‘Project Hail Mary’ Review

“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir is a gripping science fiction novel that tells the story of Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memory gradually returns, he realizes that he is the sole survivor of a last-ditch mission to save humanity and Earth from an extinction-level threat.

I had no emotional connection to these characters whatsoever. When all these big events were happening and I should have felt worried for them, I honestly was just like, “Yeah, that’s happening.” I can definitely tell which characters were meant to be the comic relief, which ones we were supposed to root for, and which ones we were supposed to hate, but honestly, I didn’t feel any of that. Ryland Grace, our main character, had dialogue that was over-the-top quirky. Nobody talks like that, and it made me cringe. However, he did really feel like a human being on this mission. My favorite character was Stratt. I do wish we had more resolute endings for our side characters. That’s something that I’m realizing while writing this review: this book was very open.

The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts. You cannot help but feel anxious and claustrophobic while reading this book. You can feel it for Grace being on this mission, being all alone on the spaceship in outer space where no human has been before. You can also feel it for everyone on Earth. There’s this impending disaster that civilization doesn’t know if it will be able to save itself from or not. It felt like a ticking time bomb, not knowing what was going to happen to not just our main character, but Earth as a whole.

As stated before, the dialogue was rather quirky, and I found that to be cringey. However, there were comedic moments. It feels weird to say, but I think this book was kind of wholesome. The complaint I have about the writing, though, is that the science and math talk was rather much and went over my head. However, this was a medium-paced book and easy and accessible to get through for a science fiction novel. When I saw the length being nearly 500 pages, I was so scared this book was going to be dense, but it wasn’t.

I do not know if this book was intended to be a plot-driven one, but the plot was definitely the highlight for me. Each timeline that we’re following, one being preparing for this mission, and then the mission itself, has so much intrigue. I was wanting to know if the mission would be accomplished and how Ryland Grace got involved in this mission. To make this book more confusing, I would’ve even wanted a third plotline of following what was happening on Earth while Grace was in space. There was a lot of logic, except one decision in the last 10% of the book made me angry. Also, it’s so open, and I’m so curious. I have more questions after finishing this book, which means I will be going on a Reddit deep dive tonight. I did have probably three big questions, and I was so worried that they weren’t going to get answered, but they did. If you’re worried things are going to wrap up properly, they don’t wrap up 100%, but if you keep going through the story, I promise some of your big, important questions will get answered. This was a good book, but it’s nowhere near being a new favorite book of mine. I would still recommend it.

3.75 out of 5 stars.

‘The Yonahlosse Riding Camp for Girls’ Review

“Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, “The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls” is a captivating and atmospheric debut novel that delves into the complex world of family secrets, guilt, and the cusp of womanhood. Thea Atwell, a fifteen-year-old girl from Florida, is abruptly sent away to a prestigious equestrian boarding school for Southern debutantes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.”

This book is a great example of the awkwardness of coming of age as a woman. It takes place in the early 1930s when there were not a ton of resources for girls going through the teenage experience. I can’t imagine what it must have been like. There are two plot lines in this book: one in the past and one in the present, and it felt like there were two totally different characters, even though these plot lines took place mere months apart. The Thea we meet in the past plot line in Florida is a young and naïve girl, while the Thea we meet a few months later in the mountains in North Carolina is manipulative and knows how to get what she wants. I don’t understand how there is such a big switch of character within only a few months. It would make sense if this took place years apart, but no, it’s only a few months. The side characters outside of the romantic love interests and the family were very flat and one-dimensional, especially her schoolmates. I couldn’t tell them apart.

As for atmosphere, again, this book was the best with its Florida setting. The writing was lush in describing the scenery of Florida, especially old Florida before all the tourism arrived. It even delved into the history of the families involved and the history of Florida, which I found extremely fascinating. The North Carolina plotline was cold, but in a good way, elegant with all the greenery of the evergreen trees in the Appalachians; however, again, the book shined in Florida. I do have two complaints with the atmosphere, though. This book does take place in the first two years of the 1930s, but it doesn’t feel like it does at all. This could take place at any summer camp in any decade before there were cell phones. Yes, there are mentions of the impact that the Depression is having on America and a president might get mentioned, but those are so slim that they don’t really matter. My next issue can really go into the writing section.

