The Black Queen

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

4.5 stars

I struggled to get into this at first, mostly because of how the dialogue is (but to be fair, they ARE teenagers lol) but once I got into the story it was hard to stop. I am pleasantly surprised that every time I thought I had it figured out I was proven wrong.

I just finished The Black Queen by Jumata Emill and here is my review

Nova was just about to be crowned the first ever Black homecoming queen at her high school. Then she turns up dead. Murdered on the night of her would be coronation..

Tinley is a legacy and should have gotten the crown and that she did her very best to convince Nova to step down.

Dutchess, Nova's best friend, is certain Tinsley did it but her father won't hear it. A black police chief and he is going to let the white girl walk. But not Dutchess, she is going to prove it but it won't be that easy with Tinsley having a much larger agenda...

I am a huge fan of YA and when @penguinrandomhouseca sent me a finished copy of the book, I was over the moon.

Loved the concept of the book and stories set in high school are always a great read. I really enjoyed the story coming from Dutchess' perspective and as much as I wanted to hate Tinsley, you find that she kinda grows on you as the story progresses.

I'm not a huge fan of the white privilege that runs through this book. This is about a rich kid. The book would not have had the same impact if the white girl had been poor too. Her privilege came from money not skin color and that is why I didn't love it as much as I should have. I wish people wouldn't confuse the two. It blurs lines.

I loved the ending and the whole book really was a solid read.

4 stars. Definitely knocked this one out of the park with the quality of the writing.

Thank you for my review copy! Out on the 31st Jan