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theeuphoriczat's review
3.0
Thanks to #pridebooktours for making this book available to me.
Where do I start with this book, the characters were interesting, the plot was fascinating but I enjoyed the writing a lot more. It really took on the tone of each character and I really loved that. We follow Alexis whose dream is to be a big time basketball player and in most part she is on her way to become one. Just has she is about to achieve this dream (at least in part), she is shot during a gang related violence and she is not longer able to play. This means no basketball dream and no scholarship.
She now has to turn to her school STEM team who are definitely very different from what she imagined. She makes quick friends with Aamani (an Indian student, whose parents shop she and her friend had tried to steal pizza from), who helps her see herself and her community in a different light. She has to distance herself from friends that would make her new dream unachievable and most importantly the imposter syndrome that she now has.
This is a story of the back and forth that we humans have (especially alexis who need a good wake up call), redemption, revival of dreams, self-love and development.
Where do I start with this book, the characters were interesting, the plot was fascinating but I enjoyed the writing a lot more. It really took on the tone of each character and I really loved that. We follow Alexis whose dream is to be a big time basketball player and in most part she is on her way to become one. Just has she is about to achieve this dream (at least in part), she is shot during a gang related violence and she is not longer able to play. This means no basketball dream and no scholarship.
She now has to turn to her school STEM team who are definitely very different from what she imagined. She makes quick friends with Aamani (an Indian student, whose parents shop she and her friend had tried to steal pizza from), who helps her see herself and her community in a different light. She has to distance herself from friends that would make her new dream unachievable and most importantly the imposter syndrome that she now has.
This is a story of the back and forth that we humans have (especially alexis who need a good wake up call), redemption, revival of dreams, self-love and development.
10iii_kat's review
4.0
Charles A. Bush brings us into the story of a young, black athlete - Alexis Duncan. she's an amazing basketball player, waiting to finish high school and get a college scholarship. one day she goes to a party and unfortunately, she gets shot in a gang shooting. at this point she knows she won't be able to play her favorite sport anymore and her only chance of getting out of her city.
during that time we also get to know an Indian girl that transferred from new jersey to Philly - aamani chakrabarti. she's the typical "nerd" student - she knows lots of historical stuff, and she loves watching movies (we get lots of lotr and marvel references in the story).
when Alexis' life is almost over, she feels like there's nothing more she could do she gets help from aamani who's a part of the stem team at school. Alexis isn't a good student and at first, she makes jokes about it but with time she gets really good at some topics. during all that Alexis who was straight at first begins to have feelings for aamani.
this book - even though it's fiction - made me feel like it's a real story, we hear how hard it is for black or minority people to live in this modern age, and when you add to it being a female, queer, and disabled it really gets difficult. Alexis and her story is surely an inspiring one for all young people trying to figure out their future or sexuality.
Alexis's story can show us how difficult her life is - living in and out of foster homes, living in a house with her mom who doesn't care about her, then moving into a crackhouse, losing her only (or as she thought at first) way to get out of the town and don't end up like everyone else. she's an incredibly strong person and even for me - she's inspiring.
aamani is also a person who's having a hard time - after 9/11 life for Muslims and as aamani tells us Indian people become complex. she's the typical stereotype: "nerd" who only studies, and loves comic books and fantasy movies. in reality, she's a person who still learns who she is and what she likes. she learns more about her sexuality and comes out to her family who as expected didn't really like it but yet she did it because she wants to be honest with herself and everyone else.
overall, we get a cute sapphic romance with two girls from different backgrounds, quite a few space references (which makes me very happy because I love the moon, stars, and planets!), and lots of inspiring and clever quotes.
thanks to north star editions and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
during that time we also get to know an Indian girl that transferred from new jersey to Philly - aamani chakrabarti. she's the typical "nerd" student - she knows lots of historical stuff, and she loves watching movies (we get lots of lotr and marvel references in the story).
when Alexis' life is almost over, she feels like there's nothing more she could do she gets help from aamani who's a part of the stem team at school. Alexis isn't a good student and at first, she makes jokes about it but with time she gets really good at some topics. during all that Alexis who was straight at first begins to have feelings for aamani.
this book - even though it's fiction - made me feel like it's a real story, we hear how hard it is for black or minority people to live in this modern age, and when you add to it being a female, queer, and disabled it really gets difficult. Alexis and her story is surely an inspiring one for all young people trying to figure out their future or sexuality.
