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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
4.0
TW: colorism, racism, unhealthy coping mechanisms, self hating language, verbal abuse, alcoholism
Genesis Begins Again is quite heavy for middle grade. I am of the opinion that if a kid can experience it then they can read about it. Nevertheless, I'm noting it because it's still something that should be weighed when considering picking the book up.
Genesis is a miserable girl and it is miserable reading about her. She has a lot of internalized self hate stemming largely from a recent traumatic experience where her alcoholic father verbally abused her during one of his binges. Her level of self loathing, at such a young age, is nauseating. She's a sweet, intelligent, thoughtful girl - it's maddening that she can't see that. It's infuriating that her own father is the reason she can't.
All of her ideas about herself are filtered through a colorist lens. Her talents, when she even acknowledges she has any, are inherently less than because she is dark skinned. She constantly talks about how ugly she is and how terrible the texture of her hair is. She actively schemes to acquire skin whitening products or tricks. The worst part is that while she is equally as deserving of good things, love and anything else she might want regardless of the color of her skin, her mindset did not come from nowhere. There are many people out in the world who will perceive her as scum for having darker skin. Changing who she is, is not the answer obviously, but it’s certainly easier to manipulate your appearance to conform to beauty standards than to be able to deconstruct over a decade of social conditioning at 12 years old. Loving yourself is hard enough as an adult, let alone when you’re still growing.
The abuse going on in her household is another weight on her shoulders.
Alicia D. Williams does a fantastic job at exploring the impact of abuse on a family dynamic. Her father is 100% wrong in every way yet Williams paints a compelling, sympathetic picture of a man broken down by the abuse he experienced in his own life grappling with his trauma now that he is in a space he perceives as ‘safe’. It does not justify his actions, but it helps you to better understand part of why a person might stay in a relationship that from the outside is so harmful and why a child of an abuser is unable to wholly write them off despite the mistreatment. I thought her execution was great because it opens up the door for dialogue about the complexity of abuse; people who are better informed have better tools for recognizing red flags and hopefully, will be able to separate themselves from bad situations more quickly or easily. On the other side it also validates victims of abuse when they might view their responses or actions as shameful.
That said, I will admit that Genesis' mother made me furious many a time. She and her child were evicted randomly THREE times because of Genesis’ father and she still wouldn’t leave him. I understand the mechanics behind why, but that did not make me less angry that Genesis - a child - was being subjected to such instability. It is hard to leave, I’m not saying it’s not, but Genesis’ wellbeing needed to be fought for. Especially when her mother did have a place to go. She just didn’t want to swallow her pride.
Also, if you're expecting a happy ending it's only like 90% of one. What happens to Genesis' father, what her mother is going to do about their situation and where they will live is left ambiguous.
I definitely recommend Genesis Begins Again with the not so gentle reminder that it gets worse before it gets better.
Genesis Begins Again is quite heavy for middle grade. I am of the opinion that if a kid can experience it then they can read about it. Nevertheless, I'm noting it because it's still something that should be weighed when considering picking the book up.
Genesis is a miserable girl and it is miserable reading about her. She has a lot of internalized self hate stemming largely from a recent traumatic experience where her alcoholic father verbally abused her during one of his binges. Her level of self loathing, at such a young age, is nauseating. She's a sweet, intelligent, thoughtful girl - it's maddening that she can't see that. It's infuriating that her own father is the reason she can't.
All of her ideas about herself are filtered through a colorist lens. Her talents, when she even acknowledges she has any, are inherently less than because she is dark skinned. She constantly talks about how ugly she is and how terrible the texture of her hair is. She actively schemes to acquire skin whitening products or tricks. The worst part is that while she is equally as deserving of good things, love and anything else she might want regardless of the color of her skin, her mindset did not come from nowhere. There are many people out in the world who will perceive her as scum for having darker skin. Changing who she is, is not the answer obviously, but it’s certainly easier to manipulate your appearance to conform to beauty standards than to be able to deconstruct over a decade of social conditioning at 12 years old. Loving yourself is hard enough as an adult, let alone when you’re still growing.
