Most Anticipated 2022 Reads

Most Anticipated 2022 Reads

Slay book cover

SLAY by Brittney Morris

Although this book came out in 2019, I waited far too long to get my hands on a copy. It tells the story of a teenaged Black girl game developer named Kiera Johnson and her game SLAY, a massive multiplayer online card battler game inspired by Black culture. Kiera’s identity as the game developer is kept secret until an unexpected tragedy brings the game into the news and a racist threatens to take Kiera to court.

Full disclosure: I finished this book in days because I found Kiera’s personal journey and the world of SLAY very engrossing as a Black non-binary femme gamer. Be on the lookout for my review of this book coming soon to The Afro YA.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Last year, I happened to nab a digital copy of this book on sale because its premise seemed up my alley.  In short, a Black girl who loves books and an alien who loves music must work together to save the world. Set in a dystopian world controlled by aliens known as IIori, Ellie Baker maintains a secret library until she is discovered by an Illori commander. Although the commander is supposed to deliver Ellie to be executed, their secret love of pop music results in their bonding with Ellie, and the two of them decide to rebel against the IIori.

Books and music are in my top five favorite personal comforts, so how can I not read about people who love these things trying to save the world? Not to mention, the book’s cover is gorgeous.

The Sound of Stars
Slay book cover

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Kacen Callender has been one of my favorite Black queer YA authors in recent years, and when I found out that they had a middle-grade book about a heavy topic that was personal to me, my interest was piqued. The novel stars a non-binary twelve-year-old named Moon who travels to the spirit world each night hoping to never return to the world of the living.

This novel is an allegory for depression and suicidal ideation, and Kacen Callender revealed in a Publisher’s Weekly article that it was partly inspired by his own experiences. Given that you’re never too young to experience depression, I am interested to see how Callender presents this experience through a child’s eyes.

StarLion by Leon Langford

 

Although I have written about this YA fantasy book elsewhere, I have yet to take the time to actually read it. The premise alone sounds exciting: a young boy named Jordan has the power to control gravity, but he gets arrested. Instead of going to jail, he decides to go undercover at superhero training camp featuring the Gods of Olympus. When he learns of a world-threatening plot, Jordan must join forces with other superheroes in training to stop it.

I have a soft spot for characters who don’t act so heroically when they first start out, so Jordan piques my interest. Did I mention the book’s cover looks fun and exciting?

 

The Sound of Stars
Slay book cover

Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

A year or so ago, I heard that author Julian Winters was working on a queer Black YA book set at a fictional version of Comic-Con. This book turned out to be Right Where I Left You, and based on this premise and my enjoyment of Winters’s previous books, I am excited for this. Right Where I Left You tells the story of two queer boys of color, Isaac and Diego, who are best friends. Isaac tries to get a pair of passes to Legend Con to spend time with Diego before college, but things don’t go as planned when Isaac’s old crush Davi shows up.

Not only am I curious about how Isaac and Diego manage to have a good time despite not getting convention passes, I’m also excited to see how their relationship will change when one of them seems to start catching feelings for the other. This is a geeky friends-to-lovers book that I have been dying to read, so I will definitely be on the lookout for it.

 

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

 

 

Best Books to Give Black Readers This Holiday Season, 2021

Best Books to Give Black Readers This Holiday Season, 2021

Although this year was just as trying as last year, I still managed to read and recommend many great YA books by Black authors.

I even had a few surprises when I was directly asked by two Black authors to review their books.

Winter is the perfect time to curl up with a good book, so why not give them as presents this holiday season? Check out the best books to give Black readers during this 2021 holiday season.

Legacy: Women poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

I reviewed this poetry book earlier this year, and it is still lingering in my mind. This 2021 book bridges the past and present by featuring the unheralded voices of Black women Harlem Renaissance poets and Grimes’s own original poetry. The latter’s poems utilize the “Golden Shovel” method, taking one line from a Harlem Renaissance poem and using the words to create an entirely new poem. Accompanying the poems are sumptuous visual art pieces by some of the finest contemporary Black women illustrators. Although this collection is intended for a middle-grade audience, poetry lovers of all ages can appreciate this book.

