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A review by jamiereadsthings
SLAY by Brittney Morris
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I am a queen, and this is my game."
The main character, Kiera, an intelligent, brave, badass high school student creates a video game, based on Black culture and is for Black people only, that skyrockets in popularity. It is a place for Black kids to escape from the world - no racial slurs, no iniquity, just Black joy. While none of her family or friends know she is the developer, she struggles to maintain composure after a player is murdered after an in-game dispute. The story is impactful, heavy, and emotional as Kiera tries to navigate this tragedy while balancing her relationships, her schoolwork, and keeping the game from turning into chaos.
_____
As a white woman reading this novel, I was reminded that there's always room to grow for equality and inclusiveness. Brittney Morris depicted systematic racism, white privilege, and social injustice flawlessly throughout the novel, and as I read on, I am constantly learning and educating myself on anti-racist actions.
"So then Holly asked me if I was advocating for the destruction of infrastructure - you know, like when Black people loot stores after an unarmed Black person is killed and their killer is acquitted, and do you know what I asked her?"
"I asked her if she thinks it's worse than when white people lot stores after their team loses a big game."
________
Brittney Morris's debut novel was one of my favorites I read in 2020, and I'm looking forward to her next novel called The Cost of Knowing on March 16th, 2021.
You'll love this book if you love:
Video Games
Young Adult Novels with Messages
Strong Female Protagonists + Feminism
Own Voices Novels
The main character, Kiera, an intelligent, brave, badass high school student creates a video game, based on Black culture and is for Black people only, that skyrockets in popularity. It is a place for Black kids to escape from the world - no racial slurs, no iniquity, just Black joy. While none of her family or friends know she is the developer, she struggles to maintain composure after a player is murdered after an in-game dispute. The story is impactful, heavy, and emotional as Kiera tries to navigate this tragedy while balancing her relationships, her schoolwork, and keeping the game from turning into chaos.
_____
As a white woman reading this novel, I was reminded that there's always room to grow for equality and inclusiveness. Brittney Morris depicted systematic racism, white privilege, and social injustice flawlessly throughout the novel, and as I read on, I am constantly learning and educating myself on anti-racist actions.
"So then Holly asked me if I was advocating for the destruction of infrastructure - you know, like when Black people loot stores after an unarmed Black person is killed and their killer is acquitted, and do you know what I asked her?"
"I asked her if she thinks it's worse than when white people lot stores after their team loses a big game."
________
Brittney Morris's debut novel was one of my favorites I read in 2020, and I'm looking forward to her next novel called The Cost of Knowing on March 16th, 2021.
You'll love this book if you love:
Video Games
Young Adult Novels with Messages
Strong Female Protagonists + Feminism
Own Voices Novels
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Racism and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death