Genevieve
Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah is such a strong debut. I really enjoyed it.
The story is told through multiple POVs. We follow Ella, a 12 year old Black girl who feels unseen and unwanted by her family. She forms an unexpected friendship with Katherine, a white woman who moves into their predominantly, all Black neighborhood and gives Ella the attention she’s missing at home. Katherine has a complicated past and plenty of secrets she’s carrying with her.
I loved how thoughtful the storytelling was. It’s not super fast paced or overly dramatic, but it digs deep into themes of race, trauma, colorism, white supremacy, love, and community.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. The first person perspective for Ella, and third person for Katherine felt fresh and worked beautifully. Every side character was needed, and the character development was so well done. This was a great book and I can’t wait to see what else she writes.
Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah is such a strong debut. I really enjoyed it.
The story is told through multiple POVs. We follow Ella, a 12 year old Black girl who feels unseen and unwanted by her family. She forms an unexpected friendship with Katherine, a white woman who moves into their predominantly, all Black neighborhood and gives Ella the attention she’s missing at home. Katherine has a complicated past and plenty of secrets she’s carrying with her.
I loved how thoughtful the storytelling was. It’s not super fast paced or overly dramatic, but it digs deep into themes of race, trauma, colorism, white supremacy, love, and community.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. The first person perspective for Ella, and third person for Katherine felt fresh and worked beautifully. Every side character was needed, and the character development was so well done. This was a great book and I can’t wait to see what else she writes.
This book grabs you from the first page. Hearing the story from James’s perspective completely flipped everything I thought I knew. It feels familiar, but at the same time it feels new, like you’re seeing something you’ve heard about your whole life in a totally different way.
Everett’s writing is sharp and very intentional, but it never feels like he’s trying too hard. There’s humor in here, but it’s that uncomfortable kind where you laugh and then immediately realize… yeah, that’s the truth. The way he plays with language, survival, and identity so well done.
James is such a smart, observant character. Watching him move through a world that constantly underestimates him while he’s moving carefully, thinking smart, and surviving in a world set against him, it’s powerful. You feel his fear, but you also see his strategy. Nothing about him is one dimensional.
This book made me stop and sit with certain moments. It made me mad. It made me think. And honestly, that’s how I know it did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Percival Everett didn’t just retell this story, he gave it new weight and new meaning. This is how you rewrite a narrative.
This book grabs you from the first page. Hearing the story from James’s perspective completely flipped everything I thought I knew. It feels familiar, but at the same time it feels new, like you’re seeing something you’ve heard about your whole life in a totally different way.
Everett’s writing is sharp and very intentional, but it never feels like he’s trying too hard. There’s humor in here, but it’s that uncomfortable kind where you laugh and then immediately realize… yeah, that’s the truth. The way he plays with language, survival, and identity so well done.
James is such a smart, observant character. Watching him move through a world that constantly underestimates him while he’s moving carefully, thinking smart, and surviving in a world set against him, it’s powerful. You feel his fear, but you also see his strategy. Nothing about him is one dimensional.
This book made me stop and sit with certain moments. It made me mad. It made me think. And honestly, that’s how I know it did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Percival Everett didn’t just retell this story, he gave it new weight and new meaning. This is how you rewrite a narrative.
This book was both entertaining and irritating.
We follow Kayla and Zorie, two best friends in Georgia who are struggling to make ends meet. They come up with a little “hustle” to make some quick money, but during one of their plays, something goes very wrong. And from that moment on, it’s like bad decision after bad decision. Every time they try to fix one mess, they somehow make it worse.
This story is fast paced with plenty of action, but man… these characters had me frustrated. The constant dumb choices had me talking to my book like, “Now why would you do that?!”
For this being Christina Dotson’s debut, it was well done. The plot was interesting, there were definitely some thrilling moments, and I was not expecting the direction the story took. It kept me fully engaged because I needed to know how it would end.
I disliked Zorie almost immediately. Something about her just felt off from the beginning, and my instincts were on high alert the entire time.
This is a retelling inspired by Thelma & Louise, and it really makes you think, how far would you go for a friend? And are you truly ride-or-die when things get real?
I listened to the audiobook while reading my physical book and honestly couldn’t stop. Despite being irritated half the time, I enjoyed it and I’m definitely curious to see what Christina Dotson writes next.
This book was both entertaining and irritating.
We follow Kayla and Zorie, two best friends in Georgia who are struggling to make ends meet. They come up with a little “hustle” to make some quick money, but during one of their plays, something goes very wrong. And from that moment on, it’s like bad decision after bad decision. Every time they try to fix one mess, they somehow make it worse.
This story is fast paced with plenty of action, but man… these characters had me frustrated. The constant dumb choices had me talking to my book like, “Now why would you do that?!”
For this being Christina Dotson’s debut, it was well done. The plot was interesting, there were definitely some thrilling moments, and I was not expecting the direction the story took. It kept me fully engaged because I needed to know how it would end.
I disliked Zorie almost immediately. Something about her just felt off from the beginning, and my instincts were on high alert the entire time.
This is a retelling inspired by Thelma & Louise, and it really makes you think, how far would you go for a friend? And are you truly ride-or-die when things get real?
I listened to the audiobook while reading my physical book and honestly couldn’t stop. Despite being irritated half the time, I enjoyed it and I’m definitely curious to see what Christina Dotson writes next.
Idk why I feel like I have to start off by saying this… Ms. Octavia Grant, WHAT THE HELL did I just read?!
This is a fast paced novella that goes from 50 to 100 real quick.
Crystal’s marriage is falling apart after her husband completely breaks her heart and her trust. She confides in her coworker (aka her “work husband”) Lamar. What starts as office flirting turns into lunch dates and secret rendezvous, and before you know it, Crystal has fully convinced herself that Lamar is her man.
