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sazana28's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so beautiful and elegantly written, and I wasn’t expecting to love it so much! It started off slow and then it just pulled me in. I could feel what Taja was feeling. Such a beautiful and real and honest book. It was so funny. I loved how relatable her journey of discovery was, even though it wasn’t exactly the same, obviously. Her relationship with religion and family was very different from mine, but parts of it were the same. My parents taught me to always question what I don’t know or understand and to never just trust blindly. Find out what I’m curious about. Taja’s parents were kind of like my grandparents on my moms side, though. “Trust in god, no questions asked.” And I can understand how frustrating and conflicting that can be. You wanna do the “right” thing but you also want to be true to yourself and explore what you don’t know, and discover something new. I loved her character so much, the more I read. There were also times when I wanted to throw my dang book across the room, too. Lmao. I’m so glad this book exceeded my expectations, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This story is beautiful, and I’m definitely getting a copy soon. 😍
corrinaababee's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
2.0
This book was very beautifully written but also the style was hard to get through. I liked the parts questioning her surroundings while also appreciating the value they hold at the same time. There was a lot of religion which is important regarding the main character and her upbringing. I liked the going back and forth regarding some aspects towards questioning the absoluteness that revolves around religion and sexist ideas. There was a lot of key factors towards coming of age and had some great insights regarding a coming of age story. Another positive is getting to see a point of view that is different from my own. I got to read about an experience that is similar to my own but from a different perspective
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
caitfoges's review against another edition
5.0
~ 5.0 ~
Tamani's Calling My Name is a treasure chest of mundane moments and milestones both made magical by an author who clearly adores words. Her writing has rythym; it ebs and flows, the prose gentle yet peircing. I'm not sure I've ever read such a poignant articulation of the anxieties, and revelations, of adolescence - and I've read a lot of YA. I had my highlighter out and used it on almost every page, marking lines that made me chuckle, hold back tears, and marvel at the "firsts" and "goodbyes" that connect us all. More often then not, I read these passages once, twice, or even three times before moving on to more wonder.
Tamani's Calling My Name is a treasure chest of mundane moments and milestones both made magical by an author who clearly adores words. Her writing has rythym; it ebs and flows, the prose gentle yet peircing. I'm not sure I've ever read such a poignant articulation of the anxieties, and revelations, of adolescence - and I've read a lot of YA. I had my highlighter out and used it on almost every page, marking lines that made me chuckle, hold back tears, and marvel at the "firsts" and "goodbyes" that connect us all. More often then not, I read these passages once, twice, or even three times before moving on to more wonder.
giulay's review
3.0
"I’m busy noticing I’m alive."
I think this book went over my head at the speed of freaking light. ⚡️
💨 *WOOOOOOOSH* 💨
Oh, what’s that?? This whole book, it seems.
Reason for that I think is the writing style.
Maybe I’m just too dumb but there was something off regarding the writing style. I can’t pinpoint the reasons why it didn’t resonate with me but it…just…didn’t. 🤷🏻♀️
Because of it, I felt detached from the characters and their adventures; everything was slightly confusing and foggy. It was like the writing style created an insurmountable barrier between me and the protagonist :/ and if I don’t connect with the characters, the story loses its power and its impact and, thus, I don’t enjoy it at its fullest.
And yet, objectively speaking, I can see how gorgeously written this book was. Every sentence was so…well-crafted? and detailed? poetic and gorgeous? Really, objectively this writing style is a treat™️ but subjectively I didn't mash with it.
So maybe I really am dumb… 🤔
As for the plot itself…
This is what I think when I talk about coming-of-age stories.
The reader gets to follow Taja’s life from when she was a middle grader to when she starts her new adventure in college.
We follow her struggles; we are faced with her doubts; we think alongside her about religion and what it means to be a Christian, to have faith and to question this faith.
And, gosh, I loved it.
Since we go alongside her in this journey of self-discovery, we have the chance to see and live her character arc, her development. And DAMN, in the end I was so proud of her. She's grown so much and she's become this wonderfully independent, wise girl... 😢 I'm so proud of my baby.
The thing that I did not particularly enjoy, though, was the fact that the relationship between Taja and her parents is…rocky. I would have loved a more open relation; a relation in which there’s a chance to talk, discuss and engage in a conversation so to find solutions. Instead her parents were so laser-focused on religion that Taja knew if she were to express her doubts, she'd get a sermon as an answer so she just kept quiet.