The story is being told by Thea as an adult looking back at her life. The flashbacks immersed throughout the story were very disorienting, as they really took you out of the present plot line in North Carolina, and there were even some mentions of events that take place decades later, which had me confused. Now, for what I liked about the writing: the writing was pretty flat, but there were some beautiful paragraphs. For the most part, this is very flat, easy, and accessible. I think it would be great to bring on a mountain vacation this summer.

Once again, the Florida plotline is where this book flourished. There’s so much intrigue around why Thea was sent to the camp. I was so curious where that plotline was going to go, and I was gripped by it. As for the North Carolina plotline, I didn’t really care what was happening because I was so invested in the mystery of the previous one. This is a good book, and as I said, it’s very accessible. I think it would be great if you want to pick up something easy and light as a palate cleanser. I will admit there are some taboo relationships in here that are going to make some readers uncomfortable, so definitely do look up the content warnings before picking up the book because I did not expect those plots at all.

3 out of 5 stars

‘Demon Copperhead’ Book Review

“Demon Copperhead” is a novel by Barbara Kingsolver, published in 2022. It’s a modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic “David Copperfield,” set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. The story follows the life of Damon Fields, nicknamed Demon Copperhead, as he navigates the hardships of poverty, addiction, and the foster care system in rural America.

Demon is one of those characters that I didn’t realize how much they meant to me until the madness starts when things start hitting the fan, and you can’t help but feel emotions coming over you. Every character introduced in the story had meaning or purpose, and all their stories tied together; there were no loose ends. Every action had consequence and purpose for the story. Demon has a constant battle within himself: is he a good or bad person? Is he Demon, or is he Damon? We truly go on a journey with this character, and I could not help but feel every single emotion while reading. There were moments of despair where I just felt depressed after reading a quarter of the book; I truly had no idea where his story was going to go. This book always had me guessing, and I was gripped by the character arcs.

The atmosphere was amazing, and I think one of the main themes you are shown is what life in Appalachia is like. I can attest that this is what small-town rural life is like. I almost believe this is one of those novels where the atmosphere of Appalachia is a character in itself. The writing was very picturesque, and it was very easy to imagine the scenes.

That leads us to talking about writing. This wasn’t my typical go-to for writing; it wasn’t poetic, but as I said, it was picturesque, and I was highlighting so many quotes. We have Damon looking back at his life, and obviously, going through so much in that time, he’s going to gain wisdom from that, and there was wisdom throughout these pages.

There are so many themes, but as I said, I think the main theme is showing what life in Appalachia is like, and how so many things like the pharmaceutical business, coal mining, and even Hollywood have corrupted Appalachia and its people. This book was so eye-opening to just the underbelly of it all. Another thing that I would like to add is that this book doesn’t just show one traumatic event after another. Life isn’t just straight-up bad or good. Yes, Demon is going through all these terrible things, but there are happy moments as well. This book doesn’t just focus on the bad but shows how life is just plain confusing with all that it throws at you. I cannot say enough about how eye-opening it was. How gritty it was. How raw it was. This book needs to be read by all. A five-star prediction that lived up to it.

5 out of 5 stars.

‘A Dangerous Woman’ Book Review

“”Dangerous Woman” by Mary McGarry Morris is a powerful and poignant novel that tells the story of Martha Horgan, a mentally challenged woman whose life is a constant struggle for acceptance and normalcy. Martha’s honesty and inability to understand social nuances make her vulnerable in the small Vermont town where she lives.

Martha’s world is turned upside down when she becomes infatuated with a charming but unscrupulous handyman, Colin Mackey. Colin’s manipulative nature and Martha’s desperate need for love lead to a series of events that spiral out of control, exposing the dark undercurrents of the seemingly quiet community.

As tensions rise, the novel explores themes of isolation, vulnerability, and the thin line between kindness and exploitation. Morris’s empathetic portrayal of Martha provides a deep and moving insight into the challenges faced by those who are different. “Dangerous Woman” is a gripping and emotional tale of resilience, human frailty, and the quest for connection in a world that often misunderstands and marginalizes the vulnerable.”

