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cmstein's review
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
gentleladybug's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jaimiethelibrarygoat's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
lyricalsoul's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
tanya_tate's review against another edition
4.0
Happy Book Publishing Day!!
Book Stats
Stars: 4.5 Stars
Start Date : 01/21/24
Ending Date: 02/02/24
Genre: YA Contemporary Poetry In-Verse Coming of Age
Form: Digital E-Arc
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: 02/06/24
Point of View: 1st Person In Verse
Setting: Washington DC
My Blog: https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2024/02/06/bright-red-fruit-by-safia-elhillo/
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2bed7643-e8f2-4f21-8b8d-f6f623245fad?redirect=true
Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for a review.
Bright Red Fruit is a story about a Mother and Daughter who are trying to understand the other in the backdrop of a country where one is trying to blend into the culture and the other is trying to uphold the customs of the culture of the country they come from. Samira aka "Sam" is a 16 year Sundanese inspiring Poet who is living in Washington DC from Sudan. Her mom thinks she is " fast" because she is at the age where boys want to talk to her and she keeps hearing " rumors" about her from family members but never asks Sam herself about it or just trusts Sam. Sam also just wants to hang out with her friends, wear the same make up and wear cute clothes that are appropriate for her age. Her mother is so strict with her that she doesn't even want her to go to the movies with her friends. When she gets grounded for going to a party with her friends behind her mom's back, she starts posting her poetry on an online forum which gathers the attention of Horus. A poet who performs in local shops and national tours, who is getting national recognition but has a shady reputation and is also nine years her senior. Once she starts to share her poems with him, feelings she never had before start to develop.
This story is written in verse as you drive into the thoughts and Poems of Sam as she gets deeper in her lies she keeps from her mom and her friends about her new " friendship" with Horus. The author uses the myth of Hades and Persephone as imagery to explore and paint a tale between a mother's love for a daughter, a daughter who just wants to be understood, trusted, loved and found a first love, and the danger that first love happened to be.
I really wanted to give this book five stars since I loved it for the most part but for some reason I felt that Sam's character growth and the Mama as well was kind of underdeveloped. I felt like the conflict was too neatly resolved at the end which I felt Sam's character didn't fully learn a lesson. Especially the fact she wanted her mother to trust her and let up on her strictness and at the first big test that her mom did to show that she trusts her she failed big time. Granted, I know she's 16 and I am trying to give her the benefit of the doubt since she's still growing and she was also manipulated as well , but when they had such a good scene beforehand when both mother and daughter talked about their feelings and both feeling like being misunderstood from the other and the first step towards that was the mom showing trust towards you and you break it? Then I feel like you still didn't learn from it until you found out the guy was completely using you and manipulating you to get what he wanted.
I love the Hades and Persephone as imagery that is woven throughout the story with the different Poem from different poets to the parallels that Sam, her Mama and Horus are to Persephone, Demeter, and Hades. Also the play of the pomegranate with the name of the book . All and All I really enjoyed this one since I am a big fan of in verse books which this one is no expectation because it was written beautifully but I just wanted more character growth from our main character.
Book Stats
Stars: 4.5 Stars
Start Date : 01/21/24
Ending Date: 02/02/24
Genre: YA Contemporary Poetry In-Verse Coming of Age
Form: Digital E-Arc
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: 02/06/24
Point of View: 1st Person In Verse
Setting: Washington DC
My Blog: https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2024/02/06/bright-red-fruit-by-safia-elhillo/
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2bed7643-e8f2-4f21-8b8d-f6f623245fad?redirect=true
Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for a review.
Bright Red Fruit is a story about a Mother and Daughter who are trying to understand the other in the backdrop of a country where one is trying to blend into the culture and the other is trying to uphold the customs of the culture of the country they come from. Samira aka "Sam" is a 16 year Sundanese inspiring Poet who is living in Washington DC from Sudan. Her mom thinks she is " fast" because she is at the age where boys want to talk to her and she keeps hearing " rumors" about her from family members but never asks Sam herself about it or just trusts Sam. Sam also just wants to hang out with her friends, wear the same make up and wear cute clothes that are appropriate for her age. Her mother is so strict with her that she doesn't even want her to go to the movies with her friends. When she gets grounded for going to a party with her friends behind her mom's back, she starts posting her poetry on an online forum which gathers the attention of Horus. A poet who performs in local shops and national tours, who is getting national recognition but has a shady reputation and is also nine years her senior. Once she starts to share her poems with him, feelings she never had before start to develop.
This story is written in verse as you drive into the thoughts and Poems of Sam as she gets deeper in her lies she keeps from her mom and her friends about her new " friendship" with Horus. The author uses the myth of Hades and Persephone as imagery to explore and paint a tale between a mother's love for a daughter, a daughter who just wants to be understood, trusted, loved and found a first love, and the danger that first love happened to be.
I really wanted to give this book five stars since I loved it for the most part but for some reason I felt that Sam's character growth and the Mama as well was kind of underdeveloped. I felt like the conflict was too neatly resolved at the end which I felt Sam's character didn't fully learn a lesson. Especially the fact she wanted her mother to trust her and let up on her strictness and at the first big test that her mom did to show that she trusts her she failed big time. Granted, I know she's 16 and I am trying to give her the benefit of the doubt since she's still growing and she was also manipulated as well , but when they had such a good scene beforehand when both mother and daughter talked about their feelings and both feeling like being misunderstood from the other and the first step towards that was the mom showing trust towards you and you break it? Then I feel like you still didn't learn from it until you found out the guy was completely using you and manipulating you to get what he wanted.
I love the Hades and Persephone as imagery that is woven throughout the story with the different Poem from different poets to the parallels that Sam, her Mama and Horus are to Persephone, Demeter, and Hades. Also the play of the pomegranate with the name of the book . All and All I really enjoyed this one since I am a big fan of in verse books which this one is no expectation because it was written beautifully but I just wanted more character growth from our main character.
mildrenreads's review against another edition
4.5
16 year old Sudanese American. Novel in verse. TW: grooming.
candelibri's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I’m going to need 7-10 business days to process this properly. In the meantime - READ. THIS. POST. HASTE.
incredible. my chest is still in a vise.
incredible. my chest is still in a vise.
teresafranceska's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
aishallnot's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
jfontaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
5.0
Safia Elhillo's latest, Bright Red Fruit, is an exquisite novel in verse. The main character, Samira, lives in DC with her mother. Her mother is from Sudan and she imposes on Samira many of the cultural pressures that she grew up enduring. The close-knit community at their church has decided that Samira is a bad girl, and she internalizes it so deeply that she doesn't know who to talk to about it. When she meets Horus, an older poet in an online forum, she finally feels seen. Tamadur and Lina are her dear friends, but she puts everything on the line for Horus, including their friendship. This story is an incredibly quick read, but it will linger with the reader for a long time. The characters are exceptionally depicted, the poetry is beautiful, and the story is heart-wrenching. It is very much a story about finding and using your voice.