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jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
After an incident with her boyfriend, Angel’s mother ships her across country to live with her uncle. Angel’s upset with her mother and nervous about starting a new school. New York isn’t like California. She is welcomed into the new school with opened arms and starts to think that maybe things will turn out okay.
While this book does cover a few heavy topics, it is handled beautifully. These topics are off page but you can confer what has happened. These topics need to be discussed more in literature especially for this age group. Speaking of literature, I love that Angel begins to see and find herself in the Black books that her teachers present to her. We really need more teachers like that now. Im also glad that Angel stood up to the librarian that said something to her about reading “the classics.” <Insert Eye roll> The books she was reading are The Classics.
I wish that the book was a tad bit longer to delve into Angel’s realization of her relationship with her ex and its complexities. I feel like it was wrapped up too quickly at the end and I really wanted that to be throughly explained that in the end she understood. I think that would be helpful to young women around her age who are going through similar things. Overall I loved the book and look forward to more from this author.
While this book does cover a few heavy topics, it is handled beautifully. These topics are off page but you can confer what has happened. These topics need to be discussed more in literature especially for this age group. Speaking of literature, I love that Angel begins to see and find herself in the Black books that her teachers present to her. We really need more teachers like that now. Im also glad that Angel stood up to the librarian that said something to her about reading “the classics.” <Insert Eye roll> The books she was reading are The Classics.
I wish that the book was a tad bit longer to delve into Angel’s realization of her relationship with her ex and its complexities. I feel like it was wrapped up too quickly at the end and I really wanted that to be throughly explained that in the end she understood. I think that would be helpful to young women around her age who are going through similar things. Overall I loved the book and look forward to more from this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
bujoxbooked's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars; audiobook
I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars because I did enjoy it but there were some areas that I felt needed more
At the beginning of the year, I loved the summary of this and added it to my TBR. Lucky for me it was available on Libby for me to read within a week once I placed a hold on it! I was unaware that this was a "poetry/prose" type of book until about halfway through the book when the librarian was explaining different types of books lol.
I work in schools, so it is always great to read about the positive impact of adults in schools. Angel was surrounded by them and within less than a semester she found her place in Brooklyn, new friends, and connected with herself. I loved how Angel was able to connect with others and learn more about herself through music and books. The librarian made the books accessible by connecting the books to music and sharing her own preferred books allowed students to bond with her. In addition to having the H.E.R. advisory group where she could share herself with others.
Dislikes:
Technically, I guess the author wrapped up the book by allowing Angel to deal with the big life change from Cali to Brooklyn as well as being her own person with her own interests. The reason behind her injuries was not what I expected, but I guess that's what the author wanted from her audience. I felt that it took a long time for it to be explained and the build-up did not meet my expectations. It would have been nice to have more of an explanation of why her ex got to that point and changed his behavior. Maybe there will be another book where there will be more background given about him. The focus was and should be on Angel, but the change in their relationship felt abrupt.
I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars because I did enjoy it but there were some areas that I felt needed more
At the beginning of the year, I loved the summary of this and added it to my TBR. Lucky for me it was available on Libby for me to read within a week once I placed a hold on it! I was unaware that this was a "poetry/prose" type of book until about halfway through the book when the librarian was explaining different types of books lol.
I work in schools, so it is always great to read about the positive impact of adults in schools. Angel was surrounded by them and within less than a semester she found her place in Brooklyn, new friends, and connected with herself. I loved how Angel was able to connect with others and learn more about herself through music and books. The librarian made the books accessible by connecting the books to music and sharing her own preferred books allowed students to bond with her. In addition to having the H.E.R. advisory group where she could share herself with others.
Dislikes:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
azyef's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Medical content
bhavya_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
2.0
"What is lost if you never knew what was missing? What is a question that has no answer? It’s me. It’s me."
~ Rating- 2 stars ~
Content/ Trigger Warnings- Abusive relationships, Age gape in relationships, Power imbalance in relationships, Anxiety Attacks, Break ups, Child Neglect, Catcalling, Homophobia (mention) Poverty, Physical Assault, Teen Pregnancy, Toxic Parents, Taking care of siblings due to neglectful parents
Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.
-No Mention of these in the review-
"It’s the constant fight for the respect of different ethnicities, cultures, and genders. You know? There isn’t one way to be beautiful."
Vinyl Moon, by Mahogany L. Browne is a powerful and impactful book about the aftermaths of being in an abusive relationship, and how it impacts the way you perceive the world.
"Have You Ever? Held your breath? Because you were afraid of what might come out when you exhale."
Angel has lived in California all her life, with her bother, sisters and mother. But after a certain incident, she has to leave for Brooklyn, far away from the beloved life she has known.
"One day, I was quiet. Next day, I had nothing to lose. But here I am. After losing everything and relocating to a city three thousand miles away from home. As my shoulder begins to ache, like a well-timed reminder of past mistakes, I try to shrug. I wish I could do it all differently. I just don’t know how."
Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. She can't shake the feeling everyone knows what happened--and how it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G's class, where Angel's classmates share their own stories of pain and joy, Angel feels a bit at home.
"Books make you tap into your own memories. Those memories come with old feelings—feelings you think you’ve put to bed. Just to find out after each page is read and the story unfolds, those memories have awakened, one by one. Memories of being afraid. Memories of being not enough. Memories of being misjudged. The kind of things that keep you up at night."
➼I liked Vinyl Moon for the most part. Despite the fact that I gave it 2 stars, it wasn't a bad book. It has a certain number of flaws, but it was still a great read.
➼The writing style was also good, and was a mix of poems and prose. It did read like a debut, and would have been better with one more round of editing, but it was still ok.
➼It touched on some important themes, like Angel's abusive relationship and her parents abusive relationship, but its not expanded on.
➼I'm also not sure who exactly the target age group for this book was. Some parts of it read like YA, but some parts of it read like MG. Angel sometimes sounds vey mature, and sometimes very immature. The book slightly lacked consistency in that regard.
➼Overall, Vinyl Moon was an entertaining read and I would recommend it.
"I’m looking for stories that remind me of me."
Review written on 16th February, 2022.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite
.........................
Review to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
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