bookedandfrizzy's reviews
168 reviews
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
Colliding With Fate by A.E. Valdez
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? No
4.25
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
This is not the sort of story that you can remove yourself from. The storytelling is so vivid and real that you immediately get lost in the pages. We journey with Annis, a girl who is walked south from a rice plantation in the Carolinas to Louisiana where she is sold at market and enslaves on a sugar plantation. It’s a difficult read about a terrible time in our history but Annis is the kind of heroine you immediately connect with and root for. I would actually call this book an experience.
The writing is different from what I am typically drawn to but it’s so expressive that I couldn’t turn away. This story combines two of my favorite genres: historical fiction and magical realism. This aspect added something entirely different to the plot for me. It really made me ponder on the things that give us hope, the things that keeps us going, and the things that give is an escape while we are on our journey . The secondary characters made this story even more magical. I could read a story about mama Aza and the warrior wives.
This is my first book by Ward but it definitely won’t be my last.
All I've Wanted All I've Needed by A.E. Valdez
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
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? No
5.0
Holding by Alexandria House
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am not even sure where to begin. This story was a wild ride Completely unexpected. I feel sort of disoriented. The storytelling was beautiful, the characters are compelling. I am left with the feeling that this was a lot, but still not quite enough. I would definitely recommend this book to readers though. The setting alone is different from other books I have read, I felt drawn to the characters and I felt invested in the outcome. I was completely drawn in by the political setting and the culture of the book. The tales were a great mechanism in the story that is already very nuanced. Still, the ending left me wanting more. But in some ways, I guess it ended in the only way that it could.
We Do This 'til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0