Tag: Black Authors

Book Reviews

The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

India

The Hate U Give

–  Short Story –

You hear about it in the news, it might have happened to someone you know, or it might have happened to a community near you. You never think that it would happen to you. Starr has heard about innocent black people being killed by the police, but she never thought she would be a witness to it. After violence erupts at a party she leaves with a friend, Khalil. When a cop, white, pulls them over on the way home, he immediately asks Khalil to get of the car though they have done nothing wrong. When Khalil turns around to check on Starr he gets shot in the back multiple times. Starr gets out of the car to check on Khalil and finds a gun pointed in her face.
Starr is a part of two different worlds. Her world at school is where she is one of a few black people in her class, and then her world at home where there are no white people. She’s not even sure if she can trust her uncle, a man who had practically raised her, because he is a cop. She feels like she cannot talk to her friends and boyfriend about what happened because they are white, and have never understood where she comes from. The only people she has to depend on is her family.

– My Thoughts – 

This book blew my mind! I absolutely loved every moment of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I actually had to put it down after reading the first chapter, and could only read it a chapter at a time for a little bit. I also started reading it after the verdict came out on the murder of Philando Castille, and so my emotions were very raw. Thomas does an amazing job of showing the life of someone who has to stand up for what is right even when she knows justice is not on her side. She brings in the topics of being Black in America, but also so much more. A lot of Starr’s story touched me personally. I have never had one of my friends killed by the police and had to stand up for them, but in other ways I understand Starr. I’m also in an interracial relationship and sometimes it is hard to explain black America vs. white America, but it’s a conversation that has to happen. I also lived far away from the private school that I went to, on the west side of town, where parents did not like to send their kids to hang out. The emotions that Thomas brought out in this book were real, and it brings up so many discussions. Like how can non- people of color help people of color in times like these. I’m so mind blown by this book that I would recommend it to anyone who asked. Until next time
Keep Turning the Pages
90s Born Reader
Book Reviews

BookTube: The Mothers by Brit Bennett

India

I have recently uploaded my video on my thoughts about The Mothers by Brit Bennett. You can see my blog post here. Please watch the video, and let me know what you thought! I would really like to have a discussion about what everyone thought about her debut novel!

Until next time

Keep Turning the Pages

90s Born Reader

Coffee Break

Noir Reads: April Unboxing!

India

You know, I never knew how big book subscription boxes were, until I was out of school. Honestly now that I’m done with school I have learned so much has been happening in the Bookish community, and I’m so excited that it is evolving and growing! One of the subscription boxes that I am apart of is by Noir Reads.

Noir Reads is a box that features topic on black, African, and African-American cultures, history, and political issues, and also features black authors as well. I started receiving the box in February, it was a gift from my mom after she saw it in an article, but April is my first video unboxing! I will link the video below, but I’ll also list what was in the box.

Contents of April Box: Theme, “Black to the Future”

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, a graphic novel adaptation

“Black to the Future” sticker

Bookmark with a quote by Octavia Butler

Sankofa post card project: This project is to write a postcard to people who have been imprisoned, fighting for the rights of black individuals.

Those were some of the main things from this months box! Check out my video below!

Until Next Time,

Keep Turning the Pages

90s Born Reader

Book Reviews

The Mothers, Brit Bennett

India

– Short Story – 

Nadia Turner is a smart girl from California with big ambitions, but with her mother’s unexpected suicide she finds herself in a state of depression and unable to talk to her father. Nadia begins to hang out with Luke Sheppard, a former star football player that had his career cut short with a leg injury and the Pastor’s son. The two begin to spend more time together and begin their own romance, that they believe is one built in love. When an unexpected pregnancy occurs, money exchanged, someone is left alone at the doctors office, and then the pregnancy is no longer there, the secret ends their relationship. Nadia has no idea where Luke got the money from, but she knows that she can’t tell her dad about it and has to keep it a secret. Her father has always been dedicated to the church, and whenever they need to use his truck, he is there to help with whatever task. After the abortion, Nadia decides to go out and party and takes her dad’s truck. On her way home after drinking, she crashes the truck. Her father is not an emotional man, but this was the one thing that could hurt him secondary to his wife’s suicide. Mr. Turner has no idea what to do with Nadia, until the Pastor stops by and says that his wife is willing to allow Nadia to help her in the church.
While working in the church, she meets her soon to be best friend Aubrey, someone who has been through as much, if not more than Nadia, but has found solace in the church. As soon as their relationship is growing, it is time for Nadia to leave for college at the University of Michigan. Nadia has the ability to reinvent herself, instead of hiding from her past. She leaves Aubrey and Luke, but there are still some questions as to what if they had kept the baby? What if she had not become friends with Aubrey? What did the Mother’s of the church know about what happened to her mother, or about her? The three of them find themselves growing up, and in the midst of a love-triangle filled with a lot of what ifs.

– My Thoughts –

I personally have mixed reviews of this book. I liked it, but I did not love it. I feel like it was supposed to bring up so many more topics on a deeper level, but that did not happen. It could be because I was reading it over an extended amount of time, and had to pick it up and put it down. I did not feel like I was reading a story that I have not already read before. I wanted there to be a deeper level of the story. I think it is a fantastic debut novel by Brit Bennett, and if she writes more in the future I would still read them because I think that she writes beautifully.  Let me know what you thought of the novel! Until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
90s Born Reader