Review: "Dear Martin," by Nic Stone

I have wanted to read a Nic Stone novel since I saw her at the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) virtual conference. With her blue lipstick and statement earrings, she exuded cool author vibes through my computer screen. Dear Martin, her YA debut novel, published in 2017, did not disappoint. 

Justyce McAllister is the central character in this novel about what it is like to be a young Black man in a world that is constantly profiling and spinning your actions. Justyce is a star student at his prep school on his way to Yale, but when a police officer sees him in the middle of the night with his biracial ex-girlfriend, the officer assumes the worst and puts him in handcuffs. The memory of those cuffs on his wrist stays with him, and he begins thinking about everything that Martin Luther King, Jr did for Civil Rights. While some things have changed, he feels that the perception others have of him as a young Black man has not. Throughout the novel, Justyce writes letters to Martin as a form of journaling to help him process the injustice he sees and experiences. 

Stone's writing is realistic in portraying an introspective teenager examining injustice and tragedy. It is thought-provoking and may disturb you as it should. 

Book Review: "Razorblade Tears, " by S.A. Crosby

Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby, is an action-packed novel that will leave you rooting for
two fathers seeking justice. Set in Virginia, this is a story about two fathers, one a Black man and a White man. Both are former convicts trying to stay on the straight and narrow. What brings them together? Deep grief. Someone has murdered their sons, leaving their 3-year-old granddaughter fatherless. After the police don't get anywhere in the investigation, the two fathers decide to take vigilante justice into their own hands. I happened to be reading this book while also watching Yellowstone. They mirrored each other in their drama, violence, and protecting your family at all costs, so it was easy for me to visualize the scenes in the book. However, this novel is more than just about a story of retribution. It also looks at how race, bigotry, sexual identity, and our communities shape us. It is about understanding that we don't all live with the same privilege. Most of all, it is a story about accepting your children for who they are before it is too late. Despite some gruesome scenes, this book left me emotional at the end. 

Review: "Marcus Vega Does Not Speak Spanish," by Pablo Cartaya

Marcus Vega Does Not Speak Spanish, by Pablo Cartaya, is a middle-grade novel is about finding yourself and your place in the world. After an incident at school leads to a suspension, the Vega family decides that it is time for a break from their everyday lives. Marcus's mom decides to use her work perks and take her sons to Puerto Rico to visit their Dad's side of the family. While his Dad has been gone from their lives for at least ten years, Melissa Vega has fond memories of her estranged husband's family. Marcus decides that this trip is an ideal time to connect with his father. Will his search be futile? As Marcus travels, the island's beauty is highlighted in the novel. Throughout his quest, he meets his Puerto Rican family, finds himself, and sees a side of his mother he has not known before. 

This heartwarming story with relatable characters is an excellent book for both parents and young readers to enjoy. 

Review: "Dial A for Aunties, " by Jesse Q. Sutanto

 

Dial A for Aunties, by Jesse Q. Sutanto, is a character-driven novel that will keep you reading and laughing. If you need a murder/suspense/love story, this is the book for you. There is nothing that family won't do for each other, even hiding a dead body. Lots of foreshadowing throughout the book and Sutanto ties up everything in the end. Some of the resolutions feel a little contrived, but somehow they work and don't take away from how entertaining the novel is to read. On a deeper level, the book is about family expectations and the pressure we put on ourselves to meet those expectations even when they are self-imposed. 

Review: "Olga Dies Dreaming," by Xotchil Gonzalez

 

Olga Dies Dreaming is a debut novel by Xotchil Gonzalez. It is a character-driven novel with complex, well-developed characters. The book will be officially published on January 4th, but I was able to get an early release through my Book of the Month subscription.  

While there are many layers to the themes, at its core, it is a story about family, relationships, culture, and the effects of American Imperialism on its territories. The novel is written in multi-perspective voices. On one side is Olga, an event organizer that plans lavish weddings for the elite, and the other perspective is told from her brother, Prieto, a New York Congressman. Family ties their stories together. There is their ever-present family, Tias, Tios, Primos, and from afar, their estranged mother, manipulating and influencing them through letters. 

The first half of the novel takes you through the lives of the main characters and then takes a turn in its complexity with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico. The reader will learn about the nuances of what it means for territories like Puerto Rico to be a part of the United States. While they are citizens and serve our country in the military, they have no representation in the US government or autonomy for their own economy.  

The author handles serious issues in an approachable way. This is the kind of book you will want to discuss with others. If your book club likes deep discussions, definitely check this one out. 

