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musingsbymichelle's reviews
849 reviews
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Wow, this is a well-researched, experimental, and devastating dystopian look at the US’s prison industrial complex. The author mixed truly horrifying inventions with footnotes of our current system and how it fails so many Americans especially our most vulnerable. The style took me a bit to get used to. The author’s first book was a collection of short stories and this book felt like a series of short stories with a main story woven throughout. To me, this was a clever way to highlight how none of these systems exist in a bubble and there are so many people who uphold them or are fighting them. I’m impressed by this book even though I didn’t necessarily enjoy reading it!!! (So much violence)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide
Master of Me by Keke Palmer
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I admire Keke Palmer. I think she is smart, funny, and relatable. That being said this memoir / self-help book felt disorganized and clunky. I didn’t care for the self-assessment or quizzes at the end of some chapters. The most compelling parts were the anecdotes of Keke Palmer’s life. She has so much experience in the acting and music industry and I loved hearing about it. If you read, this definitely do the audiobook for her adorable giggles (I love a woman that can chuckle at herself) and for her Angela Bassett impression (iconic!).
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
medium-paced
4.0
Wow, I liked this so much!!! I’m a big horror movie fan and Joelle Wellington is definitely one too. Come for the Scream references and stay for all the other horror film trivia, tropes, and nods.
This is a fast-paced slasher that takes place in Brooklyn and follows a group of friends who end up being hunted by an entity. Told with wit, this found family is trying to have a great summer together while dealing with growing up, change, crushes — y’know, all the normal things teens go through, but oh! also!!! something seems to be going after each of them in the order of normal horror tropes starting with the blond and ending with the final girl.
There’s some repetitiveness with the main character’s fixation with “The Best Summer Ever” but this isn’t new for a young adult novel. These are kids dealing with big feelings which does come with circular, intrusive thoughts… that don’t really go away with adulthood. If you can stick with the naviete of the cast of characters, you’ll be rewarded with a fun YA horror story!
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Grief