(Full Review)

Getting By by Jaire Sims

When I was approached to review this 2020 book about a Black gay autistic protagonist figuring out his identity and future, I couldn’t say no. Given that there are only a small handful of books about Black autistic characters by Black autistic authors, I felt duty-bound to review this book as a Black neurodivergent reader. Despite experiencing bullying, his first romantic relationship, and some uncertainty about his college plans, the protagonist, Carver, remains honest and true to himself. While the formal narration style might not be for everyone, this book is a hidden gem that shines bright.

(Full Review)

The Tristan Strong Trilogy by Kwame Mbalia

 

This year saw the release of Tristan Strong Keeps Punching, the final book in Kwame Mbalia’s epic adventure series inspired by African and African American folktales and mythology. Centered on a twelve-year-old boy named Tristan Strong, the series sees its protagonist overcome internal and external threats to the land of Alke, a world populated by Black folk heroes and mythological characters. The previous two books, Tristan Strong Destroys the World and Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in The Sky, were released in 2020 and 2019. It was my immense joy to review these books, and I look forward to reading more from the author.

(Book 3 Review) | (Book 2 Review) | (Book 1 Review)

Every Body Looking by Candice IIoh

This novel in verse follows a Nigerian American teen named Ada as she begins college and starts figuring out what she truly wants for herself. Told in poems that express Ada’s past and present as well as trauma and triumphs, this book shows how Ada’s passion for dance affects her coming-of-age experiences as a Black girl. Although this book discusses sensitive topics such as fatmisia, misogynoir, sexual assault, and parental verbal abuse, Ada’s love of dance gradually allows her to embrace everything about herself that the world rejects. As the book progresses, Ada taps into her burgeoning talent while exploring career goals and her orientation.

(Full Review)

Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles

 

Although I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was asked to review this book, its sensitive and opinionated Black bisexual protagonist, Giovanni, instantly won me over. Gio is a young man dealing with a lot: the return of the mother who abandoned him, his shaky relationship with his father, and a crush on a new boy at school. Yet it is through navigating these experiences that Gio learns the true meaning of love when it comes to family and romance. This book teaches how complicated love can be with a contemplative cast of characters and down-to-earth conversations.

(Full Review)

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

Top photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA via Pexels

 

“Things We Couldn’t Say” Is a Powerful Book about Embracing Love and Letting Go

“Things We Couldn't Say” Is a Powerful Book about Embracing Love and Letting Go

When Gio was nine years old, his birth mother, Jackie, walked out on his father, Charles, and Gio’s younger brother, Theo. After not hearing from her for eight years, Gio suddenly receives an email from her out of the blue.

On top of his family issues, Gio is also starting to fall in love with a new student, David. Now, in order to make sense of everything, Gio must work through the complexities of love and decide how much he wants to have.

I was immediately pulled in by Gio’s voice and his first-person internal monologue. He is angry, but he is also sensitive and has anxiety and depression. Much of Gio’s emotions and personality expresses his experiences of being a Black, bisexual young man who is learning to experience life after significant trauma. He is multifaceted and true to life in the way he speaks and in the roles he plays as an older brother, son, and friend. This is demonstrated in internal dialogue such as, “But look, just because I live in the ‘ghetto’ doesn’t mean I’m out here holding a Captain America shield everywhere I go. I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt and not let the ghetto jump out of me to cuss her out.”

Not only is Gio a notable protagonist, but the people around him are memorable as well. His stepmom, Karina, is really loving and considerate, calling Gio “honey bunches” and giving him the space he needs to process emotions. Gio’s father, Charles, is a messy work in progress due to his biphobia and the fact that he is trying a little too hard to protect Gio from his mom and the rest of the world. Theo is a hopeful young boy who is doing his best not to let his social anxiety get the better of him. Finally, Gio’s birth mom, Jackie, is messy in that she wants to reconnect with Gio but doesn’t know how to give him the attention he needs. In addition to Gio’s family, Gio’s friends Ayesha, Malik, and Ollie are fun and loyal, while Gio’s love interest, David, is sweet and yet another work in progress.

