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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Bristol and Grip are together!! What a lovely story! They are a perfect couple, Bristol is sensitive, intelligent, generous, fiercely loyal. Grip is fiercely in love with Bristol, and he’s fiercely dedicated to the issues of his black people. I loved that this book educates the readers on the many issues of black people. I’m Hispanic and a minority myself, but since I live in Puerto Rico and everyone is the same, I’ve never felt the effects and racism that minorities suffer in the US. Moreover, I’ve always felt kinship with black people because they are so open, so friendly, so caring. I cannot fathom how people can reject people who have such a rich culture and heritage. As Grip so eloquently told a supremacist in the book: “None of us were here first. Unless you’re Native American, you’re an import just like me. We didn’t ask to come here, but we’re here now, and I have just as much right to it as you do. It’s as much mine as yours, maybe more, because nothing about you, what you believe, looks anything like the America I believe in.”
So Grip feels a compulsion to help his people. Since he’s an artist, he feels he has the responsibility and the resources to make his message known far and wide. He wants to learn to help his people more effectively. To this purpose, he needs to register for a course with an important guy in criminal justice reform. The only problem: the course is being offered only this semester and in New York. To his surprise, Bristol immediately accedes to the move, because she is that devoted to the success of their relation.
During the book, Bristol and Grip continue to feel the rejection of many people to their inter-racial union. Qwest appears again in the book, and is also of the opinion that Grip abandoned the cause of black people by being with a “snow flake”, meaning a white woman, and that it takes away his credibility on his crusade. Likewise, Jade feels like Bristol is a compulsion that will fade away as Grip gets impatient with Bristol’s lack of understanding of their community problems. They also have encounters with a white supremacist. Even Grip’s professor feels that a white woman will never understand the problems of black people and should not be the wife of a black leader. All this hoopla caused Bristol to sometimes feel insecure in her marriage, but as Grip tells her: “You’re so precious to me, Bristol."
Grip is a poet and I loved, loved how the author uses Pablo Neruda, the most romantic poet there is, as his inspiration for his songs. It was a little weird to read Neruda’s poems in English but there is so much feeling in his words.
There is a tragic incident that really tests Bristol’s and Grip’s union, and it’s a joy of love to watch how they deal with it. This part was a real tearjerker and I admired Bristol so much for her resilience and Grip for his heroism. In this section of the book, Grip was a hero.
All I can say is that this is a strong story of love, of devotion, of the giving that is so inherent when you want the person you love to be happy. There’s a strong passion between them that goes along with the strong giving. You watch as this couple grows stronger in their love, their bond gets stronger as they deal with all the inter-racial issues, and they end up winning over all those who are in their circle and against their inter-racial union. As Grip’s mother says, she didn’t want her son to marry one of “them white women” but then “them white women” became Bristol, and she recognized that not only Bristol loved Grip with her whole heart, she was also “ride or die”, even if white. Loved the integration of everyone, black, white and brown, into one big circle of family and friends. It was a great message of love and acceptance. “When we are alone, you and I, through years, through pain, my heart will answer again and again, still.”
This author has an incredible imaginery in her voice, she uses her words so skillfully to present her characters feelings and situations in a way that you can see how they feel, feel what they feel. At the end of this book, I felt charged, with knowledge and feels. It took a few days to process how much I liked this book and why. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year, still.
So Grip feels a compulsion to help his people. Since he’s an artist, he feels he has the responsibility and the resources to make his message known far and wide. He wants to learn to help his people more effectively. To this purpose, he needs to register for a course with an important guy in criminal justice reform. The only problem: the course is being offered only this semester and in New York. To his surprise, Bristol immediately accedes to the move, because she is that devoted to the success of their relation.
During the book, Bristol and Grip continue to feel the rejection of many people to their inter-racial union. Qwest appears again in the book, and is also of the opinion that Grip abandoned the cause of black people by being with a “snow flake”, meaning a white woman, and that it takes away his credibility on his crusade. Likewise, Jade feels like Bristol is a compulsion that will fade away as Grip gets impatient with Bristol’s lack of understanding of their community problems. They also have encounters with a white supremacist. Even Grip’s professor feels that a white woman will never understand the problems of black people and should not be the wife of a black leader. All this hoopla caused Bristol to sometimes feel insecure in her marriage, but as Grip tells her: “You’re so precious to me, Bristol."
