Tag: cOMING OF aGE

Pride | Book Review by Sam

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Pride by Ibi Zoboi  is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Instead of England the setting is Brooklyn, New York (specifically Bushwick). The Bennets have become Benitez and are Afro-Latina (Haitian and Dominican) and Mr. Darcy is now Darius, an African American teenager from an affluent family that moves into the neighborhood. 

Review:

It was difficult for me to dive into the retelling as I started the story due to my slight obsession with the original Pride and Prejudice. I did a high school book report on the novel and then started on a journey of watching every TV and movie version I could get my hands on. As I read the book I kept thinking this is different, this is different. Eventually, I convinced myself to see it as a stand alone novel and also found myself captured by the poetry of the main character Zuri. Her words served as a transition from chapter to chapter and set the tone of her feelings as different events transpired. 

Readers who are familiar with Pride and Prejudice will find several similar elements in the  modern retelling of Pride, but will eventually see it as a coming of age story of a young Afro-Latina girl who is having to come to terms with all the changes happening in her life. Zuri’s neighborhood is changing. Her family is changing. She is changing. 

The Bushwick neighborhood is going through gentrification, and Zuri sees Darius Darcy as a reason for the area becoming unaffordable for her family. Zuri’s sister who she’s been waiting for to come back from college has fallen in love and is not around as much. Zuri herself is getting ready to go away to college and is having to come to terms with the possibility that she cannot always be there to be the protector of the family. To be the guardian of her family and her neighborhood she will have to accept change as well as evolve herself. 

Zuri also must realize that everything is not as it seems and not to make quick judgments. Reading this book you will learn about Bushwick and growing into yourself. I would suggest this book to people who have a connection to New York, the way the author details the neighborhood, I believe New Yorkers who grew up in the Bushwick area would find it like a love letter to their childhood. I also believe this book is worth reading for Zuri’s poetry alone, every word I read touched my spirit. 

Charming as a Verb | Book Review by Felicia

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 This was a 3.5 star kind of book. It was quite a charming and intriguing book to read. Ben Philippe has a great writing voice that is quite relatable. This book will have you on the edge but it accurately expresses how the college application process can be intense, overwhelming, and stressful. Plus, there is teen love and a happy ending. 

About:

This is a young adult novel about Henri, a Haitian American boy embarking on the journey to get into his dream college. 

Review:

This book starts off as a wholesome read then it sends you off on an emotional roller coaster. Henri has all the charm in the world but his charming skills can’t compete with the resources other students have at their disposal when it comes to getting into college. As a child of Haitian immigrants Henri’s college dreams become a family dream that involves an immense amount of pressure to commit to only one kind of future. However, Henri’s life intertwines with Corinne, a fellow classmate who helps him realize there might be value in pursuing your true passion and still having a successful life. This novel was an emotionally heavy read with the way it coincided with my own life. There were a few twists and turns that made me even reconsider my own path about college and that’s part of what reading is about. Sometimes it’s about decompressing but other times the reading journey can really help a reader navigate or affirm certain emotions. 

One True Loves | Book Review by Sam

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I’m giving Bryant’s second novel 4 stars. I’m loving this author’s quirky yet cool take on young adult romance. She has a fan in me and I can’t wait until her next release.

About:

One True Loves by Elise Bryant is our 2nd read from the author. This story is still within the same universe as Elises’s first novel Happily Ever Afters. This book follows Lorene and her journey of self-discovery and learning more about herself as well as true love. In this book we are confronted with the downsides of Black excellence as the standard and what it means for those who consider a nontraditional path in a traditional family.

Review:

Lorene is an eclectic and artistic young woman. This should not be a surprise considering that Lorene is a graduate of an elite arts high school. However, her family’s expectations weigh on her heavily. She has a lawyer dad and a nonprofit executive mother. More than that she has a genius little sister and an older brother on track to go to law school. Lorene has been accepted to NYU so she is no slacker, however she isn’t sure of her major. This has put her parents in crisis mode, and are demanding that she have a major by the end of the summer. 

