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raethereviewer's Reviews (864)
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
This is a really cute story for kids. It's a great one for discussing boundaries within friendship and what it means to be a good friend.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Representation: Black side character, Mexican family, side character with Down Syndrome, extended family, Chinese side character, Jewish side character, a child with two male parents
The representation is really well done. Every character has a distinct personality and their own interests. Clyde is more than just Lincoln's Black best friend. He's also a kid with a ton of allergies and two overprotective dads who love him.
We get a really great look inside Ronnie Anne's Mexican family and we even get to see some of her best friend Sid's Asian heritage through the scene where they're making hot chocolate in the style of their respective cultures. There's even a full recipe for each!
Ronnie Anne's younger cousin CJ has Down Syndrome and as someone who's been volunteering with children who have Down Syndrome for years, the show does a really nice job of representing him. He's honestly one of my favorite character's and if y'all watch the show than you already know about that Pirate episode.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There just aren't enough stars to relay how much I loved Early Departures. This book had me in tears from the beginning.
Trigger Warnings: death of parents, death of close friend, trauma, car accident, grief
Representation: Black MC and mostly Black supporting cast, Latino side character
The Good
One of the things that stood out to me immediately was the structure. The chapters are numbered, but they go backward from 100, so the first chapter is 100, second is 99, and so on. It’s an unconventional style and one I really enjoy because it sets up a sense of urgency. A lot of the chapters were also really short, many were only a single page and that definitely conveyed a strong message.
In Opposite of Always, I started to see how Justin A. Reynolds could take some common YA tropes and approach them in a different light. In Early Departures, he’s really honed that in and figured out how to use these tropes in innovative ways. He even goes so far as to call them out and acknowledge their ridiculousness. It’s pretty hard to put into words but when you read it, it really hits you. Like has you doing a double take and putting the book down for a second to giggle, kind of hits you.
Another unconventional thing in the story is the way that Jamal breaks the fourth wall pretty regularly in Early Departures. There are points where it almost feels like the story is written in second person, a perspective that is really hard to write in but is done so masterfully here. Justin A. Reynolds used this technique pretty lightly in Opposite of Always, but you can really see how he’s made it his own here.
The characters were so real, so tangible. I felt a strong connection to them all pretty early on. I can’t remember the first time I cried while reading Early Departures, but I’m almost certain it was within the first 60 pages.
If you’ve been following this blog for a few months, you know that I took a Science Fiction class this past Spring and that opened me up a lot more to the genre. Early Departures made me realize that I would love to read more modern Science Fiction stories by Black authors, especially ones like this that include much of the real world with a Sci-Fi twist. It reminds me a lot of Kindred by Octavia Butler, which I read for a whole other class but absolutely loved.
Something I especially loved about Early Departures is the fact that the plot doesn’t center around the main character’s Blackness, or struggles that result from it. There isn’t any police brutality, there aren’t even microaggressions. It’s a story about grief and friendship and being there for those you care about. It’s a story about healing and moving forward. It’s a story for everyone who has lost someone, whether through death or experience.
The Not so Good
If you don’t like to cry and don’t like emotional books, this may not be the book for you. It also depends on your headspace and whether this is a story you’re ready for. There is a really nice mix of humor to balance out the heaviness, but this is still a story of grief so keep that in mind when you’re starting Early Departures.
All in All
It’s no secret that Early Departures was one of my most anticipated reads for September (and the year) but Justin A. Reynolds really blew it out of the water with this one. This is the kind of book that I truly think everyone should read, especially if you’ve lost someone close to you. Early Departures would be especially perfect for fans of The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds.
All this to say: Please go pick up this book, I’m begging you. I probably won’t shut up about it for a while so you might as well get it so you can stay in the loop, too.
https://educatednegra.blog/
https://educatednegra.blog/
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger Warnings: Arrest, prison
Representation: Diverse cast, Black MC, Latino MC
The Good
The story was so funny. I found myself laughing out loud the whole time I was reading it. It was hard to put down because of all the shenanigans, it definitely kept me invested the whole way through.
Love the attention to detail. There’s one scene where people are outside of a prison and one of the signs says “Abolish Prisons though” or something along those lines. There are other little gems like that throughout the novel.
Reading Smoove City was honestly such a good time. I enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted with each other. I loved how the boys got themselves into such a huge mess. It was just so much fun to read.
The art style is so cute. It definitely reminds me of 90s cartoons, which is probably the point. It’s a really fun, loose art style.
The Not so Good
It’s a silly story that doesn’t take itself too seriously which is honestly what I needed right now but it may not be for you if you’re not into that. The author/illustrator is white and there isn’t really much mention of the character’s cultures.
