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rosie_m_x's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
thesegildedpages's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the book, but found that I wished for more for and from Emira. She had some growth, yes, but it was kind of crammed in to the end of the book, so we didn’t get to see too much of it.
Also, Alix is unhinged and I could not stand her the entire book.
Briar, though, is a treasure.
Also, Alix is unhinged and I could not stand her the entire book.
Briar, though, is a treasure.
betseyboo's review
2.0
I found this story to be awkward, uncomfortable, and dare I say...predictable? If there was a possible "painful" path the story could take, the author would take it there. I understand that Reid was trying to convey a big message, but it was too much and in the end I did not care for any of the characters in this book.
jasarahines's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
annie_evergreen's review
4.0
Complex characters with witty dialogue, compelling backstories, & believable motivation. Reid is excellent at finding oddly specific, yet universal similes, making all the narration a delight. Can’t wait to read more from this debut author!
bbrillie's review
3.0
ok I’m not gonna lie I was not expecting to like this book after the first few chapters. I saw Kelley and Alix and was like there’s absolutely no way I can like this book when these two main characters piss me off so much. BUT this ended up being a good critique of white liberalism. Kiley Reid did such a good job of showing how disorienting and absurd white peoples performative activism is. I also think it’s refreshing to young black girls being young and fun and pushing back on the excellence narrative that Reid calls out through Tamra’s (Uncle Tom ass) character.
With that being said, my biggest issue with this book was how unnatural and clunky the dialogue felt, especially with Emira and her friends. I get that the overarching theme is about the ridiculous and often-ill-intentioned nature of white wokeness. But I wish there was an equal amount of care in making Emira feel like a grounded character with a realistic voice because at times it read like someone entered “write like you are a twenty something black girl” into a chat-gpt ai prompt. You would think that a book calling out white performative wokeness would put more effort into shaping the voice of their Black protagonist…*sigh*
I think this books fits in the same cluster of fleabag-type “messy girl finding her way in the world” books like Luster by Raven Leilani (which I loved!) And like I said before, it’s honestly really refreshing to see a young black girl in her early twenties who just wants a stable job, health insurance, a good relationship and friends because same!!! I’m rooting for you Emira!!
With that being said, my biggest issue with this book was how unnatural and clunky the dialogue felt, especially with Emira and her friends. I get that the overarching theme is about the ridiculous and often-ill-intentioned nature of white wokeness. But I wish there was an equal amount of care in making Emira feel like a grounded character with a realistic voice because at times it read like someone entered “write like you are a twenty something black girl” into a chat-gpt ai prompt. You would think that a book calling out white performative wokeness would put more effort into shaping the voice of their Black protagonist…*sigh*
I think this books fits in the same cluster of fleabag-type “messy girl finding her way in the world” books like Luster by Raven Leilani (which I loved!) And like I said before, it’s honestly really refreshing to see a young black girl in her early twenties who just wants a stable job, health insurance, a good relationship and friends because same!!! I’m rooting for you Emira!!
diana_trampler's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.75
votesforwomen's review
3.0
The good: this book was DEFINITELY written by a former nanny, and I was thrilled to see that I was right about that when I went to look at Reid's bio. Briar was a fully realistic child, and Emira's nanny life was written SO realistically. Take it from a current career nanny: It's a whole beast of a job, especially in the modern day, and Reid did such a good job expressing that.
I really, really enjoyed this story, but in the end I found myself struggling to care. There were a few plot twists dropped that, while they made sense, were still unsatisfying. This really felt like it couldn't decide between being a sitcom and being a thriller, and chose to drop itself right in the center.
Overall, pretty meh. 3.5 stars?
I really, really enjoyed this story, but in the end I found myself struggling to care. There were a few plot twists dropped that, while they made sense, were still unsatisfying. This really felt like it couldn't decide between being a sitcom and being a thriller, and chose to drop itself right in the center.
Overall, pretty meh. 3.5 stars?