Grip is a poet and I loved, loved how the author uses Pablo Neruda, the most romantic poet there is, as his inspiration for his songs. It was a little weird to read Neruda’s poems in English but there is so much feeling in his words.
There is a tragic incident that really tests Bristol’s and Grip’s union, and it’s a joy of love to watch how they deal with it. This part was a real tearjerker and I admired Bristol so much for her resilience and Grip for his heroism. In this section of the book, Grip was a hero.
All I can say is that this is a strong story of love, of devotion, of the giving that is so inherent when you want the person you love to be happy. There’s a strong passion between them that goes along with the strong giving. You watch as this couple grows stronger in their love, their bond gets stronger as they deal with all the inter-racial issues, and they end up winning over all those who are in their circle and against their inter-racial union. As Grip’s mother says, she didn’t want her son to marry one of “them white women” but then “them white women” became Bristol, and she recognized that not only Bristol loved Grip with her whole heart, she was also “ride or die”, even if white. Loved the integration of everyone, black, white and brown, into one big circle of family and friends. It was a great message of love and acceptance. “When we are alone, you and I, through years, through pain, my heart will answer again and again, still.”
This author has an incredible imaginery in her voice, she uses her words so skillfully to present her characters feelings and situations in a way that you can see how they feel, feel what they feel. At the end of this book, I felt charged, with knowledge and feels. It took a few days to process how much I liked this book and why. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year, still.
Still (Grip) by Kennedy Ryan
From the very beginning Ms. Ryan has made it hard to resist this couple. How could I call myself a romantic, if I wasn't rooting for their happy ending? Still is the culmination of a love affair that is gritty, heartbreaking and all encompassing. From friends to lovers, it's been a bumpy road, but the connection between Bristol and Grip, although tested never wavers. I want a love like that.
From the very beginning Ms. Ryan has made it hard to resist this couple. How could I call myself a romantic, if I wasn't rooting for their happy ending? Still is the culmination of a love affair that is gritty, heartbreaking and all encompassing. From friends to lovers, it's been a bumpy road, but the connection between Bristol and Grip, although tested never wavers. I want a love like that.
I cried so hard omg Kennedy Ryan did it again loved this soo much !
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Simply the best
This novel OMG! Marlon and Bristol's journey was an angst filled, poetic, narrative through the valleys and peaks of true love. KR gave to Marlon's character what Bristol needed.
Ten worthy stars.
This novel OMG! Marlon and Bristol's journey was an angst filled, poetic, narrative through the valleys and peaks of true love. KR gave to Marlon's character what Bristol needed.
Ten worthy stars.
— 4.25 stars ★
Kennedy was born to write books and I was born to read her books.
If Grip was angsty and intense, then Still is heartbreaking, profound and inspiring. I haven't read all her books but Grip trilogy is her best works in my opinion. It's the way she wrote this trilogy so beautifully, lyrically and poetically and Grip and Bristol's story shattered my heart again and again with the hardships and the struggles and hurt they both faced in this book. To simply say, this book GUTTED me. I was silently sobbing at 2 am reading the last 30% of this book. It was just so painful and heartbreaking but there was an inexplicable beauty to it. To find a light in the darkness of sorrow and pain.
Still follows the story of Grip and Bristol after their happily for now ending in Grip. At first, I thought it would be just some fluff and heartwarming moments of their extended story. But, Kennedy had to write another heart wrenching book because she loves to torture her readers with it. In Still, Grip and Bristol's love is tested by the world and their people, their careers are on a different paths now from before, there's more to lose, more to gain, their world is shaking again and they are again thrown into the mess of racism, white privileges, black men falling for white women. I loved how smartly and paitently they construed and resolved all those situations and problems together. Their healthy communication and acceptance of each other's life and culture was admirable.
This book is divided in two parts. In part 1, we get to read about how Bristol is trying her best to understand the struggles of black people while simultaneously trying to understand Grip at a personal level, they both are trying to navigate their lives with their busy schedules and soaring success, Grip is trying to leave a mark in the community and how he wants to unite the communities together for the better future with his music and his words.
In part 2, their love and marriage is tested again but this times it's not their differences, it's their choices and the pain and grief that will come after those choices. Part 2 was so hard and heavy on my heart. I was crying the whole time I was reading it. Kennedy's words and Grip and Bristol's pain and grief broke me on another level and I don't know how to move on.
➸ Bristol is the strongest female character I have ever read about. I am amazed by her capacity to love so unconditionally and wholeheartedly. The way she is always the one who reaches out to people and never shy away from loving them and understanding them and asking them for the love she deserves. But above all, her strength to hold everything together was just...amazing and everything. She made the hardest choices as a mother, a wife and a woman, that I can not even dream of and she did all that because she saw life and hope in it. I grieved with her in this book and I just wanted to hug her and cry with her. Bristol inspired me a lot in this book.
➸ Grip is an incredible and magnificent man. He's more than just a hip-hop rapper who wants to bring a change and hope for black people community. He's so passionate about his music, Bristol and his community. His soft-hearted yet possessive personality only adds more to his personality. And the way he loves Bristol? It's just something I cannot explain in words. His words? His poems? His wedding vows? His music? I love all the things about him and all the bits and pieces of him. His loyalty to his brothers and community was commendable. He's been through a lot in his life, his people were dragging him in the mess of racism, but he never stopped giving them the support and hope he believed in.
╰┈➤ Grip and Bristol
Is there a way to find a love like theirs? In the midst of hate and destruction and dismay, they found a love that could not only heal the broken parts but can also give hope, inspiration and possibilities to all the people in the world. Bristol understood Grip and his life, struggles and his ambitions even though it took her a lot of time to understand Black people's struggle and I loved how paitent and kind Grip is with her when she's trying to make a place for herself in his life with his people. They fought, they bickered, they loved but they finally managed to get beyond the labels of white privileges and minority between Black and white.
The way they both tried to find the hope, beauty, possibility and life when all was dark and chaos in their life was so precious. I am so proud of them for the choice they made even though it was the hardest thing for them to do but they did it together. I loved how Grip reached out to her when he needed her in their hardest times and how he tried to be strong for her and loved her because it was the only thing he was capable of at that moment. What they have and found in their life is so hard to even see in real life. Their story left a imprint on my mind and heart and I will never forget it.
Kennedy, you did an exceptional, wonderful, admirable job by writing this book for the world to read. The message and hope you wanted to be delivered with this book has been received and I will never forget it. If there's one book in the whole wide world that I want everyone to read. It's the Grip trilogy and trust me this book will change you in the ways you never expected.
“Still?” she asks with a watery smile.
“Yeah.” Always. Evermore. Even after. “Still.”
Kennedy was born to write books and I was born to read her books.
If Grip was angsty and intense, then Still is heartbreaking, profound and inspiring. I haven't read all her books but Grip trilogy is her best works in my opinion. It's the way she wrote this trilogy so beautifully, lyrically and poetically and Grip and Bristol's story shattered my heart again and again with the hardships and the struggles and hurt they both faced in this book. To simply say, this book GUTTED me. I was silently sobbing at 2 am reading the last 30% of this book. It was just so painful and heartbreaking but there was an inexplicable beauty to it. To find a light in the darkness of sorrow and pain.
Still follows the story of Grip and Bristol after their happily for now ending in Grip. At first, I thought it would be just some fluff and heartwarming moments of their extended story. But, Kennedy had to write another heart wrenching book because she loves to torture her readers with it. In Still, Grip and Bristol's love is tested by the world and their people, their careers are on a different paths now from before, there's more to lose, more to gain, their world is shaking again and they are again thrown into the mess of racism, white privileges, black men falling for white women. I loved how smartly and paitently they construed and resolved all those situations and problems together. Their healthy communication and acceptance of each other's life and culture was admirable.
