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justinabasuthakur's reviews
97 reviews
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott
5.0
possibly the best book I will read in 2022. incredibly well-researched, Elliott plunges into the broken welfare and social service system of America by following 11-year Dasani and her family for several years. this book dives deep into the politics, racism, and cylical nature of poverty in this country and every single fact feels necessary and significant. while giving such personal accounts of Dasani and the people around her, Elliott weaves in statistics, history, and current events without losing the reader's attention and interest for each person's journey. I so taken with the way this book made me feel - the way I found empathy for, got angry with, and rooted for each person Elliott introduced us to is an experience I haven't had in reading a nonfiction book. it is a heartbreaking, aggravating, and inspiring account of the power of a familial love.
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
2.75
Very cool to read stories about places so familiar. I feel like the two main characters were different from each other at surface, but a lot of their traits overlapped. It was almost as if it was originally one person and her personality was split into two people. Maybe that was the point... The relationships with each young woman and their respective mother were the most interesting parts/dynamics of the book. Even though the novel was fast-paced (a single-day read), I don't think the structure of the book served the character development or the friendship of Fiona & Jane. I think good for a debut; although left wanting more.
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery
a great listen for children. even the most horrific & unimaginable events Ms. Lowery endured were written to feel real & relatable for young children & teens of today. the narrator's singing was an absolute bonus