raethereviewer's reviews
833 reviews

Becoming Ghost by Cathy Linh Che

4.5

These are the kinds of poems that you have to work for to find meaning in and even then, there’s so much room for interpretation. The additional context at the end makes me want to reopen this and start from the beginning. There’s a good chance I’ll use this collection as a teaching tool because there’s so much that students can gain from this and the poems are ripe for discussion.

[...]: Poems by Fady Joudah

reflective sad

5.0

This was an incredibly sensory experience. It was drenched in imagery and every time I finished a poem, I found myself needing to pause and just go… “Damn.”

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

reflective

5.0

This is, by far, my favorite book from Ta-Nehisi Coates. This is not only beautifully written, it’s also incredibly enlightening. I loved seeing how Coates evolved in his understanding of his role as a journalist through his experiences in Senegal and Palestine.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

5.0

I can’t believe I waited this long to read Mexican Gothic. Not only does it play with the conventions of Gothic Literature in a fun, intriguing way, it also has some of the strongest characterization I’ve seen in a book like this. No one fades into the background completely, not even the servants. The ghosts of the past are constantly haunting our cast of characters in the figurative sense that the Gothic thrives off of. An excellent novel, all-around.

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

emotional reflective tense slow-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

This was such a well-told story. I love the inter-generational aspect of it. The way that each of these characters were flawed in their own ways, preventing them from truly understanding each other, gave them all such depth. There are a lot of events and characters to follow but there was never a time where I felt confused about which character was whom. They were all so uniquely fleshed out.

It’s definitely the kind of story that needs time to digest. There were several moments where I needed to take a break to come to terms with what had happened. The layers of the novel came with multiple interesting revelations.

A Song For You And I by K. O'Neill

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I’ve been a fan of K. O’Neill since The Tea Dragon Society and they continue to build such beautiful, whimsical worlds. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. The world that’s been created here is intricate and well designed. 

My only qualm is that this book is a lot more illustration heavy. There are quite a few times where it’s multiple pages of illustrations without dialogue or written descriptions and I prefer more dialogue heavy graphic novels. There is a lot of nonverbal communication shown in the illustrations but there are also some that are just pages of landscapes.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

5.0

I had so much fun reading this one! It was whimsical and sweet. It’s very low stakes. I really liked Penny and getting to see the customers through her eyes was honestly calming.

Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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

5.0

This was an excellent fantasy! I love the way it explored Kwame's journey through grief while incorporating traditional Ghanian beliefs around life and death. The gods were such interesting characters. The underworld was vivid and very well constructed. This is an excellent book for fantasy lovers across the board. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Kingdom of Dust by Lisa Stringfellow

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed the way this story drew from West African culture, particularly the Igbo, to create such a full world. The author’s note about fairy tales tied things together well and gave me a new perspective on an element of the story that I originally thought happened a little too quickly. This would be great for reluctant readers, especially since it’s right at the 200-page mark and the chapters are fairly short. It’s also great for kids transitioning from early chapter books to longer ones. I’d recommend this for 4th - 6th grade.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, War

The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall

adventurous mysterious

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

4.5

This was a super action-packed adventure steeped in magic. I love the way this novel worked as an allegory for saving enslaved people. The characters felt like pirates on a race against the evil Chainmakers. The magic system was fun and used quite frequently.

My only qualms were that there were, at times, a lot of characters to follow. I also think the world of different Heavens was really cool and I wish that was explored more. I hope this ends up being a series so it can be expanded. 

I'd recommend this one for upper elementary (mainly 5th grade) and lower middle school.

(I was between a 4 and 5 so I rounded up

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent