Loren
Drew is definitely one of the good things that have come out of TikTok, and when it goes she will definitely be here to stay.
This book touched on a bit of everything when it comes to Drew's life before and after TikTok fame. Reflecting on her pick me self, and the growth she has done as an individual, Her place within samoan culture, Decentering men in society, and letting us into more of her personal life when it came to her relationship with her family and boyfriend.
My favorite part was Drew explaining her relationship with her sister. If you didn't know Drew's older sister Deison is a lesbian (and also HILARIOUS). She spoke about how Deison came out to her, and her behavior that followed. How it took sometime to mend that relationship. I thought it was very sincere, and spoke to the growth Drew went through to get to where she is now.
Some parts were repetitive, but within the content it was good to bring up again.
I was hoping to hear that contagious laugh in the audiobook!!!
But overall I absolutely enjoyed learning more about one of my favorite influencers!
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the e-arc!
Pretty good story that depicts the authors daughter struggling with her mental health (depression and anxiety), but with a supernatural twist . The story is fast pace, but some of the transitions between scenes felt a bit choppy and unfortunately I think the storytelling portion suffered because of that.
I did love how at every step of her journey Cleo had someone who advocated for her, and didn't shame her for some regression she had while trying to acclimatize back into her normal routine at school and back home.
Thank you Image Comics for the arc copy!
“I want you to know that my happiness isn't tied to being with a man or racing to the altar or having children. My happiness is tied to me living a life that I love and am proud of. My happiness is centered around me and what I want."
I don't think I've laughed so hard at a book like this one! Danielle Allen could honestly be a comedian on the side! Every Character had personality and humor. Ahmad had me cackling in the depths of the night, he did not spare Aaliyah from any roasts. He ate her up (in more ways than one)!
Curvy Girl Summer was honestly an effortless read. It is a slow-burn romance, which I don't normally like, BUT while you reading there's so much more to be worried about that the end goal of Ahmad and Aaliyah working out in the end felt like the cherry on top to bring the entire story together.
Outside of the romance, we have Aaliyah struggling with the dating scene, and the turmoil she has with her family worried that she will not find love soon enough since she is about to turn 30. I loved that we got to see her confront her family on their misconceptions of her as a whole, and the subconscious comparisons they have been making between her and her older sister that passed. It got addressed in a very mature and admirable way. It was one of my favorite scenes in the book!
I will definitely be reading some more Danielle Allen in the future!
🩶 Morally Grey FMC 🗡️ Revenge & Betrayal (and some forgiveness) 🫶🏾 Found Family
Are we surprised???
Sing me to sleep was one of my Top 5 books of 2023! I still think it is one of the best showcases of what a morally grey character is (IMO), and Drown me with Dreams just wrapped up the story with a perfect bow!
Finishing Drown me With Dreams was bittersweet, and filed with emotional pain! We finally get across the magical barrier that separates Keirdre from its “enemies”, and let me tell y'all how I couldn't predict anything! The betrayals, and the new found powers kept me on my toes the whole time.
I honestly wished this was a trilogy because I still have questions 😭 and would have love to see more of Saoirse and Rain.
I'm trying to not spoil anything!! Which is super hard since SMTS ended on sort of cliffhanger, and DMWD was a strong sequel!
I have definitely added the SMTS and DMWD dreams to the list of series I will be rereading in the future!
Thank you Bloomsbury and Gabi Burton for the arc copy and allowing me to be apart of this street team!!
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power
Individual Story Ratings:
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hedge by Kalynn Bayron: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Served Cold by H.E Edgmon: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Protégé by Lamar Giles: ⭐️⭐️ Docile Girls by Chloe Gong: ⭐️⭐️ Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Everything's coming up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamba: DNF Wasps by Mark Oshiro: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hell Is Other Demons by Karen Strong: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The rating seems kind of low right? It's just the average of all 13 stories (2.9) + 0.5 for the collection concept!
I NEED Everything's Coming up Roses, and Heaven as a full story YESTERDAY!! I did enjoy the reading the different stories, some of them couldn't keep my interest, or was just hard for me to follow.
Thank you Tor Teen for sending me an ARC copy!
From the moment I picked up Masquerade I was absolutely captivated by O.O Sangoyomi's level of storytelling. Inspired by the myth of Persephone, we follow Òdòdò, a blacksmith in Timbuktu, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she is kidnapped by the Warrior King. What follows is a journey of transformation and empowerment as Òdòdò navigates the treacherous waters of betrayal and the royal court in Șàngóté.
When I tell you Sangoyomi has a way with words, and immersing you into a world that felt both ancient and timeless. I was truly captivated by her writing. This story had me on my toes the entire time! I cannot tell you how many times I had to stop reading to digest the twists and turns of Òdòdò's story!
