A review by blogginboutbooks
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks

4.0

I love that A SOFT PLACE TO LAND stars a young, Black girl but is not about the Civil Rights Movement, slavery, or racism. It's about an ordinary kid with everyday problems. I'd love more books like this, the kind that feature Black characters and families and talk about the types of problems any one can face—friend drama, family issues, unexpected change, figuring out how to reach goals, etc. Books about racism are good for bringing attention to the issue, but I like this kind even better. People are people and we're all dealing with something.

A SOFT PLACE TO LAND is a quick read, with enough going on to keep the story moving along. The characters are all warm and likable. Joy is a sympathetic heroine. Even though her story goal (trying to earn enough money for a piano or at least the piano lessons her family can no longer afford) isn't super compelling, I still wanted her to achieve it. Overall, I was a teensy bit disappointed in this story because it's just not very unique or memorable. I loved Marks' debut novel because it was more original. On the whole, I liked this one more than loved it. I do like Marks, though, and will definitely keep an eye out for her next book.

If I could, I've give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.