This book is divided in two parts. In part 1, we get to read about how Bristol is trying her best to understand the struggles of black people while simultaneously trying to understand Grip at a personal level, they both are trying to navigate their lives with their busy schedules and soaring success, Grip is trying to leave a mark in the community and how he wants to unite the communities together for the better future with his music and his words.
“There’s something helpless about truly being in love, the kind of love they write songs about, that inspires poetry and launches ships and wreaks havoc. It leaves you slightly off balance, controlling when you mean to cherish, smothering when you mean to hold close.”
In part 2, their love and marriage is tested again but this times it's not their differences, it's their choices and the pain and grief that will come after those choices. Part 2 was so hard and heavy on my heart. I was crying the whole time I was reading it. Kennedy's words and Grip and Bristol's pain and grief broke me on another level and I don't know how to move on.
“We feel the things we need to know instead of say them. With my chest pressed to his back, forgiveness, love, understanding, and tenderness transfer noiselessly between the layers of our clothes, an emotional osmosis through blood and bone, through hurt and fear.”
➸ Bristol is the strongest female character I have ever read about. I am amazed by her capacity to love so unconditionally and wholeheartedly. The way she is always the one who reaches out to people and never shy away from loving them and understanding them and asking them for the love she deserves. But above all, her strength to hold everything together was just...amazing and everything. She made the hardest choices as a mother, a wife and a woman, that I can not even dream of and she did all that because she saw life and hope in it. I grieved with her in this book and I just wanted to hug her and cry with her. Bristol inspired me a lot in this book.
➸ Grip is an incredible and magnificent man. He's more than just a hip-hop rapper who wants to bring a change and hope for black people community. He's so passionate about his music, Bristol and his community. His soft-hearted yet possessive personality only adds more to his personality. And the way he loves Bristol? It's just something I cannot explain in words. His words? His poems? His wedding vows? His music? I love all the things about him and all the bits and pieces of him. His loyalty to his brothers and community was commendable. He's been through a lot in his life, his people were dragging him in the mess of racism, but he never stopped giving them the support and hope he believed in.
╰┈➤ Grip and Bristol
Is there a way to find a love like theirs? In the midst of hate and destruction and dismay, they found a love that could not only heal the broken parts but can also give hope, inspiration and possibilities to all the people in the world. Bristol understood Grip and his life, struggles and his ambitions even though it took her a lot of time to understand Black people's struggle and I loved how paitent and kind Grip is with her when she's trying to make a place for herself in his life with his people. They fought, they bickered, they loved but they finally managed to get beyond the labels of white privileges and minority between Black and white.
Ask me when your belly is full like the moon,
and our love has stretched your body with my child,
leaving your skin, once flawless,
now silvered, traced, scarred,
I will worship you.
My eyes will never stray.
My heart will never wander,
gladly leashed to you all my days.
I am fixed on you.
The way they both tried to find the hope, beauty, possibility and life when all was dark and chaos in their life was so precious. I am so proud of them for the choice they made even though it was the hardest thing for them to do but they did it together. I loved how Grip reached out to her when he needed her in their hardest times and how he tried to be strong for her and loved her because it was the only thing he was capable of at that moment. What they have and found in their life is so hard to even see in real life. Their story left a imprint on my mind and heart and I will never forget it.
“Anything that ended would never be enough for a love like ours. A love like ours is only satisfied by forever.”
Kennedy, you did an exceptional, wonderful, admirable job by writing this book for the world to read. The message and hope you wanted to be delivered with this book has been received and I will never forget it. If there's one book in the whole wide world that I want everyone to read. It's the Grip trilogy and trust me this book will change you in the ways you never expected.
You ask me today if I love you,
if I take you as my own to have and to hold,
and my heart replies yes.
Always, evermore, even after.
Still.
challenging
emotional
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:
No
challenging
emotional
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
K. Ryan knows how to break your heart and put it back together on this wild ride.