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citrus_seasalt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was a beautifully crafted story and tbh I wish I read it in audio now because of the format it’s written in(oratory format! crucial, considering the cultural ties to Black storytelling passed through generations) but I genuinely wouldn’t have had the time if that was the case, I’m already juggling two other audiobooks right now. Still, it took me a while to get through this, but I’m glad I got to savor it, because I haven’t done that with a book since March?!
Audre and Mabel’s bond was so sweet. It developed naturally over the course of the novel, which was refreshing to read, and you could tell there was an honest romantic love between them, not just attraction. I smiled a couple of times when they’d joke with each other and share some of the more emotional moments of the story. And Mabel’s friend group!!! I love that they accepted Audre so quickly, and honest to god they bounced off of each other well. An accurately-written teenage friend group lacking the drama I’m used to usually reading about.
I wasn’t expecting Afua to have his own POV chapters, I thought he’d only be referenced by Mabel! But I thought his storyline was handled well, it’s extremely rare for me to find sympathetic and developed incarceration stories in the books I pick up(for the moment), and also his passages felt like something I’d be able to read in a solid book located on the shelves of bookstore owners or ordinary folks who were revolutionaries in their prime. Felt like I could smell the dust on Mabel’s copy of Afua’s titular published book.
Goodness though, as much as I rooted for Mabel’s hope in holding onto her life, and Audre’s hope for finding community, “The Stars And The Blackness Between Them” really pulled on my heartstrings!! Though I can’t say I full-on cried, I teared up a couple of times. Mabel especially feels like a character that can exist outside of fiction, who can be a person I see on a sidewalk or in a hallway one day.
I’m outside of the target demographic of this book: while I am queer, I’m also White, but I appreciate how this distinctly felt written for a Black and queer audience. Of course, that meant there were some references that didn’t come to me as naturally, or jokes not meant for me to laugh at, but I am glad that readers within that group can have a book undeniably queer, spiritual and Black like this one. One that is emotional, but in a variety of ways, not for the sake of only showcasing trauma.
However, the reason this isn’t at a 5.0 is because a) although this is an OwnVoices novel, a couple of Trini reviewers expressed concerns and criticisms regarding some of the rep of their culture(to my understanding the author is also American, but also, you cannot expect one author to be the voice of an entire marginalized group and sometimes that rep can be flawed!), b) some of the magical realism elements threw me off? Nothing against the genre, it’s one of my favorites, but there wasn’t much consistency whenever those elements were brought up and because this was a mostly contemporary story it could be sometimes confused for metaphor. Because of that, my feelings on the ending remain mixed.
Personally, I’d recommend this! Although there’s an award on the cover I don’t see many people talking about it and it’s kinda disappointing.
Audre and Mabel’s bond was so sweet. It developed naturally over the course of the novel, which was refreshing to read, and you could tell there was an honest romantic love between them, not just attraction. I smiled a couple of times when they’d joke with each other and share some of the more emotional moments of the story. And Mabel’s friend group!!! I love that they accepted Audre so quickly, and honest to god they bounced off of each other well. An accurately-written teenage friend group lacking the drama I’m used to usually reading about.
I wasn’t expecting Afua to have his own POV chapters, I thought he’d only be referenced by Mabel! But I thought his storyline was handled well, it’s extremely rare for me to find sympathetic and developed incarceration stories in the books I pick up(for the moment), and also his passages felt like something I’d be able to read in a solid book located on the shelves of bookstore owners or ordinary folks who were revolutionaries in their prime. Felt like I could smell the dust on Mabel’s copy of Afua’s titular published book.
Goodness though, as much as I rooted for Mabel’s hope in holding onto her life, and Audre’s hope for finding community, “The Stars And The Blackness Between Them” really pulled on my heartstrings!! Though I can’t say I full-on cried, I teared up a couple of times. Mabel especially feels like a character that can exist outside of fiction, who can be a person I see on a sidewalk or in a hallway one day.
I’m outside of the target demographic of this book: while I am queer, I’m also White, but I appreciate how this distinctly felt written for a Black and queer audience. Of course, that meant there were some references that didn’t come to me as naturally, or jokes not meant for me to laugh at, but I am glad that readers within that group can have a book undeniably queer, spiritual and Black like this one. One that is emotional, but in a variety of ways, not for the sake of only showcasing trauma.
However, the reason this isn’t at a 5.0 is because a) although this is an OwnVoices novel, a couple of Trini reviewers expressed concerns and criticisms regarding some of the rep of their culture(to my understanding the author is also American, but also, you cannot expect one author to be the voice of an entire marginalized group and sometimes that rep can be flawed!), b) some of the magical realism elements threw me off? Nothing against the genre, it’s one of my favorites, but there wasn’t much consistency whenever those elements were brought up and because this was a mostly contemporary story it could be sometimes confused for metaphor. Because of that, my feelings on the ending remain mixed.
Personally, I’d recommend this! Although there’s an award on the cover I don’t see many people talking about it and it’s kinda disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Homophobia, and Cancer
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Slavery and Antisemitism
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