Scan barcode
readandfindout's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Themes: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Plot: 5 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death, and Domestic abuse
baksaydora's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Racism
booksbynoe's review against another edition
4.0
I found this to be a very powerful memoir and one I highly recommend (TW for drug abuse, child abuse and sexual assault among others) although I did struggle somewhat at the beginning with the magical realism the author incorporated within her story.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Drug abuse
ashley_tx'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Pedophilia, Incest, and Drug use
Moderate: Death of parent
samvanz12'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 abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
eff_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
- the concept of echo being a wizard (the magic system and the idea wasn’t fully executed
- a lot of ideas and things mentioned in the story did not add to the plot line and felt very watered down. other goodreads reviews does a good job at explaining it so i would direct you to @BangBangBooks review on goodreads
- it often felt confusing at times and it was hard to keep up
things i liked:
- that it was an own voices novel
- the narration done by the author. i highly recommend the audiobook
- the bravery it takes to share a story like this
- the discussions of how often Black women are left out in the community by Black men
- discussions on rape culture and how it can be perpetuated by the Black community
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
renee_reads_books'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? No
5.0
Echo grows up in a poor black community in which her stepfather is frequently drunk and her mother is always strung out on "the white rocks" (crack cocaine). Echo works to overcome the odds that are stacked against her: the disadvantage, the addiction, the access to quality education, the sexual abuse -- all things that affect black communities more than white people often feel comfortable acknowledging -- and she thrives.
I'm certain there are own-voices reviews of this book that are more useful than my review here, and I encourage you to read them. I found this book to be very moving and also thought-provoking because it isn't often that the focus is placed on black women in society (what I mean is, even though it's something we hear about, it's not something I've often seen in books). This had me learning a lot more about all the ways that systemic racism exists and all of the hardships people endure because of it. As a former teacher, I was particularly interested in the education angle and how Echo was able to piece her education together, as well as how she saw school as her safe space.
This book was really well done and I'm surprised that I haven't seen more people talking about it.
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual content
whatsjessreading's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
itsmeyseniab's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
IF YOU'RE READING THIS, PLEASE STOP AND PICK UP THIS INCREDIBLE BOOK, NO REVIEW WILL DO IT JUSTICE.
I rarely cry while reading books, but this brought me to tears on several occasions. This novel tackled some incredibly difficult topics, and what's even more difficult and heartbreaking is knowing that this is autobiographical. The way that Echo Brown told her story was so raw, beautiful and impactful. I loved the way that she incorporated magical realism into this novel and how each chapter ended with a lesson (it felt like a hybrid of both the personal development and memoir genres). The symbolism that she used was superb - the "black veil" representing depression and the description of "wizards" were the two that stood out to me the most. I adored how many of the females within the novel were described as wizards - I felt as though that gave them power in situations that were meant to make them feel powerless at the hands of others. It truly was incredible and brought tears to my eyes.
Echo did a great job with describing all of the characters and developing their interpersonal relationships. The way that she described her relationship with her mother in particular was the most impactful in my opinion. Her mother was so flawed, but the love they both share for each other (even when they don't see eye-to-eye) made me so emotional. We really got to know Echo through her relationship with her brothers as well - hearing how she had to step into a motherly role at such a young age really helped to embody her spirit and allowed readers to understand her thought process and decision making throughout the rest of childhood and teenage years. Her relationship with her teacher was a great example of how families and communities can come together to help each other overcome adversity as well.
Although this was extremely difficult to read due to the subject matter, I think it is an extremely important novel and can impact readers of all ages. I believe that everyone gain something from this story! I highly recommend the audiobook as well - it is narrated by Echo Brown herself and adds even more emotion and depth. I truly can't recommend this novel enough. I am looking forward to seeing more from Echo in the future!
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Violence
locdbooktician's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence