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A review by autumn_alwaysreadingseason
River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta
3.0
Alicia is working a retail job and not using her degree. She's feeling like a failure and needs some change. On her way home one night, she sees River Mumma, a Jamaican water deity. River Mumma tells her that she must find and return her comb to her by sunset the next day.
The pressure is on and Alicia has no idea where to begin. Her coworkers, Heaven and Mars, see that she is acting differently and become swept up in her quest. Alicia is also having visions of her ancestors, seeing ghosts, and is generally open to the supernatural. The trio travels around Toronto on a snowy day trying to find the comb before the deadline.
I wish there were more details about River Mumma and the link between Alicia and her ancestors were stronger. The mission was clear but the stakes/weight of it could have been stronger. The inclusion of Jamaican culture and dialect was what made this book shine, but there could have been more of it. The characters were well developed with Alicia and her existential crisis, Mars and his wanting to help his family, and Heaven with her desire to be the chosen one.
This did feel younger than an Adult novel.
The pressure is on and Alicia has no idea where to begin. Her coworkers, Heaven and Mars, see that she is acting differently and become swept up in her quest. Alicia is also having visions of her ancestors, seeing ghosts, and is generally open to the supernatural. The trio travels around Toronto on a snowy day trying to find the comb before the deadline.
I wish there were more details about River Mumma and the link between Alicia and her ancestors were stronger. The mission was clear but the stakes/weight of it could have been stronger. The inclusion of Jamaican culture and dialect was what made this book shine, but there could have been more of it. The characters were well developed with Alicia and her existential crisis, Mars and his wanting to help his family, and Heaven with her desire to be the chosen one.
This did feel younger than an Adult novel.