This is by far the worst representation I’ve seen of mental health. When I read the first chapter of the book and the trauma that the main character, Martha, went through, I was like, “Man, this can be a great book of character development.” I was 100% wrong. Martha was, in fact, a dangerous woman. The title of the book does not lie. She was a stalker and someone who committed multiple acts of domestic violence. I don’t know how we are supposed to root for this character. Yes, you can have unhinged mentally ill characters who are not made to be likable, but in this instance, there was nothing I was gripped by in the character. I do not like this character; it was awful. All of the male characters in this book were creeps. Some of the women did have sense to them, and I did find the character Francis interesting, but nothing can outweigh how bad of a character Martha was.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. I don’t know if it’s because of the New England setting or maybe because Martha had slight vibes of Carrie. Overall, the small-town New England setting was pretty good.

The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about it.

I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. If you would like a book that follows a similar plot, I would recommend Beartown by Frederick Backman. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.

This is by far the worst representation I’ve seen of mental health. I don’t know how we are supposed to root for this character. Yes, you can have unhinged, mentally ill characters who are not made to be likable, but in this instance, there was nothing about the character that gripped me. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. The New England setting was pretty good. The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about that. I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.

1 out of 5 stars.

‘Symptomatic’ Book Review

“”Symptomatic” by Danzy Senna is a psychological thriller that delves into themes of identity, race, and belonging. The novel follows an unnamed biracial woman who, after securing a prestigious fellowship in New York City, moves into a new apartment and starts a promising relationship. However, her life begins to unravel when she meets an older, enigmatic woman named Greta Hicks, who is also biracial and works at the same magazine.

Greta becomes increasingly obsessed with the protagonist, seeing her as a mirror of herself and projecting her own insecurities and experiences onto her. As their relationship intensifies, the protagonist finds herself drawn into Greta’s unsettling world, leading to a series of chilling events that challenge her sense of self and safety.

Senna’s narrative is a gripping exploration of the complexities of racial identity and the psychological impact of feeling perpetually out of place. “Symptomatic” is a suspenseful and thought-provoking novel that examines the intersection of personal and societal issues with masterful tension and insight.”

These character dynamics were extremely intriguing. We have a nameless narrator, which is always fun. I love to unravel why the person remains nameless and how we can get into the head of said person without even having their name. It’s always interesting when an author can do that. However, the story really picked up when the character of Greta was introduced. Both women are in similar circumstances as they are both mixed race, but they experience those circumstances completely differently. We will talk more about that when we get to the plot of the story. This book is for those who love the unhinged woman trope, but this is from the perspective of the friend of the unhinged woman, and I’ve never read anything like that. If you like unhinged women and weird girl books, I would definitely recommend picking up this book.

The atmosphere was 1990s New York City. I always like the 90s and early 00s for New York. It always feels nostalgic for me, even though I wasn’t necessarily there. I think it has to do with a lot of movies and TV shows I watched as a child taking place in New York City, so there’s a bit of a magical feeling. The story does not feel magical, even though I had ideas of how to make this magical realism, but that’s irrelevant.

The writing was good. It was fast-paced and easy to read. However, at times, there were really weird and vulgar descriptions that made me double-take what I was reading.

Now we are back to the plot. The main theme of the story is racial identity. This book was published in 2004 and takes place in the early 1990s, but I still think the story remains relevant 20 years later here in 2024. Both of the main characters come from mixed-race families. Greta is somebody who I think is very lost, mainly about her race, not fitting in with the Black community and not fitting in with the white community. She’s somebody that would very much latch onto labels, wanting to label herself. I think it stems from Greta wanting to feel a part of something.

In contrast, our main character, the nameless narrator, seems more go-with-the-flow. She didn’t really care about her race as much. There is also a big age gap between these two women, with Greta having grown up and been in her 20s during the 1960s civil rights movement. I think that may be why she cared more about race than our main character.

Regarding the main twist towards the end of the book, I would have liked a little more explanation on that. It was lacking some logic. The story was intriguing throughout, but it’s not one that I loved, though it was thought-provoking.

These character dynamics were extremely intriguing. If you like unhinged women and weird girl books, I would definitely recommend picking up this book.The atmosphere was 1990s New York City. The writing was good.However, at times, there were really weird and vulgar descriptions that made me double-take what I was reading. The main theme of the story is racial identity. The story was intriguing throughout, but it’s not one that I loved, though it was thought-provoking. This was a good book and I would recommend picking it up if you are inclined to do so.

