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A review by bookishrealm
Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson
4.0
Surprisingly, I thought that I was going to dislike this especially because it focuses on a young girl altering herself for a teenage boy, but this was done well.
Love Is a Revolution primarily focuses on main character, Nala Robertson, who finds herself falling in love with Tye after attending a spoken word event held by a local organization that her sister-cousin-friend Imani is a part of. Instead of being true to herself, Nala makes the decision to alter various things about her personality to encourage a relationship between herself and Tye. What follows is a hard lesson about falling in love, heartbreak, family, and staying true to oneself.
What Worked: Renee Watson has such beautiful, lyrical writing that made reading this book a breeze. I was captivated by every word, every sentence. There were nods to Jamaican family dynamics and culture that I absolutely loved as well. Surprisingly, I both loved and disliked the character development. Nala is changing herself for a guy and reading her lie to him over and over again was frustrating; HOWEVER, I am not the target audience for this book. When I took a brief second and viewed this story through the lens of teenagers, I realized that this is a story that I would have appreciated growing up. A plus size Black teen that isn't ashamed of her body, but still experiences insecurities in ways that are normal for teenagers. Most of us have changed ourselves in some way hoping to fit in and gain acceptance. Things are no different for Nala. She feels left out of the circle of secondary characters who throw themselves into activism when Nala would rather spend her free time watching movies. Naturally, when she grows feelings for Tye, who is an active member in this circle of friends, Nala doesn't feel like she's up to what would be considered his personal standards. But instead of it being in looks, it's about perceived intelligence through the lens of activism. Lately, there has been an increase in activism in young adult communities. I appreciate that Watson tackles this idea that activism can take place in a variety of ways and sometimes it's okay to JUST be a KID/TEENAGER. As a parent, I fear, sometimes, that we push younger generations to be the change they want to see so heavily that they burn themselves out and forget to enjoy life. Nala brings that balance to the table. She wants to make change, but she also recognizes the importance of simply enjoying friends and family. Nala is by no means a perfect character. She's not always likeable and she can be frustrating, BUT she's still growing. She's a teenager trying to not only find her voice, but also her place in her community. I loved seeing her grow and shift into this person that is actively aware of the decisions that she makes in regard to herself and others. And major props to Watson for the nods to Lucille Clifton. I really appreciated that.
Overall, this was a good book. I know that it won't work for everyone especially for adults, but I really appreciated the commentary that Watson made throughout the story.
Love Is a Revolution primarily focuses on main character, Nala Robertson, who finds herself falling in love with Tye after attending a spoken word event held by a local organization that her sister-cousin-friend Imani is a part of. Instead of being true to herself, Nala makes the decision to alter various things about her personality to encourage a relationship between herself and Tye. What follows is a hard lesson about falling in love, heartbreak, family, and staying true to oneself.
What Worked: Renee Watson has such beautiful, lyrical writing that made reading this book a breeze. I was captivated by every word, every sentence. There were nods to Jamaican family dynamics and culture that I absolutely loved as well. Surprisingly, I both loved and disliked the character development. Nala is changing herself for a guy and reading her lie to him over and over again was frustrating; HOWEVER, I am not the target audience for this book. When I took a brief second and viewed this story through the lens of teenagers, I realized that this is a story that I would have appreciated growing up. A plus size Black teen that isn't ashamed of her body, but still experiences insecurities in ways that are normal for teenagers. Most of us have changed ourselves in some way hoping to fit in and gain acceptance. Things are no different for Nala. She feels left out of the circle of secondary characters who throw themselves into activism when Nala would rather spend her free time watching movies. Naturally, when she grows feelings for Tye, who is an active member in this circle of friends, Nala doesn't feel like she's up to what would be considered his personal standards. But instead of it being in looks, it's about perceived intelligence through the lens of activism. Lately, there has been an increase in activism in young adult communities. I appreciate that Watson tackles this idea that activism can take place in a variety of ways and sometimes it's okay to JUST be a KID/TEENAGER. As a parent, I fear, sometimes, that we push younger generations to be the change they want to see so heavily that they burn themselves out and forget to enjoy life. Nala brings that balance to the table. She wants to make change, but she also recognizes the importance of simply enjoying friends and family. Nala is by no means a perfect character. She's not always likeable and she can be frustrating, BUT she's still growing. She's a teenager trying to not only find her voice, but also her place in her community. I loved seeing her grow and shift into this person that is actively aware of the decisions that she makes in regard to herself and others. And major props to Watson for the nods to Lucille Clifton. I really appreciated that.
Overall, this was a good book. I know that it won't work for everyone especially for adults, but I really appreciated the commentary that Watson made throughout the story.