Reviews with content warning for Blood - One of the Good Ones

I was a little hesitant as I didn’t love Dear Haiti, Love Alaine (although admittedly I read an ARC and I think it was a really early edition). I’m so glad I picked this one up because I think that Moulite & Moulite did a wonderful job telling this story. There was excellent balance between grief and joy. History lessons were woven in with things that are very present in today’s world and daily life.

I don’t feel like I’m the best person to judge the rep and experience. As a white woman, I cannot begin to understand the pain and fear Black people face every single day. I cannot understand the weight of history that a Black person bears. I really recommend checking out some OwnVoices reviews of this book to get the most authentic possible reaction to One of the Good Ones.

Reading this as a white person, I appreciated multiple perspectives that showed the different circumstances. I never felt like the story lost its way despite the one-time POV chapters. I think that the perspectives from the recognized, the forgotten, the grieving, and the trying-to-survive added such a level of depth to the stories the Moulites were telling. I liked them all, but I particularly appreciated Shaqueria’s POV.

There were twists in this book I did not expect, and there was a character that was… very interesting. Without giving a lot away, I think it was so good that the Moulites held up a mirror to some intentions and the depths of extremes. It felt like there was a lot of… honesty in One of the Good Ones. And I’m sure – I’m sure – there was a level of editing that happened here and made it so things were a bit watered down. But I did not feel as though the behaviors in this book were overly polished. There was so much honesty and realism in reactions. This is one of those rare books that didn’t feel overly staged in the way characters responded to things or the flow of the environment around them, and I really appreciated that.

From a very objective perspective, craft-wise, this book was also well-done. One of the Good Ones is very easy to read. It flows quickly and for me, the multiple POVs keep it extra interesting. The balance between the storytelling and history-sharing was very well-achieved. I found myself googling some of the snippets to learn more independently, but if you don’t have a good knowledge of Black history in the United States, this book will serve to broaden your horizons.

One of the Good Ones was a charming surprise for me. It wasn’t a book that left me feeling happy and good at the end, but it was really well-told with many rich characters. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Content Warnings

spiritedfaraway's review

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challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

adoras's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.25

Content Warnings

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