Color Me In

This book read like a modern CW show and I would have been obsessed with it when I was in high school. I liked that a lot of the struggle that Neveah had throughout the book comes from the authentic feelings and experiences of the author. This book touches on some rough topics. Dealing with one parent who is struggling mentally to the point of not being able to function, reconciling that your other parent isn't a good person and that your relationship with them will be forever changed after that realization, growing up biracial while bouncing between two very segregated neighborhoods, cyber bullying/revenge porn, and the fear and uncertainty that the black community lives through. My least favorite character was Stevie. I understand petulance is a prerequisite during puberty, but his double-standards and abandonment was just glossed over. I also hated that the main antagonist was the Regina George carbon copy. Why are female antagonists always portrayed as either slutty or stupid? It's time to retire these tropes. I also feel like a sequel is necessary because certain plot lines were unfinished. I feel like we were let into Neveah's mom's mind so it didn't make sense that her and Neveah never had a deep moment. She went from completely despondent to unhelpful productivity literally after a therapy session or two. Did Jenae save up enough for her camera after all those gigs? Did Jordan do her college thing? What happened with the lawsuit against the school? And the divorce? Other than that, this book had several important messages imbedded into the story. I just think it had too many side plots.