Review: Jamaica Road by Lisa Smith

 

I was so excited to review this new novel by Lisa Smith. To be transparent I am Jamaican so this book was right up my alley. It has everything I like in the Jamaican-British story. Set in the early 80s, we meet Daphne (British born) as she tries to navigate growing up and attending a school where the other kids are not too nice. Added to this daily stress are the racial tensions that we all know run through the veins of the master colonizers. Then in comes Connie, a tall, lanky plimsoll wearing transplant from Jamaica with a family secret.

Some may have difficulty with the dialogue which was music to my ears. So often Caribbean authors especially from Jamaica are forced to anglicize their work (native dialect) to satisfy the "western" market. I just hope that the audiobook has an actual Jamaican or Jamaican-Brit do the narration. Can you image the 80's reggae soundtrack that would accompany this book? 

Smith's Jamaica Road is emotional, evocative, immersive and transformative coming of age tale. It was an excellent read. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Lisa Smith and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for a digital copy of #JamaicaRoad exchange for my honest opinion. Jamaica Road  will be published on July 15, 2025. 

REVIEW: Full Shift by Jennifer Dugan

 

The latest from activist and author Jennifer Dugan is a compelling and emotional graphic novel  that finds Tessa struggling to belong, accept herself and navigate teenage life. Unlike her friends Tessa is a werewolf and since the death of her father has felt like an outcast everywhere. At school she is grappling with unspoken feelings for her friend Maddie, and at home among her werewolf family trying to find her place. Werewolf hunters enter the scene with a ‘cure’ that allegedly turns werewolves human. This seems like the perfect escape. Tessa can only partially shift unlike the rest of her pack. But is this cure too good to be true, do the hunters have ‘good’ intentions or are the wolves in jeopardy? This is a story of Tessa's journey as she embraces her identity, it blends supernatural tension, a thrilling adventure and personal growth. The Shift is perfect for new and young adults. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Jennifer Dugan and Penguin Group - Penguin Young Readers Group for a digital copy of #FullShift in exchange for my honest opinion.

REVIEW - Ali Cross: The Graphic Novel by James Patterson

 

Those familiar with James Patterson's Alex Cross are in for a treat with the best selling author's new series staring famed detective Alex Cross's son Ali. Ali Cross brings a whole new generation into Patterson's thriller and suspense world with this graphic novel. Ali navigates his own mystery as his tries to solve the case of his missing friend. We see his youthful determination boosted by skills inherited from his father. Although the plot is predictable Patterson's storytelling makes Ali's character relatable and inspiring for a younger audience, embodying the themes of friendship, bravery, loyalty, and perseverance.

The artwork by Phillip Tajalle is fantastic and vivid bringing to life the tension and excitement of Ali's journey as he uncovers and solves clues, adding to the fast-paced story making it a visually captivating read. Did Ali find his friend? Find out by picking up a copy of this graphic novel when it comes out. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author James Patterson and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a digital copy of #AliCrossTheGraphicNovel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: You Must Be This Tall to Propose 1 by Fumi Mifuyu

A very cute manga about neighbors growing up together and a boy’s eternal pledge to marry the girl of his dreams. The boy, Chitose whose primary goal in life is to be with the girl, Tomo. Tomo who in response to Chitose’s proposal jokingly tells him he needs to be “this tall” (at least as tall as she is) to even propose to her. We follow Chitose’s growing pains as he navigates daily life and his love for Tomo. You Must Be This Tall to Propose is an enjoyable, heartwarming, sweet, wholesome slice of life story that although not new (predictable plot with numerous cliches) is still a great read. It has many funny moments and you can’t help but root for Chitose.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Fumi Mifuyu  and Kodansha Comics for a digital copy of #YouMustBeThisTalltoPropose in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Bless 1 by Yukino Sonoyama

In this YA manga, Aia, a model-gorgeous high school student with a talent for makeup and classmate Jun, a pretty, shy and quiet girl team up to organize a school fashion show. Throughout the story, Jun builds up her confidence while Aia continues to master and turn his love for makeup into an art form.

This is a cute story with lovable characters, you want to root for. Although it seems that the transitions “between scenes” were awkward this did not overshadow the central themes. The artwork was stunning. 

