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A review by literarypenguin
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"The stars glimmer above her. They gleam under the gaze of people like Grace, searching for meaning in their formations. They are doing their best for all the people that stare up at the dark and do not know that they, too, shine brilliantly."
At its center Honey Girl is about the loneliness of the human experience. Grace was never alone,she had her parents, her two best friends/roommates, her found family that treat her like she is their own. She has many people that love and care about her but it doesn't stop her from feeling isolated. Every day she feels the crushing weight of her father's expectations and her own. For 11 years she has had a picture perfect plan and she has followed that plan dutifully. Unfortunately the job she plans to get doesn't pan out and she starts to rethink everything she has done so far up to this point. It all comes to a head after going to Las Vegas and getting drunk married to a girl she has never met in her entire life.
Grace is not a woman to run away or give up but she has truly reached her breaking point and feels like she has to stop a moment and just breathe. She has done everything perfect up until now knowing how hard it would be for not just a Black woman but a Black queer woman. It gets tougher for her the more she goes on and she realizes how much harder for her it is then anyone else in her field. So she feels it is better for her to stick to the status quo and not say anything at all, just be appreciative of getting this opportunity and dont complain.
“Sometimes I wish,” she starts, staring blankly out at the road in front of them, “I didn’t have to have everything figured out. I wish I could turn off the part of my brain that needs perfectly executed plans, you know?”
This book explores the difficulties advancing in that environment and how hard people have to work just to even get a interview. How being a certain way can be a detriment to you and how biased some workplaces can really be. It is bad enough that Grace is being questioned about if she really did her research without assistance but to be silently judged about who she is and working with people who dont respect her is a terrible thing to go through.
Grace has to live up to her father's expectations and pressure. She has been doing that for most of her life. The more and more good she does, whether it is getting her doctorate or even graduating college, the more impossible it seems to get his approval. He has taught her to never stop and keep going, never show weakness or vulnerability and keep working until you break. He taught her to be this way because he never had the luxury to be that way himself so he passed that way of thinking on to his daughter. This leaves Grace in a sort of grey area with him, she understands him but at the same time she still resents him and how he treated her growing up.
I loved how therapy was portrayed in a positive light in this book. It also shows that it might not be for everybody and it isn't a one size fits all type of deal. It takes time to find the right person to speak to, the right diagnosis that fits and the right type of medication that will really work for you.
"Here is the thing about the tar, the sludge, the inky black poison. Once it starts its ascent out of your body, there is nothing you can do to stop it. It tastes like volcano ash and fire, and you must taste it, and gag on it, and ultimately, you must spit it out. There comes a time when you cannot swallow it down any longer. Everything that is buried will be unburied. Everything that is pushed down will find its way out. It is the way of the universe."
The romance between Grace & Yuki was very essential to the plot and how the plot developed and moved along. It really made my heart happy and truly was so beautiful to see. You could tell they both liked each other and were attracted to one another but it was done in a way that felt natural and comfortable. They didnt hide how they felt about each other and almost istant sparks flew when they were together. I loved their time apart and together and how they both got to know each other and spend time together reaffirming everything they thought about each other. Yuki was such a complex and interesting character. I loved her radio show stories, they were so breathtaking and impactful. It was one of my favorite parts to read, how stories about monsters reflected our own stories of humanity and all we have done. It was a great way to make Grace feel even more connected to Yuki and bring them closer together.
"It’s okay to admit that something can be best just because it makes you happy, and not because you had to tear yourself apart to get there."
Another one of my favorite aspects of this book was the found families that Yuki and Grace both formed. The White Pearl, a tea shop Grace works at, is her second home. She calls Meera and Raj her brother and sister, the father has taken her in like one of his own. She also found Ximena, a nurturing woman who worked at the same hospital as her father was in and Agnes, a former patient of the same hospital. They live together and love each other so much it hurts. Yuki has made herself a home in New York with three roommates, who are charming in their own very different ways. They felt so real and heartwarming. This book definitely proves that sometimes family isn't those who raised you but those who you have met along the way and love you know matter what.