Through the interactions with his family, friends, and love interest, Gio starts to navigate how intricate love is in different relationships. When it comes to his birth mom, Gio has to consider whether acknowledging and forgiving his mom is worth the pain she continues to inflict on him and his family. A similar issue occurs with his father, who drinks too much and doesn’t acknowledge Gio’s orientation, but who gradually takes steps to communicate with his son better. With Gio’s friends Ayesha and Ollie, there isn’t much issue, but he walks a delicate line with Malik due to the fact that Malik deals drugs to provide for his sick mother, Diane, and Gio tries his best to keep Malik out of trouble. Finally, David is the embodiment of having a well-meaning, loving white partner who just can’t understand all the challenges his Black partner faces.

In fact, much of this navigation is done through a mix of heartwarming interactions and difficult conversations. One conversation that is especially poignant occurs between David and Gio right after a racist altercation with a police officer in a record store. Not only does Gio refuse to gloss over what happened, sharing his own feelings honestly as well as his responses to how David reacted to the situation, but Gio and David also take some time apart from each other to process and see where they can go from there. Other remarkable conversations occur between Gio and his younger brother, Theo, in terms of what their mom used to be like versus how she is now. In terms of fun interactions, seeing Gio and his friends watch Netflix together is entertaining because of how they pick what to watch.

Although the family relationships, friendship, and romance are all compelling, the best character development comes from Gio himself. It is great that he is somewhat out with his orientation and yet at the same time chooses to be private with some people, such as the members of his basketball team—not to mention that he is learning what kind of love he truly deserves despite being traumatized and marginalized. His story is as powerful as those of other Black queer characters like Felix in Kacen Callender’s Felix Ever After, Alice in Claire Kann’s Let’s Talk About Love, and Julian Winter’s Remy Cameron in How To Be Remy Cameron.

All in all, Jay Coles’s Things We Couldn’t Say is a powerful book about embracing love and letting go. Love should not be conditional, and this book shows that it is possible to work out how much love you want and need and how it can affect you for better or worse.

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

“Getting By” Is a Thoughtful Story about Attraction and Personal Growth

"Getting By" Is a Thoughtful Story about Attraction and Personal Growth

Carver, a seventeen-year-old Black man, is a high school student facing a variety of challenges. Not only is he preparing to take the ACT, but he is also dealing with violent bullies and trying to figure out his sexuality while immersing himself in his first romantic relationship. When things start to come to a head, Carver must figure out how to deal with everything and emerge unscathed.

One of the first things that I enjoyed about the book was Carver’s voice, which is formal yet very detailed and honest. While some might find it stiff and lacking expression compared to those of other teen protagonists, it’s important to note that Carver’s voice is different because he—and the author—are autistic. At one point, Carver mentions that his stoic way of speaking caused someone to nickname him “robot,” but how he doesn’t mind, since he knows he isn’t too expressive.

Of all the thoughts Carver shares with the reader, his thoughts about different levels of attraction are some of the most surprising and validating. Given that some people assume that autistic people are too childish to understand romance and sex, it was gratifying to see Carver openly and privately lust after men. At the same time, watching him realize what he wants from a romantic relationship by dating his best friend, Jocelynn, demonstrates the complexity of navigating personal sexuality.

In addition to his thoughts on his personal orientation, Carver is also gregarious about other things, such as his passion for photography, his hobbies of drawing and playing guitar, and his love of Disney films. Not only does he discuss these things through internal dialogue, but he also expresses his feelings about them with others he feels comfortable with, especially Jocelynn. One scene that I enjoyed is when the two of them go on a picnic and Carver plays a few songs that he learned on guitar.

