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A review by shesgotstories
Kindred Spirits by Debbie Rigaud
5.0
There's just something about a fantastic contemporary YA book that makes my soul happy and this book was excellent! Real rating of 4.5.
The colorful and vibrant descriptions in this book made me feel like I was right alongside the main characters as they hunted down the items needed to save Cicely's aunt from her possession. I loved the nod to Caribbean island cultures and the beautiful descriptions of the West Indian Day Parade. The nod to Haitian vodou was really cool and I learned a lot about the culture and the differences between some of the communities. The message of acceptance and reconciliation for family was lovely and I think it's a fantastic and inspiring story for YA readers of all ages. The story was well-balanced between both love and magic and was a quick read that fully immersed me! The characters are all so much fun with very unique and diverse personalities and the nod to Marvel (and the Black Panther movie specifically) was a fun detail.
My only complaint would be that it was too short (as in it felt a little rushed) and that the magical items needed to help Cicely's aunt seemed a little easy to come by for a group of teens with little knowledge of vodou. Some scenes had me thinking that there was no way they were going to do all that they did and still make it to certain places on time, but somehow they did every time. They got sidetracked a lot and still made it to their destinations, which felt a little unrealistic, but it's just a minor thing that threw me off a little.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will easily see myself recommending it as it's a fun read that all ages can enjoy with great writing and a unique story!
Thank you to my local indie bookstore, The Storybook Garden, for providing me with a physical ARC. This in no way influenced my honest opinion!
The colorful and vibrant descriptions in this book made me feel like I was right alongside the main characters as they hunted down the items needed to save Cicely's aunt from her possession. I loved the nod to Caribbean island cultures and the beautiful descriptions of the West Indian Day Parade. The nod to Haitian vodou was really cool and I learned a lot about the culture and the differences between some of the communities. The message of acceptance and reconciliation for family was lovely and I think it's a fantastic and inspiring story for YA readers of all ages. The story was well-balanced between both love and magic and was a quick read that fully immersed me! The characters are all so much fun with very unique and diverse personalities and the nod to Marvel (and the Black Panther movie specifically) was a fun detail.
My only complaint would be that it was too short (as in it felt a little rushed) and that the magical items needed to help Cicely's aunt seemed a little easy to come by for a group of teens with little knowledge of vodou. Some scenes had me thinking that there was no way they were going to do all that they did and still make it to certain places on time, but somehow they did every time. They got sidetracked a lot and still made it to their destinations, which felt a little unrealistic, but it's just a minor thing that threw me off a little.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will easily see myself recommending it as it's a fun read that all ages can enjoy with great writing and a unique story!
Thank you to my local indie bookstore, The Storybook Garden, for providing me with a physical ARC. This in no way influenced my honest opinion!