Òdòdò's journey was truly a testament to personal empowerment and resilience (personally would have given up a few times, Òdòdò was truly that girl).
Masquerade is a MUST READ. I finished the book a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it. And this is a DEBUT!! I can't wait for whatever she had next!
Thank you Colored Pages Book Tours for free book, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
I want people to read this just because of how absurd this whole book is, and I need people to experience the absurdity.
This was such a superficial surface level story on what it means to be perceived as black, and what is blackness. With this “unforgettable twist” being that they are turning the black people in this utopia WHITE, so they may no longer deal with the “struggles” and “hardships” of being black. What a joke, and it didn't hold the shock value she thought it would give AT ALL.
This book was just a damn mess, and just didn't make any sense. Throughout the book we read that the Black experience in America is nothing but a traumatic experience. There are no instances of joy or peace.
Jasmyn was completely INSUFFERABLE as a MC. Wanting to portray herself as the “holier than thou” “morally better” “activist” black woman, and just came off as insulting and judgmental. Jasmyn would judge people for not watching videos of violence against black people, she judged people on the levels of their blackness in comparison to hers. And then at the end when's she pleading for her life before they turn her white. She starts going off on how her blackness is not skin deep. It's in her memories, it's in her blood, and her culture..
As I'm writing this I still can't figure out the why... and I just can't get over the fact that this book just feels anti-black. AND I can't believe Nicola Yoon sat down and HAND WROTE this.
You know the reason I like Maeve Blacks monster romance because outside of the smut the characters are always struggling with something real. In My Summer Girl, Dulce doesn't want to be a Cupid anymore, she wants to find the real love that her siblings have found even though they are cupids, love wasn't made for them. She stands in her decision, quits her job, and set out to fulfill her summer fuck it list.
This book was fun, and my second favorite in the Monster Stuffer series!
It's truly not about a boy.
This book is so important. It has the vibes of the Euphoria but without the sensationalism. It's real.
Not About a Boy is a beautifully crafted story that resonated with me through its honest portrayal of Substance abuse, mental health, and life within the foster system.
I see myself so deeply in Mel. Struggling with her mental health, Not believing that people care for your wellbeing, and want to genuinely see your happiness. Having people who clock your behavior, when you're obviously not okay, and confront you with it. It's absolutely important to have those people in your life.
There's a session between Mel and her psychiatrist Richards where he suggested for her to go back on her antidepressants just based on the behaviors he sees that she's ignoring. I started to boohoo cry because I literally just met with a new psychiatrist and started my antidepressants again. I've never had a book speak so closely to my reality like this. You would thought Myah Hollis knew my life 🤣.
Not About a Boy has truly became one of my favorite books I've read this year, and a book I will keep very close to my heart.
What a phenomenal audiobook! The way the narrator was able to create unique voices for each and every character, and switched back and forth between them during on going dialogue was a talent!!
With love, Miss Americanah is a Ya Contemporary book about Enore who immigrated to America with her mom and sister after the death of her father. To “assimilate” she watches classic American movies and shows like High School musical and Gossip Girl. She of course comes to find out America is nothing like the shows and movies.
We see her navigate the reality of high school, new friends, first love, and finding her passion for the Arts!
I continuously found my self giggling and smiling to myself while listening. This was a perfect Ya book in my opinion!
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Listener copy!
I enjoyed Match Game! I read it in about a day or so.
Lydia being a female director for an e-sports league was actually amazing. We saw the general ups and downs of being a woman in a male dominated field but I loved how she always had people in her corner. But when it came to Griffin it felt like his POVs were always overly negative and self deprecating (I think this was supposed to be the grumpy in the grumpyxsunshine but it was kinda sad :/. This wasn't frequent, but there were times where I would rush through his parts.
There's a fake dating trope that definitely could have been done better? I feel like there could have been more development in that aspect since the ending felt kind of rushed, and the third act breakup felt unnecessary.
The overall romance between the two was actually really cute and sweet! I would definitely read another book by Arreguin in the future!
No one can change a storm's path. Only then storm can do that for itself. A storm, like you, can never be controlled. Because a storm has a destiny.
Thank you, Partner @cocoachapters @getunderlined!
As if it's not super obvious... I'm a HUGE marvel fan. I'm still fangirling a bit that I was given this opportunity to be on this tour!!
Ororo Monroe aka Storm's backstory is one of my favorites! She constantly diminishes herself in the hopes that one day she will be normal. Just like many black girls who have deemed themselves as not good enough, or not up to the standards set by society. As Ororo pushes through this we see her slowly become Storm, and accept herself and her ancestry that set her on this journey.
On this Journey, we get to see the budding relationship between Ororo and T'Challa (Son, not Dad)!
I really hope one day we get Storm's story translated into film!
