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A review by luciereads
Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker
4.0
3.5 stars
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I had mixed feelings on this one. While I thought it was a good book for the most part I did have some issues with it.
Just to quickly deal with writing style & plot: I had no problem with the writing style, I've seen other reviews complain about the use of parentheticals, but as I tend to use those a lot I didn't mind them a lot. As for plot, there's very little of that here which, once again, isn't a huge bother to me as I'm more of a character based reader (especially for contemporaries).
I liked that this showcased a teenager with depression and all the complex feelings that come with dealing with that. I also appreciated how it showed the complex relationships you can have with your family when you're dealing with mental illness. I really felt for Morgan when her parents weren't as supportive about her mental illness, but also appreciated the bright moments she had with her family as I felt that was realistic.
I liked that the book showcased her going to therapy, but I think it would have been really helpful if it was more clear how it was helping her. Morgan spent a lot of time complaining about her therapist (which was fair), but her valid complaints were never dealt with?
I felt that the relationship between Morgan and her friends was unbelievable and not fleshed out enough. At the beginning of the book it felt like she barely knew them, but it's implied that they've been friends for at least a while. But there seemed to be no real reason for a transition into a closer friendship.
The biggest part of the book that I appreciated was just how it dealt with/showcased what it's like growing up in a white/predominately not black suburban area. Especially just thoughts that occur when you're the only black person in class. I know a lot of "issue books" deal with this, but for some reason I related to this one a lot more, maybe because this isn't really an "issue book"?
Overall I did really like this, I think teenage me would've really appreciated it, and if you're interested in contemporary's with less of a straightforward plot I think you'll appreciate it too.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I had mixed feelings on this one. While I thought it was a good book for the most part I did have some issues with it.
Just to quickly deal with writing style & plot: I had no problem with the writing style, I've seen other reviews complain about the use of parentheticals, but as I tend to use those a lot I didn't mind them a lot. As for plot, there's very little of that here which, once again, isn't a huge bother to me as I'm more of a character based reader (especially for contemporaries).
I liked that this showcased a teenager with depression and all the complex feelings that come with dealing with that. I also appreciated how it showed the complex relationships you can have with your family when you're dealing with mental illness. I really felt for Morgan when her parents weren't as supportive about her mental illness, but also appreciated the bright moments she had with her family as I felt that was realistic.
I liked that the book showcased her going to therapy, but I think it would have been really helpful if it was more clear how it was helping her. Morgan spent a lot of time complaining about her therapist (which was fair), but her valid complaints were never dealt with?
I felt that the relationship between Morgan and her friends was unbelievable and not fleshed out enough. At the beginning of the book it felt like she barely knew them, but it's implied that they've been friends for at least a while. But there seemed to be no real reason for a transition into a closer friendship.
The biggest part of the book that I appreciated was just how it dealt with/showcased what it's like growing up in a white/predominately not black suburban area. Especially just thoughts that occur when you're the only black person in class. I know a lot of "issue books" deal with this, but for some reason I related to this one a lot more, maybe because this isn't really an "issue book"?
Overall I did really like this, I think teenage me would've really appreciated it, and if you're interested in contemporary's with less of a straightforward plot I think you'll appreciate it too.