All in All
Smoove City is basically an ode to early 90s R & B. It’s funny, lighthearted, and a really good time.
https://educatednegra.blog/
Representation: Diverse cast, Black MC, Latino MC
The Good
The story was so funny. I found myself laughing out loud the whole time I was reading it. It was hard to put down because of all the shenanigans, it definitely kept me invested the whole way through.
Love the attention to detail. There’s one scene where people are outside of a prison and one of the signs says “Abolish Prisons though” or something along those lines. There are other little gems like that throughout the novel.
Reading Smoove City was honestly such a good time. I enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted with each other. I loved how the boys got themselves into such a huge mess. It was just so much fun to read.
The art style is so cute. It definitely reminds me of 90s cartoons, which is probably the point. It’s a really fun, loose art style.
The Not so Good
It’s a silly story that doesn’t take itself too seriously which is honestly what I needed right now but it may not be for you if you’re not into that. The author/illustrator is white and there isn’t really much mention of the character’s cultures.
All in All
Smoove City is basically an ode to early 90s R & B. It’s funny, lighthearted, and a really good time.
https://educatednegra.blog/
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger Warnings: poverty, microaggressions, mention of deceased sibling
Representation: Black-identifying(Multiracial) MC, interracial romance, character with Latinx heritage
The Good
The story does a really good job of tackling complicated family dynamics. Rico has a difficult relationship with her mother that is even more strained because of their financial situation. Zan is rich but he’s pretty lonely. All of his siblings are much older than him and he has very few people that he really connects with.
There’s also a lot of discussion around socioeconomic class and finances. The juxtaposition between Rico being poor and Zan being rich is talked about pretty often. It’s something that Rico thinks about regularly. The disparity in their circumstances is also shown really well in the descriptions of their homes.
Jackpot has a multilayered and, in some ways, experimental style of storytelling. It reminds me of The Sun is Also a Star in some ways. We get other perspectives, some of which are from inanimate objects.
Nic Stone narrates the audiobook! Need I say more on that point?
The Not so Good
A lot of it was pretty predictable but I didn’t mind that too much. Rico was really clueless a lot of the story but it did make sense for her character.
Rico gave me “not like other girls” energy and Zan even thought her as “different” from other girls and that’s just a trope that I don’t really vibe with. She’s also one of those “everyone thinks I’m beautiful but I don’t see it” kind of people which is understandable but not really my vibe either. Noria mentions it in her “Book Tropes I Hate” video and I think she does a great job of explaining it.
All in All
I really liked the story. It has some really great discussions of class and the search aspect was really fun. Overall, a great adventure.
I know I say this pretty often but this one of those books that I wish had been around when I was in high school. I could totally see 16-year-old me finding this in the library and getting super excited.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger Warnings: Death of parents, kidnapping, mention of war
Representation: half Mexican MC, Asian side characters, Korean language
I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Good
Student Ambassador: The Missing Dragon is my first ever granted wish on Netgalley and I’m so happy I got to read it. It’s funny, witty, and really diverse.
The story is action-packed, which is perfect for Middle Grade. It’s definitely the kind of book that will keep kids on their toes as they read it.
The characters and settings are really diverse. Joseph, the main character, is half Mexican. Joseph and Nang travel through Korea and Japan. There’s even a section where Joseph teaches Nang how to read Korean because Joseph’s babysitter is Korean and she taught him.
The humor in this story was great. I found myself laughing out loud several times. It’s such an out-there and ridiculous story in all the best ways, which makes it even more perfect for Middle Grade readers.
The Not so Good
Honestly, there wasn’t a single miss for me in this story. It’s told so well and the illustrations go with it perfectly.
All in All
I’m so happy my wish was granted. I’m going to buy a copy of this story for my cousins because they love action-adventure books and this is one I could definitely see them reading in a day.
Wanna get it for yourself? Try using my Bookshop affiliate link! If you use my link, the price won’t go up but I will get a small percentage of the sale and that’s one way you can support me and this blog.
https://educatednegra.blog/
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first read Long Way Down two years ago. At the time, I had just graduated from high school and my daily routine included waking up and reading until my eyes grew too heavy to continue. I read a lot of books that summer, but this one always stuck out to me.
The way that Jason Reynolds crafts a story is absolutely enticing. There's never a dull moment. Each word has an impact. Each scene is to be remembered. Danica Novgorodoff did an amazing job of bringing that to light in her illustrations.
This is a book that needs to be in every middle and high school library. It should hold a spot in classroom libraries. It needs to be accessible to ALL students, especially the ones who can relate to Will's story.
https://educatednegra.blog/
The way that Jason Reynolds crafts a story is absolutely enticing. There's never a dull moment. Each word has an impact. Each scene is to be remembered. Danica Novgorodoff did an amazing job of bringing that to light in her illustrations.
This is a book that needs to be in every middle and high school library. It should hold a spot in classroom libraries. It needs to be accessible to ALL students, especially the ones who can relate to Will's story.
https://educatednegra.blog/
slow-paced
