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jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
After an incident with her boyfriend, Angel’s mother ships her across country to live with her uncle. Angel’s upset with her mother and nervous about starting a new school. New York isn’t like California. She is welcomed into the new school with opened arms and starts to think that maybe things will turn out okay.
While this book does cover a few heavy topics, it is handled beautifully. These topics are off page but you can confer what has happened. These topics need to be discussed more in literature especially for this age group. Speaking of literature, I love that Angel begins to see and find herself in the Black books that her teachers present to her. We really need more teachers like that now. Im also glad that Angel stood up to the librarian that said something to her about reading “the classics.” <Insert Eye roll> The books she was reading are The Classics.
I wish that the book was a tad bit longer to delve into Angel’s realization of her relationship with her ex and its complexities. I feel like it was wrapped up too quickly at the end and I really wanted that to be throughly explained that in the end she understood. I think that would be helpful to young women around her age who are going through similar things. Overall I loved the book and look forward to more from this author.
While this book does cover a few heavy topics, it is handled beautifully. These topics are off page but you can confer what has happened. These topics need to be discussed more in literature especially for this age group. Speaking of literature, I love that Angel begins to see and find herself in the Black books that her teachers present to her. We really need more teachers like that now. Im also glad that Angel stood up to the librarian that said something to her about reading “the classics.” <Insert Eye roll> The books she was reading are The Classics.
I wish that the book was a tad bit longer to delve into Angel’s realization of her relationship with her ex and its complexities. I feel like it was wrapped up too quickly at the end and I really wanted that to be throughly explained that in the end she understood. I think that would be helpful to young women around her age who are going through similar things. Overall I loved the book and look forward to more from this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This book really reminded me of Elizabeth Acevedo's "The Poet X" but with less poetry but a lot of prose. Unfortunately it wasn't as riveting. This ending also reminds me of "Breathing Underwater" by Alex Flinn, which is another book about teenage domestic abuse that I liked more than this one.
This is the story of a young high school girl who escapes an abusive relationship. After a terrible attack happens she's sent to live with her uncle in New York (the main character, Angel, is from California.) Angel joins a reading program at her school called H.E.R. where she reads classic Black literature from authors like; Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Jason Reynolds, and more. Angel finds comfort in these author's words. In this program Angel meets other young women who are going through various issues.
This story seems like it's a letter to young Black people who are survivors. Even though we don't explicitly see Angel during the attack, we know that it happened and I think this is a good way to deal with trauma in fiction stories. Implied abuse is enough, all the terrible details don't need to be shared. The main character and some of the other characters were involved in dangerous situations like gun violence or domestic violence but those scenes or situations weren't described in too much detail.
I think with all the popular music references in this book means it could be very relatable to young adults, the target audience. The main character at one point looks to music to help her through her emotional issues.
All in all it was an okay book, I'm giving it 3 stars out of 5.
This is the story of a young high school girl who escapes an abusive relationship. After a terrible attack happens she's sent to live with her uncle in New York (the main character, Angel, is from California.) Angel joins a reading program at her school called H.E.R. where she reads classic Black literature from authors like; Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Jason Reynolds, and more. Angel finds comfort in these author's words. In this program Angel meets other young women who are going through various issues.
This story seems like it's a letter to young Black people who are survivors. Even though we don't explicitly see Angel during the attack, we know that it happened and I think this is a good way to deal with trauma in fiction stories. Implied abuse is enough, all the terrible details don't need to be shared. The main character and some of the other characters were involved in dangerous situations like gun violence or domestic violence but those scenes or situations weren't described in too much detail.
I think with all the popular music references in this book means it could be very relatable to young adults, the target audience. The main character at one point looks to music to help her through her emotional issues.
All in all it was an okay book, I'm giving it 3 stars out of 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, and Violence
antonique_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gun violence
azyef's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Medical content
carebear123's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Bullying
mmrohbock's review against another edition
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
4.0
4⭐ on 🎧
G for a truly YA book
Content warnings for physical violence from a partner and PTSD
I love listening to books written in verse on audio because it allows me to hear the cadence of the words and to get inside of the characters head more. The narration for this book is no exception as Mahogany L. Browne tells the powerful story of a black teen girl who moved from CA to NYC after being seriously injured by her then-boyfriend in a spurt of jealousy.
