A review by onceandfuturereaders
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Frizzy is a beautiful story about Marlene who has curly hair. Every week her mom takes her to the salon to have her hair done and every week she’s absolutely miserable during the appointment. She’s constantly hearing about how she should strive to keep her hair maintained - the goal being “good hair”. But everything she does seems to work against keeping her hairstyles maintained and she immediately is made to feel bad when they get messed up. She just wants to go back to being a kid before anyone cared about her hair. This story is her journey to figuring out how to embrace her natural hair and get everyone else in her world to embrace it too. 

I adored this story. Geared towards middle school kids, I think it helps to demonstrate how micro aggressions can make people, especially children, feel. I loved that it wasn’t just Marlene overcoming bullies at school, but also helping those who she loved most see that they were harming her with their comments on her hair. I thought her Tía Ruby was a wonderful role model and I loved their relationship. I also enjoyed how it explored how her mom’s behavior was fueled by her past experiences, showing that even well intentioned people who love us can do harm. 

It is easy to identify with Marlene and her experiences with her mom, but as a mom myself, it’s also easy to take some lessons in how even good intentions can harm our children. Trying to get them to fit in boxes deemed right by society can do so much harm. I had to sit with this book for a bit. I’d highly recommend for kids, but adults can take away lessons too. 

Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 
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