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rockcommander's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
bookwhore07's review
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Racism, Rape, and Police brutality
ajaldana's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, and Trafficking
juliaureads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Drug use and Sexual violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, Trafficking, Stalking, Abandonment, and Classism
corriejn's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
mads1706's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
hannahrosereading's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
pyronautphea's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug use
caitbrat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
b_carlson's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
This is a gorgeous yet confronting book of survival as a black teen living in America. I am not black but reading it I felt like I, at least in theory, understood the feeling of being robbed of a choice. Sometimes people have to make choices they don't really have a choice in. The rawness of Kiara's need to survive, top carry the whole world on her back, made me feel like she was standing there in my living room, close enough for me to reach out and take her hand and say "tell me more". This story explored power dynamics in such a real way, it wasn't white washed, it didn't build some fake reality where the young black girl wins going up against the police force, but it did provide a reality in which black joy can co-exist with black trauma. Being white and reading this book makes me feel like there is a core that I can't see, I can read it but I can't see it, I can't feel it, and I think that's how it should be. I felt moved and angry after finishing this book but I think if a black person were to read it they would take away just a little bit of something that white people could never touch and I think that takes an incredible amount of skill from Mottley, to connect with both of those audiences in the way they need to be connected with by using the exact same set of words. I can't believe this way a debut, the writing style and the realness of the characters, none were two dimensional was something I rarely see in a debut novel. The way the story was strung together, I felt a stirring in my chest and a sickness in my stomach but also a lightness in my heart for Kiara still being able to find joy in the end. To be able to actually make me, a reader, have that physical, real reaction to the story being told, that's when you know it is a job well done. This is a rare and unique read.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Self harm, and Murder