sariandtherevolution's reviews
138 reviews

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Gets better the more you read. I was lucky to be able to read it in its original version, French. The writing is poetic and enchanting while the themes are somber which is only one example of how the author geniously uses antonyms to narrate the story. The embodiment of nature rather than the dichotomization of body and earth, the being and embracing of opposites rather than its division, all make the book worth reading and enjoying.

The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists by Naomi Klein

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

This a brilliant short introduction to the struggles faced and fought by the peoples of Borikén. Klein explains how the privatization of the islands - capitalism asserted by unelected officials, has been a direct way to oppress, marginalize and colonize Boricuas. While these government agents have been using manipulative tactics that push the population into desperation, distraction, despair, and disappearance, Boricuas are ready to fight for their rights and have been doing so for a long. With care, tradition, Indigenous knowledge, compassion, community, skills, and union, Boricuas have proved to us that collective efforts save lives.

Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

3.25

Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades

reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Lyrical, poetic, and powerful. A lesson that home is your ancestry, your chosen family, your people, your love, your music, your culture, and whatever else you feel belongs and shapes your history, present, and future. The author writes beautifully about what it means to be a Brown girl, a Brown woman, and a Brown person in Queens. She creatively uses the pronoun "we" to write a story that is personal as well as relatable to an entire community.

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights by Molly Smith, Juno Mac

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Incredibly insightful! It serves as a great introduction to sex worker's rights where the authors explain the work aspect of sex work, the sex aspect of sex work, the issue with borders, and all of the existing policies around the world surrounding the topic. The chapters include critical thinking and debates to debunk anti-prostitution and abolitionist/carceral arguments. The authors take a Marxist Feminist position that aims to criticize capitalism, imperialism and borders, racism, and white supremacy, police brutality and prison, and trans- and queerphobia.
TW: This book contains detailed descriptions of transphobic, racist, and sexist violent attacks, assaults, and rape.

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

Very moving and relatable. Beautiful just like all of Ocean’s works!

The Black Unicorn: Poems by Audre Lorde

5.0

Undoing Border Imperialism by Harsha Walia

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is a great book that introduces the movement for the abolition of borders. It highlights the power that arises from the collaboration and joining of forces of migrant rights, Indigenous "land back" and anti-racist activists. The layout of the book is brilliantly thought out and very well executed. It includes a combination of moving first-hand experiences and stories as well as informative narrations of how campaigns are built and sustained. 

Mona by Pola Oloixarac

challenging reflective 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

3.75

TW: R*pe, S*xual assa*lt, physical assa*lt, be*ting

The book is slow paced, careful to only narrate what Mona is comfortable sharing throughout the storyline. We know something is wrong, we know she is experiencing PTSD, but only because we are seeing her hallucinations and follow her escaping behavior, coping mechanisms. The book is worth reading because 1. it contains great conversations on writing and 2. the ending is absurdly and brutally sensational.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

TW: Emotional abuse.

An adventurous book on how important the battles for the decolonization of Borikén, fighting against political corruption, gentrification, and anti-capitalism are for Olga, her brother Prieto and those aiming for collective liberation. This novel also sheds light on the personal struggles faced by the characters as a result of trauma. They dismantle their abandonment issues, break toxic family patterns, and establish their identities and build a world, as the Zapatistas say, "where many worlds fit".