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A review by readingwitherin
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
4.0
4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an audio arc in exchange for my honest review.
TW: Book contains mentions of police brutality, racism, smoking weed, homophobia, and terminal illness.
We Deserve Monuments follows Avery who is 17 years old and feels like the vast majority of her high school experience has been ruined, first by the pandemic, and now by having to move in her senior year to her mom's hometown so they can take care of her terminally-ill grandma Mama Letty. Avery doesn't even really know Mama Letty as they never really go to visit her due to Mama Letty and Avery's mom not getting along due to things that happened in her mom's childhood that again Avery knows nothing about until they go to this small town. So not only is Avery thrown into a new school environment, but is now also in a hostile home, and a small town where she doesn't fit in.
Avery does make two friends while at school and they get close quickly, but things happen and feelings get in the way. The friendship group ends up splitting up and with it causes Avery to spend more time with Mama Letty learning all about her past and what happened to her husband, and what happened between Mama Letty and Avery's mom. Avery learns a lot of hard truths, and things about her family's past, as well as the past of the new town she is living in. Secrets are in abundance, and with little time left it's tough to know if Mama Letty and Avery's mom will ever make up before it is too late.
Overall this book is a lot, but it is so well done by the author. You feel the emotions that Avery does with the anger, the hurt, the frustration, and the hopelessness of not knowing what to do. Avery learns so much about her family's past in such a short time, while also trying to figure out what to do for her future. All of it is overwhelming at times to Avery and that's understandable, we see her work through it all, and we also see the family working through things as well and trying to make amends for the past.
The romance part of this book is slow-burn but that's understandable because it is a small town and they have to be careful. For me that wasn't the part I was focused on, instead, I needed to know what happened to Mama Letty's husband and why she didn't tell her daughter for so long, and what if anything she ever did to get revenge on the people that caused it since no one else would believe her.
I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next because this book was amazing!
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an audio arc in exchange for my honest review.
TW: Book contains mentions of police brutality, racism, smoking weed, homophobia, and terminal illness.
We Deserve Monuments follows Avery who is 17 years old and feels like the vast majority of her high school experience has been ruined, first by the pandemic, and now by having to move in her senior year to her mom's hometown so they can take care of her terminally-ill grandma Mama Letty. Avery doesn't even really know Mama Letty as they never really go to visit her due to Mama Letty and Avery's mom not getting along due to things that happened in her mom's childhood that again Avery knows nothing about until they go to this small town. So not only is Avery thrown into a new school environment, but is now also in a hostile home, and a small town where she doesn't fit in.
Avery does make two friends while at school and they get close quickly, but things happen and feelings get in the way. The friendship group ends up splitting up and with it causes Avery to spend more time with Mama Letty learning all about her past and what happened to her husband, and what happened between Mama Letty and Avery's mom. Avery learns a lot of hard truths, and things about her family's past, as well as the past of the new town she is living in. Secrets are in abundance, and with little time left it's tough to know if Mama Letty and Avery's mom will ever make up before it is too late.
Overall this book is a lot, but it is so well done by the author. You feel the emotions that Avery does with the anger, the hurt, the frustration, and the hopelessness of not knowing what to do. Avery learns so much about her family's past in such a short time, while also trying to figure out what to do for her future. All of it is overwhelming at times to Avery and that's understandable, we see her work through it all, and we also see the family working through things as well and trying to make amends for the past.
The romance part of this book is slow-burn but that's understandable because it is a small town and they have to be careful. For me that wasn't the part I was focused on, instead, I needed to know what happened to Mama Letty's husband and why she didn't tell her daughter for so long, and what if anything she ever did to get revenge on the people that caused it since no one else would believe her.
I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next because this book was amazing!