Review: "Skye Falling", by Mia Mckenzie

 

Skye is a complicated woman. As an owner of a travel guide company, she has no need to establish any roots in her hometown of Philadelphia. That is until Vicky comes into her life. At 26 years old Skye was broke, and when an old childhood friend asks her to be an egg donor she jumps at the chance to make a quick buck. Now it is 12 years later her childhood friend has passed away from breast cancer and Vicky is looking for her egg donor. Meeting an angst-filled tween like Vicky changes Skye and gives her a reason to spend more time in Philadelphia. She is forced to face her demons and the parts of herself that she likes to keep hidden. 

This is a character-driven novel with the underlying theme of  family trauma and the issues that underly gentrification. You will find yourself rooting for Skye and hoping that she makes the right decisions when it comes to Vicky, family and love. 🕮🐛🐛🐛

Review: "Black Brother, Black Brother," by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Black Brother, Black Brother is on the Texas Bluebonnet list for the 2021-22 school year. This middle-grade novel is set at Middlefield Prep near Boston, Massachusetts. The story opens with a young man waiting to speak to the headmaster at his school. You quickly learn that the person in the office is Donte Ellison, the book's narrator, a young Black middle schooler who has been falsely accused of throwing a pencil at a classmate. The scene quickly escalates and cops are called and Donte is taken to jail.

Donte is a bi-racial student at Middlefield Prep. He is the son of a Black mother, a White father, and a younger brother to a star athlete whose skin tone is lighter than his own dark skin. The book explores themes of racial injustice, colorism, privilege, and prejudice with the art of fencing as a metaphor. Donte picks up fencing to help him deal with the anxieties of being one of the only Black students at this school and in turn, learns lessons about life. 

Jewell Parker Rhodes's tone is hopeful and her writing in this book is very straightforward. It is written to make it easy for its middle-grade readers to understand the nuances that she is writing about. This is definitely a great book that parents can read alongside their children to open up discussions about the books' themes. For further discussion and learning, I highly recommend the podcast episode from Throughline titled the Invention of Race.

Review: "Efren Divided," Ernesto Cisneros

Efren comes home from school to find that his mother has been deported. She is his "Soperwoman" who always makes their home feel so much more than just a tiny one-room apartment in their LA Latino immigrant neighborhood. This book smart middle schooler is now thrust into the world of ICE, politics, and being responsible for his 5-year-old twin siblings while his Dad takes on extra jobs to get their mother home. This moving, character-driven novel is a story of what it is to grow up as an American citizen when your parents are not. It is an authentic story about identity, friendship, family, and gratitude. Cisneros's writing is engaging and, at times, poignant. This book is for middle-grade readers, but it is definitely a book that anyone of any age can read and come away with an understanding of what life is like for so many undocumented families. 🕮🐛🐛🐛🐛

Review: "Kindred," by Octavia Butler

In 1976 Dana Franklin, a Black woman, finds herself transported to Antebellum, Maryland. When she arrives, there is a White child that is drowning. She has no idea how she got there or why she is there. When a rifle is drawn on her, she is transported back to her suburban home in Los Angeles. These time-traveling episodes happen five more times throughout the book. The White boy turns out to be Rufus Weylin, the son of a White slave owner. She quickly realizes that she is transported back every time Rufus is in danger. Dana also learns that she and Rufus have an ancestral connection and feels compelled to help him because the past affects her future. As you can imagine, an educated Black woman from 1976 traveling into the time of slavery creates complications.

Octavia's writing is compelling, engaging, and draws you into the narrative. The tone is haunting and sobering with Dana's heavy responsibility for Rufus and the slaves that she lives amongst during her time in the past. Kindred is a commentary about the relationship between slave owners and slaves and a metaphor of what slavery took away from future generations of Black people. 🕮🐛🐛🐛🐛

Review: "Dominicana," by Angie Cruz

 

A beautiful novel about the sacrifices immigrants make to attain a better life for the family. Ana is 15 and lives in the countryside of the Dominican Republic. Her family marries her off to Juan, an older man who has immigrated to New York. This isn't the life that Ana had in mind, but she does it so that her family can someday follow her to America. Told in a lyrical style, with short chapters that move the plot along at a steady pace. Ana's story of finding her place as a young wife and a recent immigrant occurs in 1965 NYC with unrest in race relations, the Vietnam War, and the Dominican Republic civil war in the background. 📖🐛🐛🐛🐛