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A review by ebonyessencebookshelf
Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
1.5 - Thank you netgalley and random house for the arc.
I loved the cover and what the book seemed to be about.
At 63% in the book i decided to DNF. I was really hoping to love and enjoy this book. It started falling flat and cringy to me. I was truly holding on but nothing made me want to finish it. Every time you turned around it felt like the author was trying to throw all the black pop culture references they could. I strongly dislike that. It’s like trying to prove you’re black and comes off trying too hard to fit in. Or like a non black person wrote the book.
Then the use of AAVE and conversations just seemed to be forced. Like yet again trying to prove you’re black or a non black person wrote it. Malik dealing with trauma out the gate and not seeing any black boy joy by the time i stopped reading. Also Malik acting as if Alexis is supposed to be his is crazy.
I think going back to the drawing board is best. Getting a better editing team or something because these things plus other stuff should’ve been picked up on.
Read if you want.
I loved the cover and what the book seemed to be about.
At 63% in the book i decided to DNF. I was really hoping to love and enjoy this book. It started falling flat and cringy to me. I was truly holding on but nothing made me want to finish it. Every time you turned around it felt like the author was trying to throw all the black pop culture references they could. I strongly dislike that. It’s like trying to prove you’re black and comes off trying too hard to fit in. Or like a non black person wrote the book.
Then the use of AAVE and conversations just seemed to be forced. Like yet again trying to prove you’re black or a non black person wrote it. Malik dealing with trauma out the gate and not seeing any black boy joy by the time i stopped reading. Also Malik acting as if Alexis is supposed to be his is crazy.
I think going back to the drawing board is best. Getting a better editing team or something because these things plus other stuff should’ve been picked up on.
Read if you want.