Reviews

When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw

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abby_breathesbooks's review

4.5

4.5⭐️s!!

I think it's a gift when an author has the ability to pull the reader in from the start of a book; for me, Maya Ameyaw did that with "When It All Syncs Up."

I won't bother you by repeating the book synopsis, but I will say that while the book centers around Aisha, I was just as invested in her friend's stories as hers, especially lovely Ollie.

Anger. Disbelief. Joy. Anguish. Love. My feelings were all over the place... From the beginning, I was pulled into Aisha's world and found myself captivated by her and her friend's stories... I absolutely couldn't 👏🏽put 👏🏽 it 👏🏽 down. 👏🏽 While I read the last few chapters, I found myself hoping that Maya writes more about Aisha, Ollie and Neil. 💕

Excellent debut! I look forward to reading more from this author!

⚠️ Please check content warnings.

stacie_moreads's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a beautifully written book about the art of ballet and the struggles within that community both in dance and race. There is more within the pages of this book besides just the art of ballet. There is friendship, the lack of friendship, family, the lack of family and so much more!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

jodyhardy's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.0

coric's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.25

Okay, so we’ve got the first in a YA fantasy trilogy…. I know, I know… I just recently whined about trilogies and YA fantasy, and here we go again. However, I was intrigued by the desert and Arabic inspired setting and the premise that is throwing shade to colonizers. We’ve got most of the usual suspects with themes and story arcs here… A young heroine on a quest to rescue her brother and protect her family status. She doesn’t realize how small her world is and the secrets that have been kept from her about the outside world. She has uncomfortable realizations about politics and class. She has FEELINGS for people she shouldn’t. There’s danger! Adventure! Betrayal! Cliffhangers! I like that we have a female warrior as the main character. The world building and the magic was interesting. Actually, I would have liked a bit more magic and mythology. So, did it blow my skirt up? Not exactly… But it was a solid start, and I am likely to keep going with it.

bookwormbullet's review

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emotional lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

thediaryofanauthorintraining's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

maxmaxmaxo's review

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emotional 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

3.75

Content Warnings

xoselenanicole's review

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hopeful reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Phenomenal! I went through such a range of emotions while reading this.

Please be aware that this book does include: bullying, racism, eating disorders, addiction and toxic familial relationships.

Absolutely loved our artistic main characters and seeing how they express themselves through their work. It’s so raw, and speaking with a professional or confidant can assist with the things we can’t process on our own. So happy that Aisha has the support system she needed.

I received an ARC on Edelweiss, all thoughts are my own

midnightsbooks's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

4.5

As someone who used to take ballet, this was insanely relatable and I truly empathized with Aisha a ton.

magentabyfive's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The story is a great reflection on the dancing world and the biases against certain people and body types. I wish there was more about the healing process, but also understand that was not the point of the book. More her growth as a dancer and connection with her friend and love life.

Content Warnings

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