⚡️Fun fact: Storm is an Omega level Mutant!! Meaning she has really no limit to her powers. Making her one of the most powerful Mutant on Earth!
This book really delves into the importance of speaking up for what's right and staying true to your values.
The one thing I genuinely enjoyed about this book is how committed Jordyn was to doing better. To not be a bystander to bullying and harassment even when we was faced with her past resurfacing.
I can say that I couldn't predict correctly who the podcaster was. I had my theories, but I'm happy I didn't get it right.
It did frustrate me how little her parents believed her, and how it took her aunt to kinda chew them out to hear her story and what really happened.
Overall this was a solid read! I was hesitant with the beginning if I was going to actually get into it or not, but to my surprise it did pick up and I was locked in until the very end!
Thank you Colored Pages Book Tours for the opportunity, and I Read Ya for this Arc!
WOW... just wow.
I'm absolutely floored at how amazing this book is.
From the writing, to the characters, to the art. This book had it all.
🖤 Dark Academia ✨Found Family 🤐 Secret Societies 💕 A bit of Romance 🌌 Powers drawn from the stars
The gifted society gave the same level of storytelling like Legendborn, The Blood Gift, The Gilded Ones. All top tier black girls in fantasy books!
My absolute favorite parts of this book are the aspects of found family. Alexia is truly going through it, she just wants to find her friend and get back to her family. Of course her journey is not straight forward and she gathers her family in her new home, The Grove, along the way. We met Kyle, Nate, Alani, and Lucie these amazing well thought out characters. You can see the labor of love that went into writing this book as a whole.
You know when you enjoy something you just wanna blab about it to anyone, but you can't find the right words to say? This is that lol.
There are plenty of lingering questions left and I cannot wait for the next chapter for the kids at Malveaux Academy!
The last 70ish pages of this book is where anything actually starts to happen. And even then is super unfortunate how everything plays out.
The beginning of this story was super slow and frustrating to get through. Which surprised me because the writing is really good. I wanted to stop reading at so many points while reading because I couldn't understand why all this filler was needed. It honestly felt like 200+ pages of straight filler. None of it was conducive to the lack of a plot line at all.
Thank you to Colored Pages Book tour and Fierce Fire Reads for the finished copy!
What an amazing collaboration between these two authors!
This book had so many valuable aspects jammed into it. From parental expectations to cultural burdens. And with that we are getting immersed in this tight knit Muslim community and their culture along with Said and Tiwa rebuilding their fallen friendship.
I wish we got more of that Romance aspect, and that it wasn't resolved so close to the end.
Overall: 4.2 ⭐️ Individual Story Ratings:
- Harvesters: 5💫
- Welcome Back to the Cosmos: 4.5 ⭐️
- Ghost Light: 5 💫
- The Brides of the Devil's Bayou: 4 ⭐️
- TMI: 3 ⭐️
- Black Pride: 3 ⭐️
- The Screamers: 3.5 ⭐️
- Queeniums for Greenium!: 5 ⭐️
- Inheritance: 4 ⭐️
- Black Girl Nature Group: 5 ⭐️⭐️
- Cemetery Dance Party: 2.5 ⭐️
- The Skittering Thing: 5 💫
- The Black Strings: 4.5 ⭐️
- Local Color: 4 ⭐️
- Foxhunt: 5 ⭐️
If you're seeing this review wondering “hmm should I read Nimona before or after watching the movie on Netflix??”
READ IT FIRST.
When I tell you this is a COMPLETELY different story. I was shocked when I was reading the stark differences. I know normally shows go off and do there thing, but will still reference the original work. That's not what happened here lol.
The story told in the book was still a good one! And I enjoyed my time reading it.
I did like the Netflix story more than the book 😩
Thank you so much to @simonteen for the arc! I was over the moon when I got it in the mail!!!!
With a debut like Their vicious games, the blonde dies first set some high expectations and I felt like it completely knocked it out the park for me!
In the beginning it was a bit slow, and me being me I kept getting side tracked BUT once things started to hit the fan I was locked in.
Now Ms Wellington knows how to make a girl feel scared! My imagination is a bit overactive, and she was so detailed with the kills and the way she was describing that monster/demon I legitimately was shaking in my boots and did sleep with my lights on (I'm also just a scaredy cat in general and VERY easily spooked).
The only thing I wanted more of was to get to know more about the rest of the group. Because I would have loved to get to know Malachi, Gael, and Leila on the same level that we got to know Yaya, Drew and Devon. Now the character development between Devon and Drew LOVED that. I loved that we saw there turmoil just bubble over, and become uncontainable. The reconciliation of sisterhood , and the battle they fought between themselves outside of fighting for their lives was just so well done I wish we could have seen more with the others.
Since this was an ARC I'm not going to blab too too much, but this has definitely solidified that I will read anything Joelle Wellington puts out!