This book was crazy. I don’t even know how else to say it, Crystal was so unhinged and messy. At one point, I genuinely questioned if she made the whole thing up in her head.
It’s 64 pages of pure chaos, obsessing over a man that is not yours. This honestly reminded me of Andrew from Dear Vicky by Octavia Grant… but in female form.
Definitely check your triggers because some scenes could be hard to read.
If you’re looking for something quick, messy, and completely unhinged, this is it.
Idk why I feel like I have to start off by saying this… Ms. Octavia Grant, WHAT THE HELL did I just read?!
This is a fast paced novella that goes from 50 to 100 real quick.
Crystal’s marriage is falling apart after her husband completely breaks her heart and her trust. She confides in her coworker (aka her “work husband”) Lamar. What starts as office flirting turns into lunch dates and secret rendezvous, and before you know it, Crystal has fully convinced herself that Lamar is her man.
This book was crazy. I don’t even know how else to say it, Crystal was so unhinged and messy. At one point, I genuinely questioned if she made the whole thing up in her head.
It’s 64 pages of pure chaos, obsessing over a man that is not yours. This honestly reminded me of Andrew from Dear Vicky by Octavia Grant… but in female form.
Definitely check your triggers because some scenes could be hard to read.
If you’re looking for something quick, messy, and completely unhinged, this is it.
Reading this book was honestly kind of difficult at first. We’re introduced to so many characters that it was hard to keep up with, and the multiple POVs combined with the back and forth timeline made it confusing in the beginning. This is definitely a slow burn, and I found myself putting it down a few times because the pacing dragged for me.
However, the writing itself is very good, and the outcome made it worth finishing. Once everything started coming together, I was invested enough to keep going because I needed to know how it would all end.
This story is about generations of daughters dealing with deep family trauma and how that pain carries down the line. The mother-daughter dynamics were especially upsetting at times. So much of their fractured relationship felt rooted in silence, open communication and honesty could have changed so much. Watching how secrets shaped their lives was both frustrating and powerful.
Reading this book was honestly kind of difficult at first. We’re introduced to so many characters that it was hard to keep up with, and the multiple POVs combined with the back and forth timeline made it confusing in the beginning. This is definitely a slow burn, and I found myself putting it down a few times because the pacing dragged for me.
However, the writing itself is very good, and the outcome made it worth finishing. Once everything started coming together, I was invested enough to keep going because I needed to know how it would all end.
This story is about generations of daughters dealing with deep family trauma and how that pain carries down the line. The mother-daughter dynamics were especially upsetting at times. So much of their fractured relationship felt rooted in silence, open communication and honesty could have changed so much. Watching how secrets shaped their lives was both frustrating and powerful.
I’ve been wanting to read Attica Locke for a while, especially after hearing so many comparisons to S.A. Cosby. I can definitely see the similarities in the writing style and the themes, but I was honestly expecting a little more.
In Bluebird, Bluebird, we follow Darren, a Black Texas Ranger investigating the murders of a Black man and a white woman in a small East Texas town where the truth feels like it’s being intentionally buried. The tension around race, power, and justice is there from beginning to end, even though the story itself is very much a slow burn.
Darren is a fully well developed character. You really see his backstory, his internal struggles, and what drives him, especially as he tries to serve justice within a system rooted in racism. I appreciated that depth. I listened to the audiobook, and J.D. Jackson did an amazing job, as always.
At first, I struggled a little keeping up with who was who, but once everything clicked, the story flowed better. Overall, this was a solid read, just not as engaging as I expected it to be. I do plan to continue with the series.
I’ve been wanting to read Attica Locke for a while, especially after hearing so many comparisons to S.A. Cosby. I can definitely see the similarities in the writing style and the themes, but I was honestly expecting a little more.
In Bluebird, Bluebird, we follow Darren, a Black Texas Ranger investigating the murders of a Black man and a white woman in a small East Texas town where the truth feels like it’s being intentionally buried. The tension around race, power, and justice is there from beginning to end, even though the story itself is very much a slow burn.
Darren is a fully well developed character. You really see his backstory, his internal struggles, and what drives him, especially as he tries to serve justice within a system rooted in racism. I appreciated that depth. I listened to the audiobook, and J.D. Jackson did an amazing job, as always.
At first, I struggled a little keeping up with who was who, but once everything clicked, the story flowed better. Overall, this was a solid read, just not as engaging as I expected it to be. I do plan to continue with the series.
Historical zombie dystopian fiction, basically The Walking Dead meets the Civil War.
This was my first book by Justina Ireland and I really enjoyed it. After the American Civil War, slavery has been outlawed, but the dead soldiers come back as zombies. A new law is put in place that forces Black and Indigenous children into combat schools to train to fight the undead in order to protect white society, whether they want to or not.
We follow Jane, who is rebellious, outspoken, and refuses to be quiet or obedient. She speaks her mind, questions authority, and I loved every bit of it. Jane made this story so much more entertaining to read.
The mix of history, horror, and social commentary worked really well and kept me interested. I’m definitely picking up book two because I need to know what happens next.
Historical zombie dystopian fiction, basically The Walking Dead meets the Civil War.
This was my first book by Justina Ireland and I really enjoyed it. After the American Civil War, slavery has been outlawed, but the dead soldiers come back as zombies. A new law is put in place that forces Black and Indigenous children into combat schools to train to fight the undead in order to protect white society, whether they want to or not.
We follow Jane, who is rebellious, outspoken, and refuses to be quiet or obedient. She speaks her mind, questions authority, and I loved every bit of it. Jane made this story so much more entertaining to read.
The mix of history, horror, and social commentary worked really well and kept me interested. I’m definitely picking up book two because I need to know what happens next.