Mahogany beautifully captures what it's like to be a teenager in the world today surrounded by social media, the current racial tension in the US and the pressures and assumptions placed on black teenage girls. She shares the story of Angel finding solace in her new school as she finds teachers who introduce her to authors she relates to like Toni Morrison and friends who share similar interests and truly connect with her.
The biggest challenge for me with this book was that it tries to accomplish so much for a relatively short book. There were so many side characters that I found hard to keep track of and it wasn't always clear what was the past vs the present. This could be the downfall of listening to this book over reading it, but I wish this story had been a bit more streamlined to provide more cohesion.
Overall, this book is an important one to read in my opinion, especially if you have a skin color or body type that has never elicited judgement or derogatory comments. I think this is an important book on some of the experiences of being a young black woman growing up in America today and I'm glad I read it. I would check this book out if you liked With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo.
G for a truly YA book
Content warnings for physical violence from a partner and PTSD
I love listening to books written in verse on audio because it allows me to hear the cadence of the words and to get inside of the characters head more. The narration for this book is no exception as Mahogany L. Browne tells the powerful story of a black teen girl who moved from CA to NYC after being seriously injured by her then-boyfriend in a spurt of jealousy.
Mahogany beautifully captures what it's like to be a teenager in the world today surrounded by social media, the current racial tension in the US and the pressures and assumptions placed on black teenage girls. She shares the story of Angel finding solace in her new school as she finds teachers who introduce her to authors she relates to like Toni Morrison and friends who share similar interests and truly connect with her.
The biggest challenge for me with this book was that it tries to accomplish so much for a relatively short book. There were so many side characters that I found hard to keep track of and it wasn't always clear what was the past vs the present. This could be the downfall of listening to this book over reading it, but I wish this story had been a bit more streamlined to provide more cohesion.
Overall, this book is an important one to read in my opinion, especially if you have a skin color or body type that has never elicited judgement or derogatory comments. I think this is an important book on some of the experiences of being a young black woman growing up in America today and I'm glad I read it. I would check this book out if you liked With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
bhavya_reads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
"What is lost if you never knew what was missing? What is a question that has no answer? It’s me. It’s me."
~ Rating- 2 stars ~
Content/ Trigger Warnings- Abusive relationships, Age gape in relationships, Power imbalance in relationships, Anxiety Attacks, Break ups, Child Neglect, Catcalling, Homophobia (mention) Poverty, Physical Assault, Teen Pregnancy, Toxic Parents, Taking care of siblings due to neglectful parents
Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.
-No Mention of these in the review-
"It’s the constant fight for the respect of different ethnicities, cultures, and genders. You know? There isn’t one way to be beautiful."
Vinyl Moon, by Mahogany L. Browne is a powerful and impactful book about the aftermaths of being in an abusive relationship, and how it impacts the way you perceive the world.
"Have You Ever? Held your breath? Because you were afraid of what might come out when you exhale."
Angel has lived in California all her life, with her bother, sisters and mother. But after a certain incident, she has to leave for Brooklyn, far away from the beloved life she has known.
"One day, I was quiet. Next day, I had nothing to lose. But here I am. After losing everything and relocating to a city three thousand miles away from home. As my shoulder begins to ache, like a well-timed reminder of past mistakes, I try to shrug. I wish I could do it all differently. I just don’t know how."
Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. She can't shake the feeling everyone knows what happened--and how it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G's class, where Angel's classmates share their own stories of pain and joy, Angel feels a bit at home.
"Books make you tap into your own memories. Those memories come with old feelings—feelings you think you’ve put to bed. Just to find out after each page is read and the story unfolds, those memories have awakened, one by one. Memories of being afraid. Memories of being not enough. Memories of being misjudged. The kind of things that keep you up at night."
➼I liked Vinyl Moon for the most part. Despite the fact that I gave it 2 stars, it wasn't a bad book. It has a certain number of flaws, but it was still a great read.
➼The writing style was also good, and was a mix of poems and prose. It did read like a debut, and would have been better with one more round of editing, but it was still ok.
➼It touched on some important themes, like Angel's abusive relationship and her parents abusive relationship, but its not expanded on.
➼I'm also not sure who exactly the target age group for this book was. Some parts of it read like YA, but some parts of it read like MG. Angel sometimes sounds vey mature, and sometimes very immature. The book slightly lacked consistency in that regard.
➼Overall, Vinyl Moon was an entertaining read and I would recommend it.
"I’m looking for stories that remind me of me."
Review written on 16th February, 2022.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite
.........................
Review to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
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