itsawrapxx's reviews
177 reviews

Daughter in Exile by Bisi Adjapon

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I could not put this book down! Of course, I sympathized with Lola, but at times I just wanted to jump through the book, shake her, and be like, "Girl, What are you doing!? Do you not see this is a terrible decision!?"  

This is still a very riveting story delving into the themes of blackness and immigration in the US. As bad as things seemed to get for Lola, the story was hopeful and endearing. It truly reinvigorated in me the importance of extending kindness to others! 
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My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It reads like a tv series, and I was fully enveloped in Trey's story. The mix between real and fictitious is beautifully done, and each chapter feels episodic. The book's ending came a little left field and left me wanting more. Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable and insightful read. I would recommend it! 
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IMPACT by Taisha S. Ryan

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was into the book until the last 5 or 10 percent of it. I could not get into the plot twist with Eric, and I could not understand why Dre kept such a big secret as he did from Ava. And the book never reckoned with Dre knowing something like that but keeping it from her.  The book did keep my attention until the end, though. 
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Free Game: A Foxview Heights Novel by Kema B.

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I had to sit with my thoughts on this one. I listened to the audiobook, and I know this is a novella, but everything happened so fast! To the point that I was left a little unfulfilled and underwhelmed. The Narrators, however, were excellent! 
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

🫣 I wanted to love this! This is my kind of second-chance romance, and I appreciated the way the story delved into mental health and the journey of grief. Buttt... I don't know what it was; I couldn't connect to Yasmen and Josiah's love. I wasn't getting any of the feels. 
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Snowflake by Nia Forrester

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the book instead. I had to speed up the narration because I thought it was being read slowly, and their narrating style sometimes took me out of the story. I wouldn't consider this a slow burn, but I appreciated how the love between Ash and Kal was well-paced. I wish the book also delved more into the relationships Ash had outside Kal, like with her mother and the professor. I feel like there was no kind of attempt at resolve in those relationships. 
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Sun Keep Rising by Kristen R Lee

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emotional hopeful tense 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

A touching story that grapples with the challenges of teenage pregnancy while trying to navigate poverty and gentrification. Usually, I find it difficult to enjoy books that deal with teenage pregnancy. However, I was invested In B'onca's journey from the beginning to the end and was rooting for her to overcome her circumstances despite it all. There were moments in the book that had me in tears because I sympathized with her character so much. I enjoyed this book, but there were some plot lines that I wish were more fleshed out, like the problem she was having with Scooter's parents. The ending came too soon for me, and there were still loose ends I would have liked to see tied. 
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Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I wanted to love this, which could be because I am not the intended audience; it didn't speak to me. The book's ending seemed a little rushed, and the secret revealed by the end was pretty predictable and did not come as a surprise. 
Go Deep by Rilzy Adams

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the banter between Navaya and Xander. I usually am not a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, but this one was done well, and you really believe in their friendship. I was not a big fan of the miscommunication toward the end, but nonetheless, I'm a fan! 
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

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5.0

I tried to read this when I was a teenager and ended up DNFing, but with the book now a TV adaptation, I reread it. I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around! It is a timeless read. 
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