship with their girlfriend, Sola, and needs the help of her friends to repair their relationship to what it once was. Unfortunately, I really don't like Stevie, so them being the center point of the novel is kind of a major letdown. Each character perspective is written by a different author and focuses on a different couples individual relationship, so I'll do an individual breakdown in a second. The only other thing I want to mention in this intro is the fact that many of these stories feature people who were once together, but now have dirt between them. This caused "Whiteout" to feel a bit repetitive, because most of the couples were trying to smooth out the problems that they have with one another in slightly different ways. Anyways, this doesn't make the stories bad, just a bit repetitive at times.

Now onto the individual stories! I included my guess for the author's of each story, but I'm not sure if I am one hundred percent right. (Though I feel pretty confident about my guesses, I have only read a full novel by Nicola Yoon, so there is that.)

Stevie & Sola by Dhonielle Clayton?: 🌟🌟
Personally, I didn't click well with Stevie nor Sola. Stevie is a science geek and Sola is a true romantic at heart. This makes them an interesting pair, but I didn't get hooked on either of their characters so I felt pretty meh about them as a whole. The circumstances of how they broke up were a bit strange, and most of their perspectives were made out of memories due to the fact that they were no longer together. I think this made me feel as though they were trying to tell me why their relationship is valid rather than showing me why, which makes for a slightly more boring reading experience.

Kaz & Porsha by Tiffany D. Jackson?: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This second chapter was a great pick me up after reading the first one. I love the fact that Kaz is a Muslim and that his family is celebrating their makeup Eid around Christmastime. Porsha is super into Christmas which is a bit much for me, but I thought it was an interesting thing to play with since Kaz is her best friend/love interest who doesn't celebrate the holiday. My favorite part about the story was most definitely the mall Santa; he just couldn't stay out of anyone's business!

E.R. & Van by Nic Stone: 🌟🌟🌟
This story made me a tad bit uncomfortable. It always confuses me when a character has an adoring partner that they are totally into and yet they ponder, "What if I get with this other person." I find it confusing and it saddens me. Don't lose what you already had! Despite this, I really enjoyed Eric and all that he did to support his friends.

Jordyn & Omari by Angie Thomas: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I loved the stuck in a confined place trope in this one. Jordyn and Omari have a bit of a complicated history. And they are forced to address it when they get snowed in on the interstate. I found it fun to read of these two's history, but there wasn't anything too original in this story. I was surprised when the grumpy parking lot guys from Kaz's story came back though.

Jimi & Téo (Lil Kinsey) by Ashley Woodfolk?: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was my favorite story by far. I love how these two bond through poetry and music. The fact that she is an aspiring artist and he is a successful rapper (which is where the Lil Kinsey comes in) makes for such an interesting dynamic between the two. I found their relationship so genuine, their history to be quite sad, and the romantic gestures in this story to be so on point. Of all the characters, they were my favorite and I would love to hear more of their relationship. I would totally read an entire book about these two. Also, the Edward Cullen reference was golden. ;)

Ava & Mason by Nicola Yoon: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I also really enjoyed this story. Ava and Mason both volunteer at their local aquarium and are total nerds about the animals that reside there. I found their romance to be the most fleshed out in all the stories, mostly because they have been dating for quite some time and I actually understood the reason why they broke up (unlike with E.R./Van or Stevie/Sola). I love how they dealt with the uncertainties of the future and worked through their worries like adults in this story. I would also read an entire novel featuring these two.

Overall, "Whiteout" was still a fun hodgepodge of romances starring black characters. It was a fun read covering some realistic issues that one may have during a relationship. I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I did "Blackout," even though I feel "Whiteout" was structured better. The characters in this one weren't nearly as strong and the problems often felt rather repetitive. "Whiteout" is a fast and cozy read perfect for the winter holidays if you don't want to read full on holiday book but want something to put you in the holiday spirit.

desireesbounds's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

dejeunee's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

I did like Blackout better of the two but I still thought this was very sweet and I enjoyed the cast of characters. Black teens falling in love, a friendship plotting a sweet surprise and figuring it all out in between.