The abuse going on in her household is another weight on her shoulders.
Alicia D. Williams does a fantastic job at exploring the impact of abuse on a family dynamic. Her father is 100% wrong in every way yet Williams paints a compelling, sympathetic picture of a man broken down by the abuse he experienced in his own life grappling with his trauma now that he is in a space he perceives as ‘safe’. It does not justify his actions, but it helps you to better understand part of why a person might stay in a relationship that from the outside is so harmful and why a child of an abuser is unable to wholly write them off despite the mistreatment. I thought her execution was great because it opens up the door for dialogue about the complexity of abuse; people who are better informed have better tools for recognizing red flags and hopefully, will be able to separate themselves from bad situations more quickly or easily. On the other side it also validates victims of abuse when they might view their responses or actions as shameful.
That said, I will admit that Genesis' mother made me furious many a time. She and her child were evicted randomly THREE times because of Genesis’ father and she still wouldn’t leave him. I understand the mechanics behind why, but that did not make me less angry that Genesis - a child - was being subjected to such instability. It is hard to leave, I’m not saying it’s not, but Genesis’ wellbeing needed to be fought for. Especially when her mother did have a place to go. She just didn’t want to swallow her pride.
Also, if you're expecting a happy ending it's only like 90% of one. What happens to Genesis' father, what her mother is going to do about their situation and where they will live is left ambiguous.
I definitely recommend Genesis Begins Again with the not so gentle reminder that it gets worse before it gets better.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke my heart.
It is easy for people to dismiss books because they are aimed at middle school readers: To those people I offer up this book.
Genesis internalized racism is born in her father's broken psyche, but also in her grandmother's open disdain for darker skin. Throughout this book we see her try to lighten her skin in various ways--which include a disturbingly heartbreaking scene with an exfoliator.
As if that wasn't enough, she also faces housing insecurity as her father is an alcoholic and a gambler. The result of the constant moving is that she has not really made friends until... read this book and find out.
It is easy for people to dismiss books because they are aimed at middle school readers: To those people I offer up this book.
Genesis internalized racism is born in her father's broken psyche, but also in her grandmother's open disdain for darker skin. Throughout this book we see her try to lighten her skin in various ways--which include a disturbingly heartbreaking scene with an exfoliator.
As if that wasn't enough, she also faces housing insecurity as her father is an alcoholic and a gambler. The result of the constant moving is that she has not really made friends until... read this book and find out.
kathleenes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This is a great book. It’s a sad read, it’s meant to make you feel the feelings. It taught me things, it made me frustrated and sad and angry…but I also really liked it.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
I'm having a hard time reviewing this book. It was really well written, and a rare gem in that character, plot, and setting were equally strong. We need diverse books. We need diverse books so that everyone can see themselves reflected on the page, and so that our eyes are opened to experiences beyond our own. This book I think serves the first purpose better than the second, at least for middle grade readers. I'm afraid my white, middle grade daughter growing up in a town without great diversity, would come away from this reading with more negative impressions of other races than positive ones, and I'm not sure that would be beneficial to her in the long run. As an adult reader, I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the layers and the issues raised and discussed. I also found it very stressful, as Genesis took on some big problems and tried to solve them herself.
julesrisica's review
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
brittneyfike's review against another edition
5.0
What a fantastic book & perfect for middle schoolers. The audiobook was wonderful. Genesis is struggling with her identity and dealing with some tough situations at home. I loved the first person narrative POV. Highly recommend this one!
tuesdaymendoza's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Fantastic novel. Reminiscent of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. 4.5 is my personal opinion, but I think this objectively is 5.
janeyolivia's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a good middle grade novel! Some parts just felt a little slow to me but would highly recommend.
loriereeves's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lissystrata's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- 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