This book was truly a gem and is a book for all those lonely creatures out there who just need to know that they are never truly alone.
Are you there? ....
Are you listening?...
At its center Honey Girl is about the loneliness of the human experience. Grace was never alone,she had her parents, her two best friends/roommates, her found family that treat her like she is their own. She has many people that love and care about her but it doesn't stop her from feeling isolated. Every day she feels the crushing weight of her father's expectations and her own. For 11 years she has had a picture perfect plan and she has followed that plan dutifully. Unfortunately the job she plans to get doesn't pan out and she starts to rethink everything she has done so far up to this point. It all comes to a head after going to Las Vegas and getting drunk married to a girl she has never met in her entire life.
Grace is not a woman to run away or give up but she has truly reached her breaking point and feels like she has to stop a moment and just breathe. She has done everything perfect up until now knowing how hard it would be for not just a Black woman but a Black queer woman. It gets tougher for her the more she goes on and she realizes how much harder for her it is then anyone else in her field. So she feels it is better for her to stick to the status quo and not say anything at all, just be appreciative of getting this opportunity and dont complain.
“Sometimes I wish,” she starts, staring blankly out at the road in front of them, “I didn’t have to have everything figured out. I wish I could turn off the part of my brain that needs perfectly executed plans, you know?”
This book explores the difficulties advancing in that environment and how hard people have to work just to even get a interview. How being a certain way can be a detriment to you and how biased some workplaces can really be. It is bad enough that Grace is being questioned about if she really did her research without assistance but to be silently judged about who she is and working with people who dont respect her is a terrible thing to go through.
Grace has to live up to her father's expectations and pressure. She has been doing that for most of her life. The more and more good she does, whether it is getting her doctorate or even graduating college, the more impossible it seems to get his approval. He has taught her to never stop and keep going, never show weakness or vulnerability and keep working until you break. He taught her to be this way because he never had the luxury to be that way himself so he passed that way of thinking on to his daughter. This leaves Grace in a sort of grey area with him, she understands him but at the same time she still resents him and how he treated her growing up.
I loved how therapy was portrayed in a positive light in this book. It also shows that it might not be for everybody and it isn't a one size fits all type of deal. It takes time to find the right person to speak to, the right diagnosis that fits and the right type of medication that will really work for you.
"Here is the thing about the tar, the sludge, the inky black poison. Once it starts its ascent out of your body, there is nothing you can do to stop it. It tastes like volcano ash and fire, and you must taste it, and gag on it, and ultimately, you must spit it out. There comes a time when you cannot swallow it down any longer. Everything that is buried will be unburied. Everything that is pushed down will find its way out. It is the way of the universe."
The romance between Grace & Yuki was very essential to the plot and how the plot developed and moved along. It really made my heart happy and truly was so beautiful to see. You could tell they both liked each other and were attracted to one another but it was done in a way that felt natural and comfortable. They didnt hide how they felt about each other and almost istant sparks flew when they were together. I loved their time apart and together and how they both got to know each other and spend time together reaffirming everything they thought about each other. Yuki was such a complex and interesting character. I loved her radio show stories, they were so breathtaking and impactful. It was one of my favorite parts to read, how stories about monsters reflected our own stories of humanity and all we have done. It was a great way to make Grace feel even more connected to Yuki and bring them closer together.
"It’s okay to admit that something can be best just because it makes you happy, and not because you had to tear yourself apart to get there."
Another one of my favorite aspects of this book was the found families that Yuki and Grace both formed. The White Pearl, a tea shop Grace works at, is her second home. She calls Meera and Raj her brother and sister, the father has taken her in like one of his own. She also found Ximena, a nurturing woman who worked at the same hospital as her father was in and Agnes, a former patient of the same hospital. They live together and love each other so much it hurts. Yuki has made herself a home in New York with three roommates, who are charming in their own very different ways. They felt so real and heartwarming. This book definitely proves that sometimes family isn't those who raised you but those who you have met along the way and love you know matter what.
This book was truly a gem and is a book for all those lonely creatures out there who just need to know that they are never truly alone.
Are you there? ....
Are you listening?...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content and Drug use