3.25 out of 5 stars.

‘In the Beginning was the Sea’ Book Review

“”In the Beginning Was the Sea” by Tomás González is a haunting and evocative novel set in the turbulent 1970s of Colombia. It tells the story of J. and Elena, a young urban couple who abandon their comfortable city life in Medellín to pursue an idealistic dream of living off the land on a remote Caribbean island. They purchase a rundown farm with plans to create a self-sustaining paradise, but soon find themselves confronted by the harsh realities of rural life, isolation, and the unforgiving natural environment.

As their utopian vision unravels, tensions rise, and their relationship deteriorates under the strain. The novel explores themes of disillusionment, the clash between idealism and reality, and the destructive consequences of human ambition. González’s lyrical prose vividly captures the lush yet perilous landscape, drawing readers into a deeply atmospheric and morally complex tale. “In the Beginning Was the Sea” is a profound meditation on human nature, the fragility of dreams, and the inexorable force of nature.”

The characters are an interesting piece of this novel. We can understand why things don’t go as planned for them as they leave the city to live off the land. A lot of their feelings are left up to interpretation for the reader to understand. We can make assumptions about why they feel this way: Elena leaving behind everything she ever knew makes her miserable, and then J., having to be around a miserable person, finds his life becoming a mess. Again, we can only assume all of this.

If you were a fan of the atmosphere in ‘Mustique Island,’ then you will be a fan of this Colombian island. The atmosphere was lush, and the imagery along with its metaphors hit the spot! There was also an ominous and mysterious feeling in the first quarter of the novel that made the story gripping.

The writing was atmospheric, which I loved. It was filled with imagery and metaphors, making it fast-paced and easy to devour.

The plot is a hidden gem in my eyes. We have our straightforward plot: two city people leave the city to live off the land on a tropical island, and things don’t go as planned. However, the hidden theme is about leaving capitalism and modern society behind and whether you can truly do it. It’s about leaving this society behind and living the way humans were intended to. It’s a lot to think about. Again, these were just my observations, and it could simply be about picking apart the impact such a move can have on a relationship. I was gripped throughout the story, and the plot moved in a logical manner.

The characters are an interesting piece of this novel.We can make assumptions about why they feel this way: Elena leaving behind everything she ever knew makes her miserable, and then J., having to be around a miserable person, finds his life becoming a mess. If you were a fan of the atmosphere in ‘Mustique Island,’ then you will be a fan of this Colombian island.There was also an ominous and mysterious feeling in the first quarter of the novel that made the story gripping.The writing was atmospheric, which I loved. It was filled with imagery and metaphors, making it fast-paced and easy to devour. The plot is a hidden gem in my eyes. I was gripped throughout the story, and the plot moved in a logical manner. This was a good book and I would recommend picking it up if you are interested to do so.

3.25 out of 5 stars.

‘Our Missing Hearts’ Book Review

“”Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng is a compelling dystopian novel set in a near-future America where cultural and political repression is the norm. The story revolves around twelve-year-old Bird Gardner, who lives with his father after his mother, a Chinese American poet named Margaret, has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. In a society where children of dissidents are relocated, and anti-Asian sentiment is rampant, Bird embarks on a quest to find his mother, guided by a cryptic letter and fragments of her poetry.”

I did not have strong feelings towards the characters of ‘Our Missing Hearts.’ The author did not hit the nail on the head with the development of these characters. A lot of their development did not add up or was plainly hypocritical in a way that was not meant to be. Many of the plot points surrounding characters such as twelve-year-old Bird were unbelievable. Yes, this is a dystopian piece of fiction, but that just adds to the question of why some of these things were allowed to happen in a world so bad and dangerous. Poorly written character arcs.

The atmosphere of the novel felt like a true classic dystopian book in the vein of Bradbury and Orwell. The world was probably my favorite part of the story. At first, I thought this was set after some big cataclysmic event, but I would describe it more as 2020 on steroids. (If you were there, you will understand.) The author did a great job with the world-building, explaining why things were the way they were in this world that was almost like ours.

The most average part of the book was the writing. You can definitely see that Ng was trying to make this poetic, but it was overall just fine for me. I highlighted about three quotes or paragraphs that I thought were good enough to hang onto.

