A review by shayemiller
For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington

4.0

This is a painful and powerful story that examines sisterhood, mental health, suicide, and transracial adoption. Makeda (Keda) June Kirkland is black and she was adopted by a white family as a baby. In the opening chapters of this book, her family is making a big move from Maryland to New Mexico. Sadly, this means Keda is leaving behind her best friend, Lena, who happens to be the only other adopted black girl she knows. With an older sister who seems too good for her, a father who has left the country for a while, and a mother who is potentially mentally unstable, Keda struggles to figure out where she belongs. She navigates racism and constant confusion by those who assume she doesn’t belong with her white family. Thankfully, Keda and Lena find a way to continue their conversations through secret messaging. But can this long distance e-friendship carry her through the difficulty that lies ahead? NOTE: This is an #ownvoices novel as Mariama J. Lockington was a transracial adoptee, herself.

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