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the_true_monroe'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
4.25
Definitely a psychological thriller, with similar vibes to ‘Get Out’ (although both are completely different stories focusing on different aspects of horrors related to racism).
4 stars because there was a lot I wish was expanded upon, like a follow-up on characters such a Belle, Scotty, Andre and Jack.
Also, I absolutely love how on the author’s websites there is art depicting the major characters. I have a hard time visualizing things based on descriptions and that really helped! I only found it writing this review since I went searching for one of the character’s names.
I really enjoyed the author’s note, which mentions how the book was written over the course of her college career which is very symbolic to the course of the story.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Outing, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Racism, and Stalking
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Blood, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Vomit
moniipeters'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
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, Classism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Self harm
paulabekkerus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Classism, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Bullying, Gun violence, Outing, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Stalking
abbiemreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Bullying, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Outing, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Car accident, Classism, and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Blood, and Chronic illness
allisonbrooke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Murder, Terminal illness, Torture, Death, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
kyrstin_p1989's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Stalking, Child death, Gun violence, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Murder, Police brutality, Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Abandonment, and Grief
deidra_shadetreereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The plot and the main twist don't work without it being set in the U.S. but you can tell the world is built off a combination of television worlds. I don't like when you can tell the author is writing about something they don't know. So I could never fully sink my teeth in and suspend my disbelief that Chiamaka and Devon weren't completely tipped off that something was up as the only Black people period in this whole school off top. I guess that that was too trusting for me and I didn't ever believe that Chiamaka had made it to the top, besting all those rich white kids, because of anything she'd done. She definitely believed it though and she was supposed to. Devon had the right energy for the most part but again, I couldn't fully believe that it took until senior year for him to perk his antennas. Though it did make more sense for him to keep his head down considering his former school and neighborhood situation to be fair.
With these things being so intertwined and my main problems with the book, I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. It's not a bad book and the writing is fine. I knocked it out in a couple days so I'd say it's very readable in that regard. I wouldn't read another YA thriller set in a U.S. high school by Àbíké-Íyímídé but I read something else!
Graphic: Car accident, Homophobia, Racism, Gaslighting, Outing, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Chronic illness and Classism
t_higgsreviews'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? It's complicated
5.0
CAWPILE = 9.07
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Biphobia, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
coryannellerbe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The two main characters are so well written, they felt very real. Reading this was almost like reading a diary. The two leads have their strengths, flaws, things they aren't willing to compromise on.
Chi is motivated to succeed at almost any cost. She looks at her high school success as a means to an end, and she views a lot of relationship that way too. She doesn't have many friends because she surrounds herself with people who seem to share that same idea: relationships and friendships in high school are a contract, to gain popularity, win awards and recognition, get good grades, and get accepted into Yale University. She's successful and smart, but she acknowledges her drive unapologetically.
Devon is a bit more of a dreamer, though he comes from a neighborhood where "dreaming is dangerous". He's at school on scholarship and dreaming of getting into Julliard and studying music. He works hard because his mom has sacrificed everything to get him a chance at a rarefied education, and he wants to make all the struggle they've gone through worth it. He's more of a dreamer then Chi, a little more withdrawn and reflective. Plus, while Chi's whole world revolves around their school, Devon almost seems to live in two worlds, one where he clearly doesn't fit in and one where he doesn't feel safe.
This book took elements of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Get Out and turned them on their heads. It used a lot of similar plot elements to create a world we as readers could recognize while revealing the dark underbelly of the world that we might not have been expecting.
This is not your average "who-dun-it" and it really feels like it should be required reading in the digital age.
Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Racism, Biphobia, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Classism
Minor: Ableism
sunsetcity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Outing, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, and Slavery