Reviews

Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole

litletters's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved this book, I just wish it was longer!

shannanh's review against another edition

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5.0

I had no idea this story was part of a previously published anthology I bought a while ago, but I immensely enjoyed their journey from the civil rights movement where they reconnected and into the future. another new author that's a keeper

katums's review

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fast-paced

alexkmorland's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Ho adorato l’arco della protagonista che ritrova la sua voce (ma non cambia del tutto, perché anni di educazione e formazione in un determinato modo non svaniscono nel nulla) e il modo in cui sono trattate con eleganza ed incisività le tematiche di lotta per i diritti civili che attraversano tutta la storia.
C’è anche un racconto bonus dopo l’epilogo che inizialmente non ero sicura di voler leggere, ma alla fine ero comunque awwww ♥️

isabelisalright's review against another edition

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4.0

What a great novella! The setting is definitely not something you find often enough. Civil rights movement and it was a great listen.

stephsromancebooktalk's review

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4.0

4 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Video review available in Week 2 Jan 5 – 11 weekly book reviews.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

rachelini's review

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3.0

4 stars in theory, but it needed more time to both fully tell the story and develop the relationship. But boy do I love Alyssa Cole's writing.

marnitanya's review

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challenging emotional inspiring

4.0

tita_noir's review

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4.0

When I was in college I saw an excellent, excellent documentary on PBS called 'Eyes on The Prize' It was a multi-part look at the civil rights movement, starting with the murder of Emmit Till and hitting all the high points: Martin, Malcolm, Selma, 'I Have a Dream' speech, letters from Birmingham etc., right on through the assassinations of King, Kennedy, Kennedy and Malcolm.

But the one thing that stuck out for me were the episodes on SNCC - the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee. I was in my comfy PWI, Division-A, student-centered research institution with an enrollment close to 25,000 students. And I was completely riveted by at the activism of these college students who were riding into danger, sitting at 'whites only' counters, and who had prepared wills because they knew they might not make it home. Since I was studying journalism at the time, I developed a girl crush Charlayne Hunter-Gault who was one of the first students to desegregate the Univ. of Georgia, her story is also told in the documentary.

This story is set in the same time focusing on one miss Sofronia Wallis who had let her own light dim a bit in the aftermath of her mother's untimely death. But Sofie is a woman with passions and convictions and she wants to be part of the movement.

So does Ivan Friedman, a white Jewish man who knew Sofie when they were children. IHe'd had a major crush on her but their life paths converged after that fateful day of her mother's death. Ivan also joins the movement and he and Sofie start up a new chapter in their relationship.

I liked this quite a bite mainly because it is a time and era and backdrop that romance novels don't like to visit. But it is a vibrant time and one that I'd like to see more often.

I very much like the characterization of Sofie who had repressed so much of herself. As you read you get the real sense of her true self needing to peek through and escape, very much like like light escaping through small crevices to shine bright.

I also liked the fact that Ivan was Jewish and that the author ably included pieces of that culture as well as Ivan's perspectives on the comparisons between Jim Crow and the conditions that existed when parents escaped from Europe right before WWII.

Th book had a nice dose of realism with scenes of the students drilling and learning how to take taunts, physical threats, an even punches and hits without reacting to violence as well as descriptions of them watching news reports of attacks on the Freedom Rider. But it is still a romance and Sofie and Ivan were sweet together.

I recommend. Also recommend the books the author cites at the end. Also "Eyes on the Prize" is a must see!

kobfroggie's review

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4.0

A solid Historical Romance. I really enjoyed the settings and how real it felt.