Alexis's story can show us how difficult her life is - living in and out of foster homes, living in a house with her mom who doesn't care about her, then moving into a crackhouse, losing her only (or as she thought at first) way to get out of the town and don't end up like everyone else. she's an incredibly strong person and even for me - she's inspiring.
aamani is also a person who's having a hard time - after 9/11 life for Muslims and as aamani tells us Indian people become complex. she's the typical stereotype: "nerd" who only studies, and loves comic books and fantasy movies. in reality, she's a person who still learns who she is and what she likes. she learns more about her sexuality and comes out to her family who as expected didn't really like it but yet she did it because she wants to be honest with herself and everyone else.
overall, we get a cute sapphic romance with two girls from different backgrounds, quite a few space references (which makes me very happy because I love the moon, stars, and planets!), and lots of inspiring and clever quotes.
thanks to north star editions and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
mandyisco's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
biblioberry's review
4.0
I received an advanced reader's copy of this audiobook for review purposes from the publisher from netgalley. this in no way influences my review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
every variable of us follows lex, an average student who plans to get out of her impoverished neighbourhood on a basketball scholarship as a gang shooting renders her gravely injured, thus derailing her life. lex loses all hope and resigns herself to the life expected of another unfortunate Black teenage girl born into a poverty-stricken neighbourhood until she meets aamani, who strikes up a tentative friendship that grows into a romance with her and convinces her to join the school STEM team. they get off to a rocky start and it feels almost impossible to root for the redemption of their relationship: they first meet when aamani reports lex for trying to steal from her father's convenience store, lex's friends have it out for aamani, their relationship begins with lex throwing all kinds of slurs at her; but it progresses beautifully into a tender, passionate romance.
this book does a great job with the romance and in exploring friendships (toxic and otherwise), racism/anti-Blackness (I will get to the desi representation in a second), classism and ableism. it's very hopeful and almost inspiring as lex slowly picks up the pieces of her crumbling life to build a future for herself. the stem team was adorable and i may not be the biggest fan of science but the science metaphors were *chef's kiss*
the writing style is super quick and easy to follow, if a little awkward and stilted at times. case in point: curry food? not a thing. there are a million better ways to describe skin tone without reference to hazelnut or caramel chocolate (which also "almost goes pale" at one point), and aamani's eyes are actually (i literally cannot make this up) described as "brown spheres". do not even get me started on how awkward some of the hindi dialogue was:// but those were mostly minor issues pertaining to like 6-7 lines across the book at most and since this is a debut i think that's excusable:')
oh and a couple of issues on the indian hindu representation i had as an indian from a hindu family:: some of it seemed all over the place and very generalized regarding indian culture - like how aamani has a bangali surname (chakrabarti) but speaks hindi at home and says she's from "the home of bollywood" and says something about all dance and club bollywood sounding the same:// they're pretty tiny issues though and other than that id say the representation was pretty well done:D
anyway so overall? this was emotional, cute and hella inspiring, id definitely recommend:)
every variable of us follows lex, an average student who plans to get out of her impoverished neighbourhood on a basketball scholarship as a gang shooting renders her gravely injured, thus derailing her life. lex loses all hope and resigns herself to the life expected of another unfortunate Black teenage girl born into a poverty-stricken neighbourhood until she meets aamani, who strikes up a tentative friendship that grows into a romance with her and convinces her to join the school STEM team. they get off to a rocky start and it feels almost impossible to root for the redemption of their relationship: they first meet when aamani reports lex for trying to steal from her father's convenience store, lex's friends have it out for aamani, their relationship begins with lex throwing all kinds of slurs at her; but it progresses beautifully into a tender, passionate romance.
this book does a great job with the romance and in exploring friendships (toxic and otherwise), racism/anti-Blackness (I will get to the desi representation in a second), classism and ableism. it's very hopeful and almost inspiring as lex slowly picks up the pieces of her crumbling life to build a future for herself. the stem team was adorable and i may not be the biggest fan of science but the science metaphors were *chef's kiss*
the writing style is super quick and easy to follow, if a little awkward and stilted at times. case in point: curry food? not a thing. there are a million better ways to describe skin tone without reference to hazelnut or caramel chocolate (which also "almost goes pale" at one point), and aamani's eyes are actually (i literally cannot make this up) described as "brown spheres". do not even get me started on how awkward some of the hindi dialogue was:// but those were mostly minor issues pertaining to like 6-7 lines across the book at most and since this is a debut i think that's excusable:')
oh and a couple of issues on the indian hindu representation i had as an indian from a hindu family:: some of it seemed all over the place and very generalized regarding indian culture - like how aamani has a bangali surname (chakrabarti) but speaks hindi at home and says she's from "the home of bollywood" and says something about all dance and club bollywood sounding the same:// they're pretty tiny issues though and other than that id say the representation was pretty well done:D
anyway so overall? this was emotional, cute and hella inspiring, id definitely recommend:)
andrea_author's review
5.0
Teen athlete Alexis is injured in a gang shooting, destroying her dreams of a basketball scholarship. Aamani, the new girl in school, convinces her to seek an academic scholarship instead. Focusing on her studies doesn't do much for her reputation, but her new nerdy friends help her envision a better life. Will old ties lead her back into danger?