For the duration of the summer Lorene and her family will be on a European cruise. Tessa, Lorene’s best friend and the main character from Ms. Bryant’s first novel, believes this is Loren’s opportunity to fall in true love (and Tessa has lots of pop culture references to millennial favorite the Lizzie McGuire Movie). However, Lorene is preoccupied with trying to determine what she will do about her college major. 

As the story goes along we find Lorene opening herself up to love interest Alex. They had a rocky start and they seem to be polar opposites, in contrast to Lorene’s high level artistry and indecisiveness about her future, Alex is a Pre-Med major with a 5 year plan to follow in his mother’s footsteps to become a doctor. Despite Alex’s seemingly straight and narrow personality, he is the one that makes Lorene realize that her artistic accomplishments is just as valuable as her family and siblings’ academic accomplishments. Lorene opens up more and more to the idea that she can follow her passion for art as well as follow her heart. 

In the end, Lorene realizes that the Black excellence standard that her family has upheld, while done out of the belief that this was the way for them to be successful and achieve all that they could out of life – it can be quite damaging. It can cause anxiety and keep one from pursuing a life of their dreams. She learns to no longer be afraid of her passions or her desire to be truly in love. 

I continue to love the quirky teenagers that Ms. Bryant writes about. Within each of her novels there has been a message larger than romantic love. These teenagers are learning to fall in love with themselves and to recognize the greatness within themselves outside of what the world describes as “success and achievement”. I suggest this read to anyone who is interested in stories with multi-layered messages and cute romance woven together.

Podcast 8 Show Notes

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A Retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 

About the Author

Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is well known for writing American Street, a National Book Award Finalist. 

Book Look

This was the shortest novel Sam and Felicia have read but it packed a punch. A retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a great modern edge added. Even the cover shows historical style with a new and vibrant graffiti effect on the top. 

Bookmark

  • “We were not supposed to be proud. We were not supposed to love these things so hard: the chipping paint, the missing floorboards, the gas stove we have to light with matches, the cracks in the windows, the moldy bathroom tiles, the mice and the roaches. But I’ve never known anything else. These broken things all spell home to me.” p. 444
  • “I wanted to write a love story filled with sweetness, joy, and beauty. But our current political situation was a constant noise and distraction. So much was happening in the world, and at times, it was hard to focus on the magic of first love […] I needed an anchor-a structure to hold on to, something that would guide this love story toward healing and reconciliation, if not for the characters themselves, then for me.” p. 472

POV

Overall Sam and Felicia’s favorite part is the poetry the main character writes all throughout the novel. Felicia loved the Janael Sisters as a whole; they were great characters to read. Felicia’s least favorite character was Zuri. She had a good heart but she came off a bit too judgmental and unwilling to be open to change. From Sam’s point of view she didn’t have much attachment to these characters. She appreciated the effort written to develop them but they can’t compare to the original. 

Deep Dive

Set in Brooklyn, New York Ibi Zoboi creatively uses the rich history of the city as the backdrop for a current and diverse new version of Pride and Prejudice. For the most part Pride follows the original storyline of Pride and Prejudice but this time around it follows an Afro-Latina family dealing with a few more issues such as gentrification in their neighborhood. 

Podcast 7 Show Notes

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The 7th book is Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Sam and Felicia discuss how this book cover is bright and creative just as the main character Lenore. It showcases her vibrant art and readiness to go on vacation. We also love another natural hair style being showcased with Lenore’s beautiful locs.

Bookmark

  • “But maybe caring for ourselves is the ultimate celebration of how they’ve raised us. Having options you know? Not just surviving in this world..but living.” p. 134

POV

This time around Felicia and Sam had the same favorite character Etta. Etta was the youngest child but her personality shined bright. As a child genius, Etta had some funny lines and was a great advocate for her older sister Lenore. On the other hand, Lenore’s parents in the novel were two characters who ended up putting too much pressure on their kids. Even though the parents embodied Black excellence we got to see the consequences of taking the demands of Black excellence too far.

