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A review by now_booking
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
4.5
There’s a lot going on in this book in the best of ways. On the surface it is witty and smart and incisive as it comments on contemporary Black culture without being a book about race. But what it actually is a story about a society where two young Black kids, representative of so many others, fall through the cracks of dysfunction and end up in toxic cycles of relationships and substance abuse. It’s a love story about a woman with an invincible chronic illness, self-harming tendencies and a lot of emotional baggage, and an emotionally-damaged man struggling with addiction, being brave enough to feel, and a lot of emotional baggage. Somehow when these two lost souls meet, they have to figure out a way to heal and lighten each other’s load.
The premise is that single mother Eva is struggling with writer’s block for her long running paranormal erotic romance series when she meets blast from her past, Shane, at a panel about race and is blown away by the strong feelings that never left. But with the trauma and toxicity associated with their past relationship and the weight of the baggage they both still carry, any chance of a second chance romance seems dead on arrival.
The best thing about this book is it’s sharp take on contemporary society. It’s full of smart, funny observations and perfectly excerptable quotes about Black culture and Black lived experience that you’ll find yourself nodding to in agreement as you picture the exact cultural reference the author means. This book is heavy on trauma and is potentially very triggering- there is severe addiction, self-harm, sexual assault, abuse, abandonment, neglect, self-harm, chronic pain (chronic illness), misogyny, toxic relationships, and others don’t like it. The story itself and the way it is told is also absolutely gorgeous- you fall in love with the characters and root for them from the very beginning. Particular favourites of mine were Eva, Shane and Audre. Reading Eva and the people in her life navigate her chronic migraines, felt incredibly raw and it was written with a lot of authenticity and heart and was for me, a highlight of this book. Perhaps I didn’t really “buy” that Eva-Cece-Belinda friendship because I didn’t think it was utilized to the max and it didn’t quite “fit” for me, but even they were likable and inoffensive and I love seeing female friendship celebrated. I loved that the book featured marginal groups from society and positioned them as romantic leads- Eva with her debilitating chronic migraines, and Shane, actively in recovery from addiction. I loved the choice of these characters and how they were portrayed. The thing is that this love never felt quite healthy and there was so much unresolved trauma and damage in their lives, it would have been nice for some more of the healing to be on page, just so you know this time they’re for real. This is one of those where you love the couple together but wonder if they’ll be able to overcome the dysfunction long-term.
One thing that bothered me a bit about this book is it’s attitude towards romance. It’s not that it was disparaging in anyway- but there’s an air of tongue-in-cheek speak about it in this book sometimes that make it feel like a second class genre or not “worthy” or serious. And I felt like sometimes the author’s fatigue with writing her erotic romance series made her indirectly disparaging of the genre and I didn’t like that. I would have liked to see more of Eva’s relationship with her mother once she decided looking into her family tree. There were crumbs around this plot point and these themes of matrilineal lines and curses and patriarchal systems that condemn difference that left a lot of space for further exploration.
Overall, there’s no denying how fabulous this was. I highly recommend it to everyone- be safe and consider your triggers.
The premise is that single mother Eva is struggling with writer’s block for her long running paranormal erotic romance series when she meets blast from her past, Shane, at a panel about race and is blown away by the strong feelings that never left. But with the trauma and toxicity associated with their past relationship and the weight of the baggage they both still carry, any chance of a second chance romance seems dead on arrival.
The best thing about this book is it’s sharp take on contemporary society. It’s full of smart, funny observations and perfectly excerptable quotes about Black culture and Black lived experience that you’ll find yourself nodding to in agreement as you picture the exact cultural reference the author means. This book is heavy on trauma and is potentially very triggering- there is severe addiction, self-harm, sexual assault, abuse, abandonment, neglect, self-harm, chronic pain (chronic illness), misogyny, toxic relationships, and others don’t like it. The story itself and the way it is told is also absolutely gorgeous- you fall in love with the characters and root for them from the very beginning. Particular favourites of mine were Eva, Shane and Audre. Reading Eva and the people in her life navigate her chronic migraines, felt incredibly raw and it was written with a lot of authenticity and heart and was for me, a highlight of this book. Perhaps I didn’t really “buy” that Eva-Cece-Belinda friendship because I didn’t think it was utilized to the max and it didn’t quite “fit” for me, but even they were likable and inoffensive and I love seeing female friendship celebrated. I loved that the book featured marginal groups from society and positioned them as romantic leads- Eva with her debilitating chronic migraines, and Shane, actively in recovery from addiction. I loved the choice of these characters and how they were portrayed. The thing is that this love never felt quite healthy and there was so much unresolved trauma and damage in their lives, it would have been nice for some more of the healing to be on page, just so you know this time they’re for real. This is one of those where you love the couple together but wonder if they’ll be able to overcome the dysfunction long-term.
One thing that bothered me a bit about this book is it’s attitude towards romance. It’s not that it was disparaging in anyway- but there’s an air of tongue-in-cheek speak about it in this book sometimes that make it feel like a second class genre or not “worthy” or serious. And I felt like sometimes the author’s fatigue with writing her erotic romance series made her indirectly disparaging of the genre and I didn’t like that. I would have liked to see more of Eva’s relationship with her mother once she decided looking into her family tree. There were crumbs around this plot point and these themes of matrilineal lines and curses and patriarchal systems that condemn difference that left a lot of space for further exploration.
Overall, there’s no denying how fabulous this was. I highly recommend it to everyone- be safe and consider your triggers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Vomit