3littlewordz's reviews
177 reviews

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

I've expressed before that great poets seem to make the best writers of, well, everything! This book was no exception. Clint Smith did not waste one word in this text.  The descriptions of the physical locations visited, his emotions while visiting, and the conversations that took place on (or near) these properties were both lyrical and incredibly informative. I'm thankful that he included discussions with his grandparents to add the personal component. Excellently crafted - I could have highlighted the whole book! 
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Probably need to start the 2nd book immediately after finishing the first, but I'm somewhat lost on the characters and plot since it's been months between the two. May pick it back up after I read a detailed summary of the first. Also audio version for some reason is distracting. It held my attention better when I read it. 
The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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Solito by Javier Zamora

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
May pick up later... not grabbing my attention. 
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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Perfectly Nice Neighbors by Kia Abdullah

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I did NOT see that ending coming. 

This story played heavily on stereotypes and barely dug beyond the surface for some of the characters, which is understandable because of the length of the book. However, the plot to me was well paced and kept me up each night reading to see what happened next. 
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a beautiful, haunting story. Multiple POVs but it flowed so well that I never felt lost. I have a special affinity for the black cake at the center of the story and have baked it many times over the years with my mother and always knew it was special even when it took all day. This story illustrates the shared experience of so many Caribbean descendants. 


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