Deep Dive


There were many topics discussed in this week’s deep dive from Black excellence, heartbreak, to college decisions. Sam and Felica both agreed that they could relate to Lenore’s struggle to meet the Black Excellence expectations from parental influence and society. They further discuss how heartbreak impacts a young girl and the difficulty with moving forward. Lenore’s journey is quick but Sam and Felicia still understand how hard it is to decide what to do with your future. Overall, Sam and Felicia  are looking forward to the next novel by Elise Bryant.

Podcast 6 Show Notes

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The 6th book is One True Loves by Elise Bryant

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Sam and Felicia discuss how this book cover is bright and creative just as the main character Lenore. It showcases her vibrant art and readiness to go on vacation. We also love another natural hair style being showcased with Lenore’s beautiful locs.

Bookmark

  • “But maybe caring for ourselves is the ultimate celebration of how they’ve raised us. Having options you know? Not just surviving in this world..but living.” p. 134

POV

This time around Felicia and Sam had the same favorite character Etta. Etta was the youngest child but her personality shined bright. As a child genius, Etta had some funny lines and was a great advocate for her older sister Lenore. On the other hand, Lenore’s parents in the novel were two characters who ended up putting too much pressure on their kids. Even though the parents embodied Black excellence we got to see the consequences of taking the demands of Black excellence too far.

Deep Dive


There were many topics discussed in this week’s deep dive from Black excellence, heartbreak, to college decisions. Sam and Felica both agreed that they could relate to Lenore’s struggle to meet the Black Excellence expectations from parental influence and society. They further discuss how heartbreak impacts a young girl and the difficulty with moving forward. Lenore’s journey is quick but Sam and Felicia still understand how hard it is to decide what to do with your future. Overall, Sam and Felicia  are looking forward to the next novel by Elise Bryant.

Podcast 5 Show Notes

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The 5th book is Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

About the Author

Elise Bryant was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State with a B.A. in Africana studies. She also has a Masters in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to her writing career, she was a special education teacher. Happily Ever Afters is her debut novel and her follow up One True Loves has also been published (our next read!).

Book Look

Felicia and Sam talk about how the cover of Happily Ever Afters captivated them right away. They wanted to know what the girl with the cute mini afro was thinking and loved all the stickers on her laptop. The sisters love beautiful black hair on display and the foreshadowing that all the designs provided for. 

Bookmark

Most of their favorite quotes came at the end of the book, but Sam did share a sweet moment between the main character Tessa and her new friend as he tried to help make sure the cream from her wash and go was properly worked in. 

  • “Don’t worry, I won’t touch your hair, I know that’s not kosher” pg. 50 
  • “You need to get out of this mindset that you don’t deserve to be here. You’re here for a reason. As a writer, an artist, you belong here. And nothing, not some mean girl, or even your own inner critic, can take that away from you.” pg. 303
  • “I thought I needed a real-life love story of my own to start writing again… but what I really needed, to find my own words and my voice again was to love myself. And I do” pg. 373 

POV

Sam’s favorite character was – Sam (the character). How fitting! She loved how he made an effort to be an ally without overstepping. He was a great listener and a great friend – Felicia completely agreed. They both also really liked Lenore who was a helpful friend to Tessa starting on day 1 at the art school. 

Their least favorite characters were Nico and Poppy. Poppy was clearly set up to be the mean girl and easy to dislike. Poppy’s distaste for Tessa was understandable, but Poppy just took it too far in Sam’s opinion. Nico just wasn’t the one and was never the one (Felicia’s words!). He was your typical bad boy and was clearly self absorbed. 

Deep Dive


Sam and Felicia absolutely adored Elise Bryant’s debut novel. The story was charming, funny, and took them back to their own high school days in some ways. The novel touches on young romance, friendship, and family. The book reminds the main character and you that your creativity has always been inside you and you are right where you belong – you just have to believe and be open to it! Happily Ever Afters is about self-love as much as it is about falling in love for the first time. This book is for every romance lover and should be on your TBR if you haven’t read it already.  Watch the full video to get more details on their thoughts or read Felicia’s book review. The sisters can’t wait to read One True Loves!

Happily Ever Afters | Book Review by Felicia

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Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant is a fresh, funny, and fantastic read.  I’m giving this novel a 3.5 because I wasn’t locked in and loving it all the way through. But, I still highly suggest you get a copy and read it for yourself. 

About:

Happily Ever Afters is  a novel about Tessa, a young high school girl with a passion and gift to write. She attends a new school where she can learn in an environment dedicated to the arts. But, at this new school she struggles with writing new material and starts to doubt her place at school.  In order to regain her writing spirit Tessa and her best friend create a plan for Tessa to experience her own love story in hopes that real life experiences will help Tessa to write again. 

Review:

Elise Bryant is a very talented writer. I enjoyed her style of writing and the voice she gave Tessa. I wasn’t super into the actual storyline but I did find delight in the character development and the care/ detail descriptions in certain scenes. 

I think that the energy Tessa gave certain people in the book who did not deserve her attention was frustrating. Tessa is such an amazing, chill, and artistic young girl who becomes enamored by the popular crowd despite having a solid friend group of her own. At the end of the day she acted like a typical young girl who needs to build up her confidence. Elise definitely succeeded in capturing the tone and struggles of the young Black girl experience. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Sam, Tessa’s new friend, was my favorite character. I am team Sam everyday, allday and I wish I could read more scenes with him and Tessa. His ability to be such a wholesome person was so refreshing.  He was just a young boy working on his cooking craft. There were other great characters but I really like the way Elise placed Sam as such a good friend and ally for Tessa to have in her life. 

Again, I wasn’t too into the storyline because it didn’t excite me or make me want to keep on turning the page. I did appreciate that Elise touches on themes related to  disability, friendship, mental health, and anxiety. This book did remind me of what it was like to be in high school. I was just like Tessa, an antsy girl who had talent but doubted her own skills and was up to crazy antics. Elise also touches on themes related to  disability, friendship, mental health, and anxiety.  

I would suggest reading this book and I am planning to read the next book in the series.

Hey, Brown Girl | Book Review by Sam

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About:

Hey, Brown Girl  by Janay Harden is a coming of age young adult novel that focuses on 17 year old Raven as she navigates her family and school drama, anxiety, and transitions within friendship groups. While the main focus is on Raven, each member of the family has at least one chapter in which their personal thoughts and feelings are captured.  It was a quick read but does touch on adult themes although it is marketed as a young adult novel. In fact, there are moments where I wondered if this book should come along with a trigger warning for certain themes the author chose to touch on. 

Review:

Janay Harden is a licensed social worker and therapist. It is clear from the book that Ms. Harden has a background in mental health in the way that all of the problems in the book seem to be solved by therapy and self-love. The book presents several different relatable issues such as anxiety, resentment towards parents, child neglect, and drug abuse. If you have not experienced one of these issues, you’re often not too far removed from someone who has. 

The friendship that Raven has built with three other black girls in her neighborhood is beautiful to read about and it makes you think fondly of your own friendships or desire that type of friendship. However, the friendship is tested when Raven is challenged to reflect on her behavior and consider whether she is always being the best friend she can be to her girls or if she is centering herself. 

This challenge is amidst several other challenges – Raven’s cousin has come to live with her, she is challenged for her spot as dance team captain, and she is battling anxiety. As Raven contends with each of these issues with the help of her school assigned counselor it’s like reading therapy in book form. She learns to cope with each issue and learns to have confidence within herself to know she can be triumphant in the face of all these issues. 

Ms. Harden follows along with the other family members and this is where keeping up with the plot gets tricky. I understand that the author was looking to give everyone a happily ever after and perhaps even demonstrate how each family issue can be worked out in a healthy manner, but I think it would have been best to fully develop Raven’s story and maybe make a book series out of each family member’s story. 

We learn about the racial identity challenges of Raven’s mother, Blair. The abuse Phoenix (Raven’s grandmother) suffered. The neglect Carter (her cousin) experiences and more. These are all tough issues to work through and I don’t know that the happily ever after that is achieved in just a few chapters is realistic. 

Overall, the book was a solid read and could be useful for anyone looking for positive ways to deal with the challenges the book touches on. It is filled with both therapeutic lessons as well as generational wisdom.