Reviews

The Life I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

msaustin's review against another edition

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Tried the audio version and I couldn’t get into it.. maybe if I read the print I’ll like it but another time

libwinnie's review against another edition

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4.0

Such a tough read. The author did an amazing job of walking the line between honesty and hope. I don't think I could have read it if she hadn't. I had to suspend some disbelief with the Cricket storyline, but overall the narrative rang brutally true.

martssbee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

k_l3's review against another edition

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4.0

-heavy
-quick read
-interesting perspective
-definitely should read just check trigger warnings

ncrozier's review against another edition

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3.0

Everyone seems to be loving this book, but I found the first, like, half to be really hard to get into. Things happened without enough detail, which left me feeling disconnected from the book and the characters. The latter portions of the book were much better, but it was too late.

thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition

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5.0

A few weeks ago I read The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake and loved it so when I saw the sequel on Edelweiss I requested it immediately. The Life I’m In was an incredibly difficult book to read, but so very necessary. It addresses human trafficking, an issue we are hearing more and more about everyday on the news, as well as through training in the school system.

pantehnreads's review against another edition

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5.0

Goodness I do not know where to start with how much I love this book, and how much this book has affected me. I read the The Skin I'm In earlier this year and read it in an afternoon. I was taken by the stories of Maleeka, Char, Juju, and Miss Saunders. So color me surprised when I am at the library and see a sister book entitled The Life I'm In. A story about Charlese Jones the main bully of Maleeka. The girl who made her feel so ugly, and small. A girl who I did not like (I always had empathy for her, but as a character who was so hurtful I hated her) who for all intents and purposes was the villian of the story. The Charlese Jones of TSII is not the same Char of TLII even before she goes through the traumatic events of the story. This is not an easy read by any means neccessary with themes of human trafficking, r*pe, molestation, violence, murder, ped*philia, racism, classism, sexism, chronic ailments (cancer), death, colorism, fatphobia, and some other topics that affect Char and the other young women and girls. Nevertheless this is an important read for young black girls, for women of all races, and walks of life. Like The Skin I'm in in, I see myself in Charlese, Maleeka, Miss Saunders and the other black women in this book. Women who feel like they are bad luck charms, who cannot do anything right. Life just won't give us a break no matter how hard we try to change. But there is help and love and family out there who can help us while we help ourselves. What really drives this story is the emphasis on black female friendships and kinships. The relationships that Charlese forges with Maleeka, April, Cricket, "Anthony's Girls", and Miss Saunders are beautiful to see. I so value the love between black women in all forms. I really hope that Charlese wins and continues to see she is loved. An amazing book. Tehn out of ten would recommend.

thenextgenlib's review against another edition

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5.0

A few weeks ago I read The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake and loved it so when I saw the sequel on Edelweiss I requested it immediately. The Life I’m In was an incredibly difficult book to read, but so very necessary. It addresses human trafficking, an issue we are hearing more and more about everyday on the news, as well as through training in the school system.

arieldeborah's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense

4.25

anotsonicesundrop's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

Holy freaking moly. My heart has been grabbed and thrown on the ground.