Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor is the stunning finale to the mystical Nsibidi Scripts trilogy that blends African folklore, and Nigerian culture/ traditions with contemporary life. Themes of friendship, identity, and personal growth take center stage, as Sunny and her Leopard Knocks friends navigate complicated magical politics and face immense battles. The world-building resonates with […]
***Trigger Warning- racism, sexism, and homophobia The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a fascinating and thought-provoking story, told entirely through snapshot poems, focusing on Xiomara Batista, a young girl from Harlem with an extraordinary talent for writing poetry. The novel explores themes of family, religion, love, and self-discovery. The author uses vivid descriptions and […]
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sanchez is a perfect coming of age story! Julia Reyes has lost her sister. And herself. Feeling that something is off with Olga’s death, Julia digs into her sister’s past and in doing so learns terrible truths and heart-wrenching secrets from several family members’ pasts. […]
Exiled to Freedom by SGD Singh is a nested story about Priya, a teen visiting family in India. When her behaviour angers her mother, Priya is dumped off at her great-grandmother’s house in the middle of nowhere. Cut off from her tech, Priya at first sulks in her room. She finally decided to come out, […]
Noah Gets Naked by Xanna Eve Chown Noah Gets Naked by Xanna Eve Chown is a very short collection calling attention to some of the more unusual myths of the Old Testament not usually talked about. Most of these stories were familiar to me. Still funny, though. Most amusing was the notion that the only […]
Rosario’s 500 Words or Less is a poignant, raw look into the heart of one young woman’s senior high school year. Told entirely through free verse poetry, Nic Chen’s story is one of unbearable loneliness and devastating loss. Two years ago, Nic and her best friend Ben became more than just friends. In one drunken […]
This book was reviewed for Xpresso Book Tours Richards’ Dragonfly Nightmare is a thrilling young adult coming of age story. Four years ago Allie Bailey was kidnapped by a former employee of her father’s and held hostage. For the last four years, Allie’s parents have been overly protective of her, refusing to allow her […]