Take a photo of a barcode or cover
raethereviewer's Reviews (864)
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger warnings: anxiety, loss of parent and sibling, car accident, panic attacks, explicit sex scenes and mention of sex,
Representation: Black mc, Pakistani and Muslim mc, anxiety rep,
The Good
I really like how there was a content warning at the beginning of the book. It’s really that simple to have that added to books and I hope more authors follow suit.
I love Zaf and Dani as individuals and they’re even cuter when they’re together. Zaf has me questioning whether I should bring my standards up even higher, but then I remember Zaf is fictional so…
One of my favorite parts of the story was how it showed their relationship progression. Fake dating is such a fun trope to play with and I’ve come to realize it’s one I really enjoy.
I love the family dynamics! That’s something I loved in Get a Life, Chloe Brown, too. Talia Hibbert is really good at showing these relationships and I love that so much. Zaf’s family is really important to him and we really see that in this one.
The Not so Good
If you’re not into books with sexually explicit language and scenes, this probably won’t be the book for you.
I didn’t love this quite as much as Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I think I’m just not as into “friends with benefits” even though I do love friends to lovers. I also think I just enjoyed the angst and yearning more in Get a Life, Chloe Brown. But, a lot of people have said they like this one more so it really just depends on the person.
All in All
I had so much fun reading this. There was one point where I stayed up until nearly 4 AM listening to the audiobook. I’d highly recommend it for all my romance lovers, and those on the fence.
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger Warnings: bullying, mention of sex, microaggressions
Representation: Indian main characters, diabetic parent, Latina supporting character, side character in a wheelchair, deaf/hard of hearing side character
The Good
Dimple is really the kind of person that will tell you exactly what’s gonna happen if you make that bad decision and then she’s absolutely right. She doesn’t even tell you I told you so because she knows you already know. Are we the same person?
Dimple also reminds me a lot of Devi from Never Have I Ever on Netflix, especially when it comes to her relationship with her mother and the way she’s caught between cultures.
I love how connected Rishi is with his culture. It was really fun to learn about it and see how seriously he took it. I’m someone who takes my faith pretty seriously and it’s nice to see characters who practice their own religion in stories, without the author implying that it’s holding them back. I feel like a lot of times religion is seen negatively in a lot of mainstream books but this one showed a really nice balance.
The romance was so sweet. It’s interesting going from adult romance to YA romance because you can really feel the difference between the two.
The Not so Good
A few parts felt a little slow for me but nothing major. I was listening to the audiobook on CloudLibrary so I just sped up those parts.
All in All
I really liked this story and I’m happy I finally read it. The Indian Readathon was really fun, even if I did only get through one book. It reminded me of how it’s important to read from other cultures, especially those that don’t always come to mind for me as quickly. Diverse reading isn’t just reading one culture, it’s reading all of them (or as many as you can).
https://educatednegra.blog/
https://educatednegra.blog/
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Good
The story is told from a dual perspective, which I liked. It reminds me of All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. That was the first book I read by Jason Reynolds and it’s part of what spawned my undying love for him, so if you haven’t read it and you liked the dual perspective on race format, you should definitely check it out.
It brought up some really interesting points about race and circumstances. I liked how Lena was correcting Campbell’s bias throughout the novel.
I also think it’s written in a really good way for younger teens. I could definitely see myself reading this book during my freshman year of high school or at some point like that.
The Not So Good
I’ve come to the realization that I am emotionally exhausted (again) and I’m having trouble getting into stories centering police brutality and other issues specific to race. I don’t really want to read about Black trauma right now. I want to read stories like Opposite of Always and Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I need books where the focus of the story isn’t just the trauma that comes with being Black.
All in All
This is a great story for people who want to learn more about race relations and how perceptions can be flawed. It would also be really great for adding to the conversation with teens. I could definitely see this being read in a classroom setting, or for a young adult book club.
https://educatednegra.blog/
https://educatednegra.blog/
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Good
Slay is a more realistic take on the world of gaming. Gaming has literally become a career for some people, yet a lot of games are exclusionary in nature. Slay creates a safe space for black gamers to play without fear of discrimination. They can play without the fear of not fitting in.
Kiera was such a great main character. Her situation felt so plausible and the actions she took made sense. Having characters that feel real is a big thing for me and Slay delivered on that really well.
The pacing was nice. With stories like these, I’m always worried the synopsis has revealed too much. Then, that just leads me waiting for what’s been promised to happen, like when I read Love, Hate, & Other Filters.
Then again, things can happen way too quickly without giving us the chance to connect to the story, like when I (tried to) read Tyler Johnson Was Here.