Now, this plot is extremely fascinating but overall fell flat for me. “Flat” is the word that I would use to describe my reading experience for Our Missing Hearts. It was predictable and, as I stated before, the journey of Bird was pretty much unbelievable. I do think this plot is a good comparison to our world today and how many people view conflicts or protests happening around the world. This book could have had a much greater emotional impact and been more gripping, but sadly, it fell flat.

I did not have strong feelings towards the characters of ‘Our Missing Hearts.’ Poorly written character arcs. The atmosphere of the novel felt like a true classic dystopian book in the vein of Bradbury and Orwell. The author did a great job with the world-building, explaining why things were the way they were in this world that was almost like ours. The most average part of the book was the writing. I highlighted about three quotes or paragraphs that I thought were good enough to hang onto. Now, this plot is extremely fascinating but overall fell flat for me.This book could have had a much greater emotional impact and been more gripping, but sadly, it fell flat. I wish that this story would have had the character work that was involved in ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by this same author and maybe, just maybe, it would have made the story for me. This was an average read.

3 out of 5 stars.

‘People Person’ Book Review

“She’s thirty, and her life isn’t really going anywhere. An aspiring lifestyle influencer with a wayward boyfriend, Dimple’s life has shrunk to the size of a phone screen. And despite a small but loyal following, she’s never felt more alone in her life. That is, until a dramatic event brings her half-siblings—Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie, and Prynce—crashing back into her life. And when they’re all forced to reconnect with Cyril Pennington, the absent father they never really knew, things get even more complicated.”

You can find something relatable in each of the Pennington siblings. That is about the extent it went for me. They were pretty two-dimensional. They had these traits — too nice, rude, or sensitive. Yes, it does make sense for them to have a bad trait, but there was just not enough building into these characters. A lot of times with Dimple, her actions did not add up with who she was as a person. The characters are aware of who they are as people, but it was not an enjoyable reading experience with them.

The atmosphere of South London was a new experience for me, with a few public locations that I have become aware of from other books. I did enjoy exploring this new area and seeing how the atmosphere impacted the upbringing of our characters, the Penningtons.

I really struggled with the writing when I first sat down to read the ebook. I added in the audiobook to read along with at 13%. The writing just did not grip me, and it was taking me a long time to get through without the help of a narrator. My one positive about the writing, though, is that the dialogue was quite comedic in a dark sense of humor way.

The plot did not go how I expected at all. Yes, I knew the characters would somehow have to get together to build their relationships, but the author took it in a whole different route than one usually would. It was funny. Again, I don’t know why I was not fully gripped or intrigued. The plot could have been better if the characters were better.

You can find something relatable in each of the Pennington siblings. The characters are aware of who they are as people, but it was not an enjoyable reading experience with them. I did enjoy exploring this new area and seeing how the atmosphere impacted the upbringing of our characters, the Penningtons. I really struggled with the writing when I first sat down to read the ebook. My one positive about the writing, though, is that the dialogue was quite comedic in a dark sense of humor way. The plot did not go how I expected at all. The plot could have been better if the characters were better. This book did nothing for me; I didn’t like it, but I did not hate it either.

2 out of 5 stars.

‘Normal People’ Book Review

“”Normal People” by Sally Rooney follows the intricate relationship between Connell and Marianne as they navigate through adolescence into adulthood. Connell is a popular athlete while Marianne is an aloof and intelligent loner. Despite their differences, they form a deep connection that persists through various stages of their lives. Set in Ireland, the novel explores themes of love, class, power dynamics, and the complexities of human relationships. Rooney’s insightful prose delves into the intricacies of emotional intimacy, making “Normal People” a compelling and deeply affecting read.”

The characters are the highlight of the novel, which one would hope for when a word like “people” is used in the title. Marianne started out as my favorite; she was not a perfect character, and the flaws of the characters do seem to be a main part of the novel. Marianne was what I thought of myself or wished that I was in high school. Connell had some red flags for me, but nothing too serious. Throughout the course of the book, my thoughts on characters would take a 180-degree turn, seeing how someone can change at different stages in their life. That being said, the characters did develop in this story. I loved exploring the dynamics of the relationship of our two main characters but also how they interacted with other people in their lives like parents, siblings, lovers, or friends.

