It’s a story that places you as the reader in the throes of poverty, specifically in America’s Deep South from the vantage point of a billionaire — a Black billionaire. The main character, James/Mr. Jimmy, is accustomed to his wealth and stature, not in an obnoxiously arrogant and entitled manner but as more of a humanitarian worldly view “I have more money than I could ever need”.

He’s left to confront his position of power after fleeing from his problems in DC when he “loses it all (not the money of course)”, landing in a dilapidated Black community in a small town in Mississippi. A community that has nothing, not even proper plumbing or government assistance. It is a challenge to sit with and dissect stories that depict very real Black American struggles, but I thought the very bold tie in to Mr. Jimmy’s path of redemption is a tale of possibility when community is at the forefront.

Although James/Mr. Jimmy is our main character, the character arc of the people “around the way” was the most commendable, especially Fountain and the children. I think once someone becomes a billionaire, trying to shake their financially ego driven behaviors (communication/self-righteousness/compromises) is hard to overlook and by his age are second nature.

There are some aspects of the story that I wish we received more closure on or details about, which resulted in a 4.5 star rating rounded-up. To avoid spoilers, I’ll keep it brief — Rebecca’s health/lack of open communication & that flashback to the conversation James had with her mother, Jabu’s mother Patrice & the use of those photos, and the overt community racism.

Thank you to Beaufort Books for an advanced reader copy!

I’ll continue to think of this book, the themes, the characters, and what it means to tell the story of what is possible when we connect with our neighbors to use the resources we have to build.

The Queer Girl is Going to be Okay by Dale Walls

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.75

It’s not like any other young adult LGBTQIA+ story I’ve read before. The author invites us into the struggle and violations that distinctively affect the queer community, as well as the overlap in daily struggles of being a teen - being a girl - being human.

Dawn, Edie, and Georgia’s intimacy amongst their friend group is admirable. I loved the way love was never too far away for any of them whenever problems arise.

There were a few moments in the story that I think could’ve been explained more.

Like Dawn’s dad’s health, the conversation about Simone between Georgia and Frankie, and Edie’s plans for her future including how she’ll allow her queerness to be present around her family.

(3.5 or 3.75 rounded up - it’s pretty fresh.)

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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dark emotional informative reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? N/A

5.0

Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

And Don't Look Back by Rebecca Barrow

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

the death of Harlow Ford’s mother brings her to a crossroads; a path to either keep running from the unknown (like her mother, Cora, suggests) or face the mystery head on. with the commonly courageous spirit and invincibility mostly found in teens, 17-year-old Harlow chooses to confront the ghosts of her mother’s past.

the mystery in Rebecca Barrow’s latest thriller is written with the appropriate amount of suspense for the age group it’s intended for; personally I thought there were quite a few aspects of the story that were unrealistically exaggerated for that appeal alone (for example, $15,000 in this economy is basically $150😭 how long can we last on that?!). it didn’t discourage me from finishing the book or make me think less of the narrative — a young biracial girl, unsure of her identity outside of the plethora of aliases given to her by her mother, finally has the opportunity to stop running from whatever is in the past to run into her own future... sadly, her mother has to die in order for that to happen.

this uncertainty of self mixed with the ingrained paranoia of outrunning “some thing” sends Harlow all over the place — figuratively and literally. without the proper space to mourn the death of her mother or experience living a stable life, she is eager to chase the fantasy of a “normal” life that she believes everyone else is fortunate to have. orphaned and alone, Harlow is staying in hotels bruised and battered from a car accident without any stranger expressing concern for her well-being, while trying to free herself of “ghosts” that don’t belong to her. the secrets were captivating to me in the beginning, but as the truth was revealed I smirked with disbelief too many times to count while reading saying “come on! really?!” which was fine until the last page, literally the last, where it became overkill.

I love a good sapphic representation in books, but often times in And Don’t Look Back it read out of place and not necessary for the plot or character development. Even by the end I asked myself what was the point in teasing at sexuality if we’re not going to “look” into it for any of the characters (because there was so much representation without clear intentions). I really would’ve liked it if the author utilized Harlow’s friendship/relationship with Sloane to show her a healthy chance at a connection with someone while living lan authentic life. maybe the author decided including older lesbians in Harlow’s line of vision would help her see herself but it didn’t quite reach… like the idea was there and could’ve been something substantial but it was unclear.

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dawnshaee's reviews 161 reviews

dawnshaee's reviews
161 reviews