Slay does neither of those things. We get to know Kiera, Slay, and some of the other main characters. Then we’re sucked into the happenings of the story. The pacing was perfect.
The switch in POVs may not be for everyone, but I liked it. Most of the story takes place from Kiera’s POV but there are several switches throughout the novel. It helped give the story more context and, in turn, depth.
I enjoyed Brittney Morris’ writing syle. It wasn’t super flowy like what I’m used to, but I felt like I was in the characters’ heads. Morris is pretty straightforward but also quite thorough.
The Not so Good
Malcom seemed like a textbook hotep from the minute he was introduced. I totally agreed with Stephanie’s comments about him. He was definitely my least favorite character.
I wish we heard more about the new Beta Beta Psi initiate, Jazmin. She was introduced for a minute but we never even got dialogue from her.
All in All
I’m so happy I received this ARC of Slay from the giveaway. The representation of black people of different shades, ethnic backgrounds, and ways of life was beautiful. I’d love to see a spin off or companion novel with some of these characters. 10/10 would recommend.
This book is perfect for lovers of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Nic Stone.
Slay is a more realistic take on the world of gaming. Gaming has literally become a career for some people, yet a lot of games are exclusionary in nature. Slay creates a safe space for black gamers to play without fear of discrimination. They can play without the fear of not fitting in.
Kiera was such a great main character. Her situation felt so plausible and the actions she took made sense. Having characters that feel real is a big thing for me and Slay delivered on that really well.
The pacing was nice. With stories like these, I’m always worried the synopsis has revealed too much. Then, that just leads me waiting for what’s been promised to happen, like when I read Love, Hate, & Other Filters.
Then again, things can happen way too quickly without giving us the chance to connect to the story, like when I (tried to) read Tyler Johnson Was Here.
Slay does neither of those things. We get to know Kiera, Slay, and some of the other main characters. Then we’re sucked into the happenings of the story. The pacing was perfect.
The switch in POVs may not be for everyone, but I liked it. Most of the story takes place from Kiera’s POV but there are several switches throughout the novel. It helped give the story more context and, in turn, depth.
I enjoyed Brittney Morris’ writing syle. It wasn’t super flowy like what I’m used to, but I felt like I was in the characters’ heads. Morris is pretty straightforward but also quite thorough.
The Not so Good
Malcom seemed like a textbook hotep from the minute he was introduced. I totally agreed with Stephanie’s comments about him. He was definitely my least favorite character.
I wish we heard more about the new Beta Beta Psi initiate, Jazmin. She was introduced for a minute but we never even got dialogue from her.
All in All
I’m so happy I received this ARC of Slay from the giveaway. The representation of black people of different shades, ethnic backgrounds, and ways of life was beautiful. I’d love to see a spin off or companion novel with some of these characters. 10/10 would recommend.
This book is perfect for lovers of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Nic Stone.
I liked the plot of the story and how realistic and relatable the struggles were, I just felt the ending was a bit too perfect and predictable.
Right off the bat, we can see that Harold's a shy kid with a good heart. He's just trying to find a way to help out his grandmother as best he can, but that search leads him to Londell. Londell offers him a job that he takes against better judgment, landing Harold in a mess he has to figure a way out of.
Right off the bat, we can see that Harold's a shy kid with a good heart. He's just trying to find a way to help out his grandmother as best he can, but that search leads him to Londell. Londell offers him a job that he takes against better judgment, landing Harold in a mess he has to figure a way out of.
The thing I love about Bluford High is that they're easy reads that don't take too long, but yet they still carry a message. I liked the message put into this one about standing up for others, no matter the consequences.
I honestly felt bad for Jamee, though I didn't appreciate her avoidance of school work, it did seem unfair that she was always being compared to her sister.
I honestly felt bad for Jamee, though I didn't appreciate her avoidance of school work, it did seem unfair that she was always being compared to her sister.
July was when I had originally started this, but honestly, I got bored with it. I started over last month and I have finally completed it.
I feel this story was a bit too cliche for me personally. It starts out different with a runaway bride, but from there, it just turns into another one of those romance stories. With the guy having a tragic backstory, the girl feeling she has never lived up to her mother's standards, and a baby thrown into the mix.
(I received this book through Goodreads First Read Giveaways)
I feel this story was a bit too cliche for me personally. It starts out different with a runaway bride, but from there, it just turns into another one of those romance stories. With the guy having a tragic backstory, the girl feeling she has never lived up to her mother's standards, and a baby thrown into the mix.
(I received this book through Goodreads First Read Giveaways)