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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It pains me to give this a low(ish) rating, because I love historical YA fiction and the Greenwood Massacre is such a devastating and often overlooked piece of U.S. history. I really liked Isaiah and his character arc, as well as the last section of the book where the attack was described and the people of the town made heart-breaking sacrifices to try to protect one another. The build-up paid off because as a reader, you grow attached to the people of Greenwood and their tight-knit community.
Unfortunately, the initial two-thirds of the book really bored me. Basically every page was dedicated to discussing Angel's angelic qualities and how much she did for the town. I thought there was going to be some kind of twist or moment of growth where she stopped being so self-sacrificing, but that trait stayed consistent throughout. She was a full-on Mary Sue, and her characterization really ruined the rest of the story for me. Without Isaiah and the countdown to the Tulsa massacre, I don't think I would have kept reading.
Unfortunately, the initial two-thirds of the book really bored me. Basically every page was dedicated to discussing Angel's angelic qualities and how much she did for the town. I thought there was going to be some kind of twist or moment of growth where she stopped being so self-sacrificing, but that trait stayed consistent throughout. She was a full-on Mary Sue, and her characterization really ruined the rest of the story for me. Without Isaiah and the countdown to the Tulsa massacre, I don't think I would have kept reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Infidelity
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Beautiful and heart wrenching story to capture spirit of what happened during the Tulsa Race Riots in May 1921. I don’t always read the acknowledgements but the author’s vision she describes is also very worth the read.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was mind blowing and it made me cry. This book is following two young teenagers who live in the town of Greenwood which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This book is a ya historical fiction book but also first love is involved in this book as well. Now these two teenager who soon become in love with each other have different beliefs. Angel who is a dancer and loves to help others believes in the arguments made by Booker T. Washington about waiting your turn and being patient to when the black community may rise and live amongst the white community in unity. Though Isaiah who wants to become a poet who wholeheartedly and truly believes in the arguments made by W.E.B DuBois. He believed in his methods where the black community should take what is theirs regardless of what the white community says and to also stand up to them and take no crap. Now with Angel and Isaiah they knew each other their whole loves. I would say this book could really be a enemies to lovers type deal in my opinion because Angel could not stand Isaiah and Isaiah was pretty much pretending the entire time that he could not stand her but that was because he was trying to please his friend Muggy. Muggy was pretty much the rich kid in the community because his father owns a successful business, which mind you it is black owned. Now I have mentioned the location of this story it is located in Greenwood, which is the located of the black Wall Street where all the businesses were black owned and the black community thrived. Now as Isaiah and Angel's love progresses they faced the unthinkable of having their homes and community burned down and on top of that they witnessed seeing their loved ones burned alive. Once again this book was well written and had me in tears. It is definitely a must read.
This book is as gut-wrenching as it is beautiful. The horror of the historical backdrop coupled with the absolutely lovely romance between Angel and Isaiah through their very distinct points of view will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Absolutely riveting!
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love books that make me want to learn more. Times that I feel compelled to do a deep dive into whatever topic a book references — I need that. Although this book is mainly about young love between our teen protagonists living in the Greenwood district of Tulsa in 1921, just days before the Tulsa Race Massacre. Reading about everyday life with everyday struggles and to know as the reader, their lives and history were about to be forever and tragically changed. Our two protagonists: Angel and Isaiah, switch POVs throughout the book and they both felt strongly about the opposing ideologies of Booker T Washington and W.E.B. duBois. And that made me want a refresher on their beliefs. Light read considering the material.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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