She’s faced with all these changes (both physical and mental) that dictate the passing from child to teenager and she faces all this alone. Both parents and friends don’t really help her and are just around to joke and as secondary (and maybe slightly two-dimensional) characters. And this really is a pity.
I appreciated the way Taja’s relatable and numerous problems were handled. Relationships, loving one’s self, hating one’s self, friendship, religion, sex. Everything was touched and dealt with. Everything was real and incredibly relatable.
Overall, I thoroughly appreciated this book and I would recommend. 😌
It's a sweet coming-of-age story with a very peculiar yet (if you're not me) stunning writing style.
"Tonight, as you watch television or listen to the radio or read a magazine, pay attention to what you hear and see, pay attention to what people are telling you to treasure."
I think this book went over my head at the speed of freaking light. ⚡️
💨 *WOOOOOOOSH* 💨
Oh, what’s that?? This whole book, it seems.
Reason for that I think is the writing style.
Maybe I’m just too dumb but there was something off regarding the writing style. I can’t pinpoint the reasons why it didn’t resonate with me but it…just…didn’t. 🤷🏻♀️
Because of it, I felt detached from the characters and their adventures; everything was slightly confusing and foggy. It was like the writing style created an insurmountable barrier between me and the protagonist :/ and if I don’t connect with the characters, the story loses its power and its impact and, thus, I don’t enjoy it at its fullest.
And yet, objectively speaking, I can see how gorgeously written this book was. Every sentence was so…well-crafted? and detailed? poetic and gorgeous? Really, objectively this writing style is a treat™️ but subjectively I didn't mash with it.
So maybe I really am dumb… 🤔
As for the plot itself…
This is what I think when I talk about coming-of-age stories.
The reader gets to follow Taja’s life from when she was a middle grader to when she starts her new adventure in college.
We follow her struggles; we are faced with her doubts; we think alongside her about religion and what it means to be a Christian, to have faith and to question this faith.
And, gosh, I loved it.
Since we go alongside her in this journey of self-discovery, we have the chance to see and live her character arc, her development. And DAMN, in the end I was so proud of her. She's grown so much and she's become this wonderfully independent, wise girl... 😢 I'm so proud of my baby.
The thing that I did not particularly enjoy, though, was the fact that the relationship between Taja and her parents is…rocky. I would have loved a more open relation; a relation in which there’s a chance to talk, discuss and engage in a conversation so to find solutions. Instead her parents were so laser-focused on religion that Taja knew if she were to express her doubts, she'd get a sermon as an answer so she just kept quiet.
She’s faced with all these changes (both physical and mental) that dictate the passing from child to teenager and she faces all this alone. Both parents and friends don’t really help her and are just around to joke and as secondary (and maybe slightly two-dimensional) characters. And this really is a pity.
I appreciated the way Taja’s relatable and numerous problems were handled. Relationships, loving one’s self, hating one’s self, friendship, religion, sex. Everything was touched and dealt with. Everything was real and incredibly relatable.
Overall, I thoroughly appreciated this book and I would recommend. 😌
It's a sweet coming-of-age story with a very peculiar yet (if you're not me) stunning writing style.
"Tonight, as you watch television or listen to the radio or read a magazine, pay attention to what you hear and see, pay attention to what people are telling you to treasure."
brianamoore's review
4.0
There are some YA novels that are for adults as well, and some that are GREAT but really for their specific audience. This was YA for YA. I would have appreciated it a lot when I was young.
runningonwords415's review against another edition
2.0
Taja’s voice is authentic but I couldn’t get used to the writing. Though linear, it’s not sequential and I found myself more confused than anything.
katieproctorbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the writing in this book was beautiful and poetic. It’s a character driven novel, which are usually not my thing, but the short chapters and little glimpses in Taja’s life were very well done.
senexosaweffers's review
4.0
[b:Calling My Name|33829748|Calling My Name|Liara Tamani|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488023094l/33829748._SY75_.jpg|54757155] is a coming-of-age story about a Black girl growing up in the Bible Belt.
We get to witness Taja discover herself as she grows into her faith, sexuality, and identity, and it is wonderful. A must-read for any girl growing up in the South.
Spoiler
We meet Taja when she is a child, faking a stomachache to get out of going to church. As Taja grows and experiences her first love, she begins to question her relationship with God and the way she has always been taught to live. Taja never loses her faith, but she does question the way she experiences it. She feels closest to God when she's alone, not when she goes to church every Sunday morning.We get to witness Taja discover herself as she grows into her faith, sexuality, and identity, and it is wonderful. A must-read for any girl growing up in the South.