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: "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.