Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'
Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
16 reviews
tinareads's review against another edition
- 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
I'm rusty at writing reviews, but this book touched my heart directly, so I feel pulled to speak on it. Please check trigger warnings before getting into this, especially if SA is a trigger for you. It's a prevalent them throughout the book and could be very triggering.
This book made me feel right at home. I was born and raised in California, not Ohio like Echo, but the way she wrote the experience of growing up Black and seeing how your parents struggle-to provide, to survive, to battle their demons-sometimes by using substances to dull the ache. How those struggles, when unaddressed, can bleed onto you, the child and shape you how it shaped them all those years ago. But also how the same parents who hurt you and aren't always available have those moments where they are soft and loving. How you yearn for those moments and cling to them when they're cruel. Phew! But, the magic on these pages added something special to this otherwise sad and tense recollection of Echo's upbringing. I love the aspect of ancestral magic in Black YA books. It often stems from the violence and survival of our ancestors, but it always does something for me. I like to think we might have some of that magic here in the real world, if we're willing to be open to it.
Like another reviewer said, the storytelling is definitely unique. You might be confused at the start, but if you stick with it and are open-minded I think it's quite enjoyable. The way the timelines blend together as the main story goes along was interesting and I was really invested, knowing that this book was about Echo's life with a magical twist. I shed quite a few tears in the last quarter of the audiobook, and it's a shame that we lost such a gifted storyteller so young. I'll definitely be checking out her other novels in the future.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
Minor: Racial slurs and Suicide attempt
theatre_reader123's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Murder, and Incest
Minor: Classism, Homophobia, Car accident, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Child molestation, colorism, wizardry, incest, alcoholism, drug addiction, hijab, privilege, darkness vs. light, multiculturalism, stereotypes, Black poverty, imposter syndrome, religious hypocrisy, puberty, sexualization of children, rape, racism and systemic racism, LGBT, Black feminism, rising up, coming of age, (in)equity, forgiveness, mental illness, grief, healing
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Incest, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Homophobia
leahkarge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Addiction, and Emotional abuse
amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Racism, Bullying, Addiction, Suicide, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Medical content, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, and Alcohol
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Such a powerful story, and voice. It hurt, it dug deep, and it opened my eyes.
Through a power passed to her by her aggressive, addicted mother Echo starts on a journey of magic in the middle of a life that tries her at every turn, brothers that fall into the pits of poverty and follow the path of their fathers, men than abuse women, her.
It is only through her gift and her perseverance, and the help of others like her that she will escape the rotten fate planted for her and plant herself anew.
And, there is also her Persian best friend also in a ride of her own, through religion, through queerness, through parents expectations and fighting to free herself.
And, her mother, whose life has dealt such hard blows and sunk her so deep in the darkness of life, but who will be given a chance through her daughter to change her life, but will she?
Inspired by her own story the author explores the difficult reality of growing up a black woman, excluded by color and gender, put in a box from where most don’t want her to leave, especially the men and white people. But, there’re exceptions and she will thankfully meet some.
Absolutely incredible book that I hope everyone picks up (baring in mind the content warnings).
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Rape, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Islamophobia, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Murder, and Racial slurs
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Mental illness
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Car accident and Medical content
nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
overdose, hospital stayok7a's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Rape
valeriabee's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The book walks the line between memoir and novelization, reminding me a bit of Capote's In Cold Blood. It was stylistically reminiscent of Toni Morrison's Beloved, in particular the tone and the use of magical realism.
I loved the way the narration of this novel played with time. There were many instances in which Echo is recounting the details of various moments at the same time, as if they are happening at the same time. The style and format reminded me of cuts in movie scenes where it jumps from one scene to another by panning similar environments or movements. Or when two different conversations are being had in a movie and the scene jumps between them smoothly by connecting their words so it is as if the dialogues complete each other whilst being completely independent of one another. The fact that Brown created that visual effect in literature is astounding and incredibly powerful.
I love this book for its style and for its content. I love that it is set up in lessons and each chapter could be a stand-alone, it could be a short story but they work together to tell Echo's story. I love that the book is not shy, the characters are not shy. It is all very real and very forward and written so beautifully.
I found myself thinking about the ways that this book could be taught in the classroom, especially because of the way it is chaptered off and written into lessons, one wouldnt have to use the whole book (because you know how some schools are mad sensitive about the content they share with their students despite their willingness to require books about white supremacy, imperialism, and the enslavement of black people).
One of the most appealing things about this book is that it dares to show the bad with the good, show that greatness can be achieved. It provides hope whilst remaining honest about the pain.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Islamophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, and Confinement
Minor: Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Ableism, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery