adubie's reviews
59 reviews

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

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5.0

Baldwin simultaneously speaks with such bravado and humility, I could not help but be completely mesmerized by his analysis. Apart from this, his assertions about whiteness and racism, about religion and the West, are also incredibly accurate. I can confidently say that we have not come to the solution he outlines in his second letter as a country, which is heartbreaking in itself. But, that does not mean we stop and allow ourselves to become complacent and dormant. Instead, it should push us forward.

I cannot wait to engage my students in this text. I feel it is valuable in both its unpacking of American racism, and racism’s innate affect on Black people and the larger Black community both in the past and present day. I hope this book would either help them become better and to strive to be better, or to help them feel seen and heard as a Black American.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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3.0

It was a good book, in between 3 and 4 stars I think. I think I was very invested because I had previously watched the TV show, rather than the other way around. Some parts are really not as fleshed out as I would’ve preferred them to be, and other parts felt extremely rushed.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

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4.0

Finished this very quickly. It’s a good and raw read. I’m excited to help teach it this Fall, I think the students will connect to it and like it.
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

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4.0

I give it 4.5 stars (dumb that goodreads doesn’t let you give half-stars). A brilliant drama about the nature of us vs them in American society and polarization as a whole. The pacing is fast and intriguing. Finished this book in less than 24 hours, excited to teach it.
We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

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4.0

What a beautiful and powerful novel.