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vrkinase0411's reviews
961 reviews
No Name in the Street by James Baldwin
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Baldwin reflects on his dark prophecies within the Fire Next Time and paints an unhindered and frank picture of who amerikkka was and is. He doesn't shy away from the psychology rampant within the oppressors that allow them to continue to turn an eye away from the destruction that is present and the responses to that destruction. Baldwin doesn't allow Malcom X, MLK, Jr., Medgar, or any revolutionary act to exist in a vacuum.
Penetrating and exacting, it requires a type of vulnerability to consume Baldwin's words and allow yourself to whittled away by it and reborn. It is not hopeful in the traditional sense, but I do sense a type of hope in Baldwin that some way, Black people within this settler nation and across the diaspora, understand how deep our pain is and how we have to turn inward towards all of us under global systemic oppression of capitalism, white supremacy, imperialism, and anti blackness.
Penetrating and exacting, it requires a type of vulnerability to consume Baldwin's words and allow yourself to whittled away by it and reborn. It is not hopeful in the traditional sense, but I do sense a type of hope in Baldwin that some way, Black people within this settler nation and across the diaspora, understand how deep our pain is and how we have to turn inward towards all of us under global systemic oppression of capitalism, white supremacy, imperialism, and anti blackness.
The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison & Fighting for Those Left Behind by Safiya Bukhari
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
The Black Maria by Aracelis Girmay
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Deeply reflective of the people we miss without knowing and their scars we cary generationally.
Grief of those we knew and didn't know but hauntingly hopeful.
Grief of those we knew and didn't know but hauntingly hopeful.
Death of The Angler by TG Grem
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
While the characters were cute enough, it read like a liberal utopia where the villain is so oppressively horrible that all the characters really had to do was wait on karma, I guess.
The romance was mind boggling as it doesn't progress past love at first sight, but they're married after some unbelievably tragic trauma and meeting for a 3rd time.
It was also giving "the bigger government will save us eventually" vibes that limited any agency the oppressed actually had.
The romance was mind boggling as it doesn't progress past love at first sight, but they're married after some unbelievably tragic trauma and meeting for a 3rd time.
It was also giving "the bigger government will save us eventually" vibes that limited any agency the oppressed actually had.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Rape, Gaslighting, and Classism
In the Shadow of Truth by J.E. Leak
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A Tale from Norvegr by Edale Lane
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Stalking, and War
Minor: Rape
Strange Attractors by Ana K. Wrenn
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Suicide
Covenant of Queens by Silvia Shaw
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I mostly read this book to find out what happened.
The world building continued to be extensive which is interesting for a third book but it threw off the pacing.
Wide variety of characters but this book was mainly to find out how to stop the Crevelin. The characters remained as they ever were, which was pretty stale and 2-demensional. There was opportunity for a few but it was quickly swallowed up by the mission.
3.25 = it was ok
The world building continued to be extensive which is interesting for a third book but it threw off the pacing.
Wide variety of characters but this book was mainly to find out how to stop the Crevelin. The characters remained as they ever were, which was pretty stale and 2-demensional. There was opportunity for a few but it was quickly swallowed up by the mission.
3.25 = it was ok
The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.25
Utterly gut wrenching and fascinating. Now I have to wait a while year for the finale!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide