A review by lit_vibrations
Broughtupsy by Christina Cooke

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

“𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚞𝚙𝚜𝚢 = 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜”

A book that had lots of potential but fell short of my expectations. Akúa returns home to Jamaica attempting to reconnect with her sister and her home culture. After losing both their mother and brother to sickle cell Akúa brings her brother’s remains along for the trip with the hopes of reassembling her family. 

During her time in Jamaica Akúa and Tamika visit various places from their childhood where their brother’s ashes are spread. The longer the sisters are in the presence of each other the more Akúa realizes how different they are. While being back home Akúa must come to terms with the difficult reality of being gay in a deeply religious family, and what being a gay woman in Jamaica actually means.

This was a really interesting book but I don’t think I really grasped its concept because the pacing was so fast. I know that sounds weird but I moved through it so quickly I couldn’t really connect with the plot. I wanted more from the other characters to really understand why their family bond wasn’t as strong. Why didn’t Tamika really go home for her brother’s funeral? Was facing her father apart of the issue? Was there some built up resentment because he moved them away from Jamaica after their mother passed? 

I have so many unanswered questions which is why I wish the book had been a tad bit longer or more detailed in some areas. The author touched on quite a few themes involving girlhood, sexuality, family, grief, belonging, self-discovery, and coming of age. 

Overall, I think the book was okay but the author missed the mark in certain aspects. I didn’t really get Akúa’s involvement with Jayda and I wish the book didn’t end so abruptly. Outside of that the writing was very descriptive and vivid but lacked depth so I wasn’t as drawn into the story. Special thanks to the author & @catapult for my gifted  copy‼️