This queer, multicultural YA romance has a gritty feel but an uplifting message. Alexis is a strong character trying to survive in difficult circumstances. Her sense of loyalty creates dilemmas that would be difficult for an adult to navigate, much less a teen. She doesn't always make the right choices, but she's got a good heart, and you can't help rooting for her.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This queer, multicultural YA romance has a gritty feel but an uplifting message. Alexis is a strong character trying to survive in difficult circumstances. Her sense of loyalty creates dilemmas that would be difficult for an adult to navigate, much less a teen. She doesn't always make the right choices, but she's got a good heart, and you can't help rooting for her.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
bellsb00ksandwritings's review
4.0
First of all, I want to thank Pride Book Tours and the author for a gifted e-copy.
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was very easy to read and many controversial topics were addressed. There were many diverse characters, and there was a lot of character development, especially with Alexis. At the beginning she had a lot of issues, but she managed to overcome most in a very believable way. I read a lot of people complaining about the excessive use of pop culture references, but I personally didn’t mind that at all. It made the story more fun and seemed to fit the characters, especially Aamani, who was, by the way, probably my favourite.
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was very easy to read and many controversial topics were addressed. There were many diverse characters, and there was a lot of character development, especially with Alexis. At the beginning she had a lot of issues, but she managed to overcome most in a very believable way. I read a lot of people complaining about the excessive use of pop culture references, but I personally didn’t mind that at all. It made the story more fun and seemed to fit the characters, especially Aamani, who was, by the way, probably my favourite.
bhavya_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
3.0
jakeftsgerald's review
2.0
This book has a really interesting blurb, which was what made me request a copy to read but unfortunately it ended up not meeting my expectations.
I couldn't feel any sympathy for Lex, the main character, even given all that she went through because she was such a horrible person. She was ignorant, homophobic and xenophobic throughout the majority of the book which made me really not care about what little character growth she had. When I thought she was becoming a better version of herself, despite all the hate she had engrained, for two steps forward she did something that sent her thirty steps back.
I honestly don't have a single clue for what made the love character interested in her. She was so disrespectful to her it made me want to put the book down and not pick it up again multiple times. She even disrespected her parents when she came to defend Aamani towards the end of the book. It was a nice thought, but done so poorly. I don't care if you love my daughter, you better have some respect when you talk to me. For someone who didn't like people labeling her, she sure did a lot of labeling herself. And Aamani just kept coming back for some reason I'm yet to discover.
Change comes with the realization of the mistakes we made and our wanting to be better and do things differently. But I don't think I have ever seen Lex apologize to other people for the horrible things she has done and/or said, apart from the few times she apologized to Aamani.
This book features drug use, drug abuse, violence, homophobia, xenophobia and probably other things I'm forgetting to mention so take that in consideration when you think about reading it.
Again, I think the concept is very good and I'm curious to see where future works by the author take us.
I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flux and Netgalley!
I couldn't feel any sympathy for Lex, the main character, even given all that she went through because she was such a horrible person. She was ignorant, homophobic and xenophobic throughout the majority of the book which made me really not care about what little character growth she had. When I thought she was becoming a better version of herself, despite all the hate she had engrained, for two steps forward she did something that sent her thirty steps back.
I honestly don't have a single clue for what made the love character interested in her. She was so disrespectful to her it made me want to put the book down and not pick it up again multiple times. She even disrespected her parents when she came to defend Aamani towards the end of the book. It was a nice thought, but done so poorly. I don't care if you love my daughter, you better have some respect when you talk to me. For someone who didn't like people labeling her, she sure did a lot of labeling herself. And Aamani just kept coming back for some reason I'm yet to discover.
Change comes with the realization of the mistakes we made and our wanting to be better and do things differently. But I don't think I have ever seen Lex apologize to other people for the horrible things she has done and/or said, apart from the few times she apologized to Aamani.
This book features drug use, drug abuse, violence, homophobia, xenophobia and probably other things I'm forgetting to mention so take that in consideration when you think about reading it.
Again, I think the concept is very good and I'm curious to see where future works by the author take us.
I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flux and Netgalley!
sbelasco40's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked a lot of things about this - it’s set in Philly, the voices feel very real and teenaged, the main pov character is flawed and complicated and yet achingly relatable a lot of the time.
My main issue here was pacing. There were parts that dragged and then a whole lot got wrapped up really fast at the end. It also felt kind of like the author was trying to fit all the ideas they’d ever had into one book. A lot of potential, some truly strong scenes, great sense of humor. Didn’t quite hold all the way together for me.
My main issue here was pacing. There were parts that dragged and then a whole lot got wrapped up really fast at the end. It also felt kind of like the author was trying to fit all the ideas they’d ever had into one book. A lot of potential, some truly strong scenes, great sense of humor. Didn’t quite hold all the way together for me.
halfway_affable's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.5