Mangas and comics do have themes and Bless 1 demonstrates that confidence and pursuing one's dreams and passions is key to a happy life. Also that self-confidence especially during the teenage years can really have an impact on one's future. I liked that Bless 1 did not stick to traditional gender roles. It shows Aia, a boy doing and loving something that is normally associated with girls, makeup. This should be applauded. Some of the best makeup artists in real life are men. I would read subsequent installments of Bless. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Yukino Sonoyama and Kodansha Comics for a digital copy of #Bless in exchange for my honest opinion.

The 2020 Black Lit Challenge - Black History Month

I am very excites for Black History Month 2020. There are so many amazing reading challenges on Instagram it was hard to decide which do join. I decided to join in on The Black Lit Challenge. 

This is a new challenge for 2020 created by Seji of @theartisangeek for Black History month (BHM). It is a great challenge to encourage readers of black lit or people just interested to participate. I think this is a great way to get more people of color (primarily of African descent) to read books by black authors world wide. 

Image courtesy of @theartisangeek

She also created a very extensive Black Literature Compendium (a database) to make finding books and authors very easy. She also suggested on her YouTube channel that 1 book could satisfy the first 4 prompts. The bonus prompt will be announced closer to BHM.

Just a heads up that before the 21st century means and book before or between January 1, 1901 - December 31, 2000.

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson; covers all 4 prompts.

Ina's suggestion is Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron.

Disclaimer: Images courtesy of amazon.com 

400+ Reading Challenge

I was invited by Debrasbookcafe to join the 2012 Big Book Challenge on Goodreads. The main rule is that the book should be 400+ pages, you can read any number, in any format but the pages must be 400+.

This was my original list of books for this challenge: Stones of Summer (581 pages), World Without End (1014 pages), Hunger's Bride (1323 pages) and The Historian (642 pages). What was I thinking with the exception of the 1st and last the other two are humungous 

Instead I've completed Divergent, City of Bones, and City of Ashes. I am currently reading City of Glass (576) and a V.C Andrews bindup of 848 pages. 

Divergent was amazing and I am waiting until the sequel Insurgent comes out in paperback. So far books 1 and 2 of the Mortal Instrument series are good with the exception that I have some issue with Clary, she truly annoys me but more on that when I review the series (hopefully).

I really enjoyed this book. Written from the point of view of a teen boy that shares his experiences at a boarding school on the south and the relationships he forms with his friends. How he navigate these relationships and how they deal with the death of their circle - Alaska. The narrative was exceptional unlike 'Catcher int he Rye' in which the main character's voice was jumbled, confused and immature. Looking for Alaska is worth a read as far as YA books are concerned.

Image source - GoodReads.com

Since my last post I've read the following:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Read this for Banned Books Week

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book #1 in the Hunger Games Trilogy eagerly waiting to read the other two plus I can't wait for the movie.

The Survivor by Sean Slater

School shooting, Asian gangs, crime underworld etc. I received this as a participant in the 2011Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge. Review is forthcoming.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

Read this for Banned Books Week. Whenever a story is told from a teenagers point of view it's considered to raunchy and explicit, as if teens cannot express themselves. I didn't really like the main character, he was just too self absorbed.

Images provided by GoodReads

Banned Books Week: Review- Go Ask Alice

Alice Could be anyone
Alice Could be someone you know
Alice Uses drugs
Alice Could be YOU!!!

With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive — often fatal — world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing — and even more poignant today — Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.  Summary courtesy of Barnes and Noble; Image Good Reads

I enjoyed this book and it was a quick easy read. This is the type of YA subject matter I like; kids on drugs, kids gone bad, kids taking the wrong path and whether or not they find their way back or end up six-feet under. This book is on the challenged/banned books list because it's 'real' and it deals with a subject matter that kids in this day and age are exposed to and participate in on an everyday basis. If I was a teenager growing up in the 21st century and I read this stuff I would stay as far away from drugs as possible and avoid getting pregnant. That would probably make me unpopular but being on the outs maybe a good thing.

Format: Paperback , 224pp
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Young Adult

★★★★	Really liked it

Review: Fallout

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.

Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she’s ever known crumbles, Autumn’s compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there’s more of Kristina in her than she’d like to believe. Summer doesn’t know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father’s girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother’s notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle. Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem. Image and Summary courtesy of GoodReads

My take: I found Fallout the third and final installment int he Crank series the most difficult to read. Reason being it no longer dealt with Kristina but that of her children and their lives and issues. I honestly wasn't interested in it and found myself bored page after page. Also I found the three stories difficult to follow as the only way one could tell they were reading about a different character was by the text font.

★	Didn't like it

Review: Princess in the Spotlight

Being a teenage girl with divorced parents is hard enough without discovering you're the heir apparent to a small European country, that you must have a bodyguard tailing you at all times, and that your paternal grandmother is determined to turn you into a proper princess. Mia Thermopolis faces all that and more during her year as a high school freshman, and she shares the trials and tribulations of her hilarious life inThe Princess Diaries. B&N review.

This was a very cute book. It was an easy read and at times I found myself actually wanting to know what will happen next. Mia is an awkward freshman, trying to stay sane and navigate her high school and by the way she's a princess too. I can't remember if I ever watched the 'Princess Diaries' and am not sure if there are anymore movies based on this series.

Great to read if you're looking for something light and fun.

My second venture in to YA lit. Clockwork Angel was an enjoyable book and I'm not particularly into ghouls, demons, vampires etc. I found the story flowed except for towards the end where it slowed down a bit just became too wordy. Now onto the main characters Tess and Will. Shadow hunter Will is basically James Dean and a rebel without a cause but does he have a cause, is there something from his past that causes him to basically be a reckless fool? It's hinted to in this book, which is the first installment in the Infernal Devices series. How long do we have to wait to find out what is at the root of Will's internal struggle? At least until December when book two Clockwork Prince comes out.

Now for Tess, I did not like her at all. I found her character to be a huge nag, which exhausted me as if I were Jem coming off the 'stuff'. She needed to be more focused, once she found out Will's story that's all her mind was consumed with as was evident during one 'battle'. Here vampires and shadow hunters are fighting and all she's concerned about is why did Will leave his home and refused to see his parents when thy came to the Institute. OMG! this girl needed to focus her immaturity is so obvious and it made the book unbearable at times. This is one of the main reasons why I have avoided YA books; the immaturity. I hope she 'grows up' by the next book.

I also did not agree with this portion of the synopsis on the book jacket: "She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa." This love triangle did not happen, Tess was not 'torn' between these two guy, her primary focus was on Will and although Jem had obvious feelings for her she didn't see him that way. I personally did not think this was the case. Well overall I did enjoy this book and intend to give the Mortal Instruments a read until Clockwork Prince comes out, I hope they do not disappoint.

BAT

Review: Glass

Glass is the second installment in the Crank series and it follows the life of the now full blown addict Kristina a.k.a Bree. Kristina's life has more than spiraled out of control, she has no connection with her son Hunter (she eventually gave custody to her parents), ruined the relationship with her family especially her mother. She's gone from petty peddler to mid-level dealer, was homeless to living with her dealer and taking care of his kids. This is a scary look at how drug addiction consumes a person, it's all they live for and disregard everything else around them. 

A well written cautionary tale.

Glass: 681 pages (Book 2 in the Crank trilogy)
Pub. Date: 2007
Audience: Young Adult

★★★★	Really liked it

Review: Crank

Ellen Hopkins has an interesting way of writing, 'Crank' is structured like a long poem. I am not a fan of poetry and browsing the blogs and YT videos had no hint of the way the book was structured. I was pleasantly surprised it was easy to read and did not distract one from the story which I found quite gripping. Although at some points throughout the story  I got confused as to which direction to read across or up or down but you'll be able to figure it out. 

I don't usually read young adult books but this was a good one and I'm eager to get to the rest in the series. These are the types of books that parents should read because it shows how easy kids get, use and abuse drugs and the consequences that ensue. 

The main character Kristina was the typical 'good girl' until an ill-fated visit to her father and a sniff to impress a boy. We all know where the story goes from there, drugs, alcohol, more drugs, failing in school, being assaulted, becoming a drug dealer and towards the end of the book she finds out she's pregnant. What will she do? keep the baby? drop out of school? more importantly will she quit drugs?

Crank: 537 pages (Book 1 in the Crank trilogy)
Pub. Date: October 2004
Audience: Young Adult

★★★★	Really liked it