It was a shock that the atmosphere did not play a huge part in the novel. I say this as most Irish authors or books that I have read really take advantage of that setting. I cannot say that it completely did nothing for me as there were some paragraphs that really hit the nail on the head with descriptive writing on the atmosphere in which the scene was taking place.

The prose itself was great. I have seen some people having an issue with the lack of quotation marks, but with this book itself, that did not bother me. The story did move at a fast pace even if there were long chapters and paragraphs. I usually hate those things, but the fast pace made it a better reading experience. However, I do think this could have been condensed a lot, even though the paperback copy is less than 300 pages in length.

This was obviously a character-driven book. The plot was a quiet one as we were mainly exploring the relationship of Connell and Marianne. After the first quarter of the book, the plot did start to go into circles of repetitiveness. Again, this would not have happened if the story had been condensed. I will say, ‘Normal People’, did do something that no book has done to me before. I was reading a chapter and expecting to turn the page to the next chapter. The next page was the acknowledgements. That had me shocked. Take that as you will.

The characters are the highlight of the novel, which one would hope for when a word like “people” is used in the title. I loved exploring the dynamics of the relationship between our two main characters and also how they interacted with other people in their lives like parents, siblings, lovers, or friends. It was a shock that the atmosphere did not play a huge part in the novel. I cannot say that it completely did nothing for me as there were some paragraphs that really hit the nail on the head with descriptive writing on the atmosphere in which the scene was taking place. The prose itself was great. However, I do think this could have been condensed a lot, even though the paperback copy is less than 300 pages in length. This was obviously a character-driven book. After the first quarter of the book, the plot did start to go into circles of repetitiveness. This was a great book and I would recommend it to others, but it is not an all-time favorite.

4 out of 5 stars.

‘Nightcrawling’ Book Review

“Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent–which has more than doubled–and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed.

One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.”

Kiara is a character that you can root for. She is finally realizing that she has to stand up for herself after years of trying to help others around her, that she herself is also important. Even if she is coming to terms with this, she is still constantly trying to be of help to those that she loves. How can you not want what is right for her? Marcus, her older brother, has been the caregiver for Kiara since the abandonment of their parents, but he too, is wanting to do something for himself after all these years. The two siblings go about it in totally different ways. Kiara is a realist and Marcus is a dreamer. If you are someone who loves to read about familial dynamics, this is a book for you.

The atmosphere is gritty, that of a truly American city. It depicts the life that so many Americans are living, a reality that many people don’t even want to think about. The setting is East Oakland, California, where so many people are just trying to get by every day, to survive.

The writing was the first thing that stood out to me as I flipped through and read the first few pages of the novel. It features beautiful prose that is full of metaphors and vivid scenes. Some chapters read like poetry, even through truly brutal scenes. However, after the first third of the story, the momentum did start to fall back, and scenes began to get repetitive. It was not enough of a hindrance to my reading experience, but it’s worth mentioning and something that I can see the author improving on as her literary career takes off.

This is truly a story of survival in the modern sense of the word: doing whatever it takes to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly. It’s a rough read that will make your jaw drop and make you need to take a breather every so often. Then, you have to realize there are likely hundreds of thousands of people living this story every day. It is a lot to take in, in less than 300 pages. Other themes included are finding yourself, the modern iteration of the American dream, police misconduct, and poverty. I love that in the author’s note, Leila Mottley, mentions hearing stories similar to Kiara’s in the news but she wanted to create “a world beyond the headline, and for readers to have access to this world”. Such a powerful way of showing what is truly happening beyond what the media portrays, and that everyone has a story and reasoning for why they did something that you might find as shameful. Please know the full story before making a judgment of a person.

Kiara is a character that you can root for. If you are someone who loves to read about familial dynamics, this is a book for you. The atmosphere is gritty, that of a truly American city.The setting is East Oakland, California, where so many people are just trying to get by every day, to survive. The writing was the first thing that stood out to me as I flipped through and read the first few pages of the novel. t was not enough of a hindrance to my reading experience, but it’s worth mentioning and something that I can see the author improving on as her literary career takes off. This is truly a story of survival in the modern sense of the word: doing whatever it takes to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly. Please know the full story before making a judgment of a person. A new favorite book for me.

5 out 5 stars.