A review by ronniereadsbooks
Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I've been waiting for a book featuring a magical Black boy for a while. When I first heard about Blood At the Root, I was excited. And it definitely kept me excited throughout the book. The story of a Black boy who faced tremendously loss while holding out hope to be reunited with his mother hit me. I admit Malik worked my nerves at times. I understood his distrust for many people based on his upbringing, there were moments where he could've saved himself some stress by listening to others. However, in that regard he was a typical teenager. In terms of writing, the use of pop culture references throughout helped me related to the narrative, but at times took me out. Instead of a reference, a more detailed description would've kept me immersed in the world. At one point, there is a reference to a character acting like they are meeting Beyonce or Oprah. I would've preferred for the reaction to be described in detail. Additionally, some twists were easy to pick up on. Overall, I really enjoyed Blood At The Root and am excited for Book 2.
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