I found Robyn Lucas by chance last summer via a fellow booktoker talking about Paper Doll Lina - a 5 star read. I was so happy to learn that the story continued with Nancy’s journey. While not the space I am in today, I could see myself in the experience of feeling unlovable and unworthy. I also could relate to having outlets that offered distractions from the emptiness. My hope is that readers that haven’t experienced Nancy’s journey will find empathy and this offer a guide on maneuvering fragile relationships. This author’s writing causes you to get lost in the story so much so that I read this book in one sitting. The characters’ plight leaps off the pages. The rollercoaster of friendships and the confusion caused by some romantic relationships was so tangible in this story. I am looking forward to more from this new author.

Brighter Than the Sun, by Daniel Aleman

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I pre-ordered this book because I loved Indivisible so much. It did not disappoint. I love the way this author consistently shows the humanity of immigration. The way family is woven into the fiber of his books is so beautiful. Knowing that every decision Sol made as a 16 yr old was driven by family speaks volumes about the importance of family and community within the Mexican culture. Daniel Aleman is officially an auto-buy author for me. He absolutely doesn’t miss.

Flyy Girl, by Omar Tyree

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I read this book back in my early twenties in 1993 when it was first released. I loved it then. I just reread it again for the Black Booktok Book Club because we wanted to celebrate the 30th anniversary and we all loved it when we read it the first time. I realize now that I probably only liked it because of the limited selections of Black authors and I was hungry for representation in books. Reading it now, I am thoroughly confused how we loved this book and how it became a classic of the culture. I really believe it is because we were just happy to see books that centered Black characters outside of historical fiction and heavy literary fiction. I can’t unsee a twenty something year old man writing about extremely promiscuous middle school and high school girls. It feels so icky. When I read it the first time, I didn’t realize that this was considered Young Adult Fiction. Of course, YA back then wasn’t really the genre it is now. There were very few books that were what we would consider today as YA. It definitely feels like a YA reading it now because of the immaturity of the characters and the adolescent decisions. But at the same time, there’s adult themes - drug abuse, parents in emotional abusive relationships, a lot of sex (at least they used condoms), parents that separated but still have complicated relationships. The book was called Flyy Girl as if it is really about one character, but there were so many random side plots that were unnecessary. The two star rating is generous simply because of nostalgia because it barely deserved one star.

The House of Eve, by Sadeqa Johnson

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5.0

Three Girls from Bronzeville, by Dawn Turner

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Ghost Boys, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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emotional informative sad tense fast-paced