A review by melbsreads
The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Trigger warnings: hospitalisation of a grandparent, parent with cancer, gentrification, child abandonment (in the past), classism, gun violence, murder (in the past)
This is essentially a love letter to Harlem and the sense of community that goes along with it, and the different ways in which community can show itself. The three protagonists are all from very different backgrounds - Jin lives with her grandparents who run a bodega, Alex is rich but determined to use her wealth for good, and Elvin is living with his grandfather while his mother undergoes cancer treatment in California - and the dynamic between them worked well.
The mystery side of things could have been a liiiiittle faster paced for my liking, but I enjoyed that they actually had to go off and do research and learn about their neighbourhood and the threat of gentrification (in this case, through a Harlem themed amusement park) in order to work out what to do next in regards to solving the mystery.
A lovely mix of Harlem's history and its present, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is essentially a love letter to Harlem and the sense of community that goes along with it, and the different ways in which community can show itself. The three protagonists are all from very different backgrounds - Jin lives with her grandparents who run a bodega, Alex is rich but determined to use her wealth for good, and Elvin is living with his grandfather while his mother undergoes cancer treatment in California - and the dynamic between them worked well.
The mystery side of things could have been a liiiiittle faster paced for my liking, but I enjoyed that they actually had to go off and do research and learn about their neighbourhood and the threat of gentrification (in this case, through a Harlem themed amusement park) in order to work out what to do next in regards to solving the mystery.
A lovely mix of Harlem's history and its present, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.