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hlillian's review against another edition
5.0
Which age is the fun age? Not sure but still a great book with a bit of love an mystery.
backtoreading2022's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
2.5
berjean's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
Emira is a young black woman who is called by her boss, Alix, to babysit her daughter late at night. With this abrupt but seemingly urgent request, Emira leaves a gathering she was attending with friends and decides to take Briar (Alix’s daughter) to a neighborhood market to entertain her. There, she’s accosted by the security guard and is accused of kidnapping a white toddler. With this as a monumental moment for Emira who’s still figuring out what she wants from life, she struggles to figure out how to navigate her life after the incident- and she soon figures out that things don’t always go as planned.
Review:
This was an easy read that focused on racism and what seemed like the white savior complex (looking at Alix and Kelley). It started off strong, like seriously the beginning was really good! But then somewhere down the line, the story started losing me. I think the only part I really liked about this book was the relationship between Emira (the MC) and Briar (the toddler). It was so heartwarming, their interactions were always meaningful and sweet. Other than that, if I wasn’t frustrated at the characters then I was cringing at the dialogue. I also felt like the ending was unsatisfying because it seemed so out-of-character for Emira.
With that being said, I feel like the characters weren’t developed to their fullest potential. They seemed kinda flat, and there wasn’t really any development. Plus, I was a little confused at Kelley’s character. I get that maybe his purpose was to be portrayed as a type of white savior, but his exit from the book was so abrupt. Lastly, was there really a resolution to anything? Again, that ending felt so forced and it didn’t really solve anything.
If you like coming-of-age novels that focus on racism and privilege in the US, then this is a good read!
Summary:
Emira is a young black woman who is called by her boss, Alix, to babysit her daughter late at night. With this abrupt but seemingly urgent request, Emira leaves a gathering she was attending with friends and decides to take Briar (Alix’s daughter) to a neighborhood market to entertain her. There, she’s accosted by the security guard and is accused of kidnapping a white toddler. With this as a monumental moment for Emira who’s still figuring out what she wants from life, she struggles to figure out how to navigate her life after the incident- and she soon figures out that things don’t always go as planned.
Review:
This was an easy read that focused on racism and what seemed like the white savior complex (looking at Alix and Kelley). It started off strong, like seriously the beginning was really good! But then somewhere down the line, the story started losing me. I think the only part I really liked about this book was the relationship between Emira (the MC) and Briar (the toddler). It was so heartwarming, their interactions were always meaningful and sweet. Other than that, if I wasn’t frustrated at the characters then I was cringing at the dialogue. I also felt like the ending was unsatisfying because it seemed so out-of-character for Emira.
With that being said, I feel like the characters weren’t developed to their fullest potential. They seemed kinda flat, and there wasn’t really any development. Plus, I was a little confused at Kelley’s character. I get that maybe his purpose was to be portrayed as a type of white savior, but his exit from the book was so abrupt. Lastly, was there really a resolution to anything? Again, that ending felt so forced and it didn’t really solve anything.
If you like coming-of-age novels that focus on racism and privilege in the US, then this is a good read!
kimbertree's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Thought provoking, easy flowing story.
wigginsblake's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the perspective of this book, and I thought the author was very empathetic to both of the main characters. It made me think a lot about the precarious connection between people in conversations of class and race, and it led me to look at my own ways of viewing myself as the hero of my story.
karnivorous's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
abastone's review against another edition
3.0
Good book, very interesting story angle. A little hard to read with the main characters being so unlike able.