In addition to Carver himself, there is also a decent cast of characters that drive the story along. Jocelynn is a very sweet young woman, while bullies Tyrell and Raymond are typically superficial, with a disturbing disdain for queerness. Ava and Heather are loyal friends to Carver. One character who was a pleasant surprise was Donnell, the Black jock who Carver crushes on and lusts after. At first, Donnell appears to be someone Carver can only admire from afar, but a single conversation late in the book humanizes him.

One minor issue this book has is that it can get dull when Carver isn’t narrating, thinking, or talking to someone else. Since Carver is the protagonist, it is understandable that his voice is the most dominant one in the book. However, the richness of the novel’s portrait of Carver is rarely extended to secondary characters who he doesn’t regularly interact with. It would have been nice, for example, to learn about Carver’s parents through conversations similar to those he has with Jocelynn’s parents.

All in all, Getting By is a thoughtful coming-of-age story about attraction and personal growth. With an authentic main protagonist and a nice cast of characters, this is a vibrant read.

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

Top photo by Thuanny Gantuss from Pexels

Pride Spotlight: Black Queer YA

Pride Month Spotlight: Black Queer YA

June is Pride Month. With the pandemic still affecting the economic situation of LGBTQ people and current legislation negatively affecting trans youth, it may seem we don’t have much to celebrate.

Yet the fact that we continue to survive, fight, and triumph in small and large ways is worth being happy about. One of the most notable things is the rise of Black LGBTQ+ authors in young adult fiction.

A decade ago, the only Black queer author I knew of who wrote teen fiction was Jacqueline Woodson. Now I can name at least a dozen authors. From verse novels to fantasy, Black LGBTQ+ authors have been leaving a colorful mark for a new generation to see. Check out some of the Black queer YA books I’ve enjoyed over the past few years.

The Black VeinsThe Black Veins book cover by Ashia Monet

Nothing says summer like a road trip, even a world-saving one. This is what happens to Blythe Fulton, a Black bisexual Elemental Guardian, after her family is kidnapped and taken to the Trident Republic. Of course, she can’t rescue her family on her own, so she must recruit other Elemental Guardians to help her.

In addition to the magic and action, I really enjoyed the downtime the characters experience in this book. The friendship is so fun and heartwarming, especially because there is some flirting but no romance whatsoever.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Not only is this book set during Pride Month in NYC, but it is also about a Black trans demi boy learning to have pride in himself. After his pre-transition photos are leaked, Felix Love must find the culprit while reexamining who he is and the kind of love he wants from others.

Felix’s personal journey is poignant because it shows that one’s gender identity isn’t necessarily set in stone after coming out. Furthermore, it demonstrates the importance of standing up for who you are, even if it means having hard conversations with friends and family.

The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters

Spending summer working in a bookstore may seem like a lot of fun, especially when it’s a safe space. But what if the bookstore is in danger of closing? Eighteen-year-old Wesley Hudson deals with this with the used bookstore Once Upon a Page. Not to mention, he is struggling to plan his older brother’s wedding, figure out his future plans, and confess his crush on his best friend, Nico Alvarez.

All of these things are a part of something that Wesley has been avoiding: adulthood. As Wesley deals with a lot over the course of the novel, he manages to figure out what is most important to him with the help of a colorful cast of characters.

Let’s Talk about Love by Claire Kann

Being in college is difficult, especially when your girlfriend breaks up with you for being asexual. On top of that, Alice is also trying to figure out her career path. Things become even more complicated when she ends up with a crush on her new library co-worker Takumi. What’s a Black biromantic girl to do?

This book lives up to its title as Alice figures out what she loves to do in order to identify her future career and redefine what love means, both romantically and in terms of friendship. Not only does this book show how complex love can be, it also shows that it’s worth discussing and exploring with others.

Magnifique Noir by Briana Lawrence

College-aged everyday young women by day. Magical girls by night (and sometimes day too). This is the basic premise of Magnifique Noir, a book series about a Black queer team of magical girls. The first book in the series focuses on gamer girl Bree Danvers and boxer Lonnie Knox as they take their first steps as magical girls alongside baker Marianna Jacobs, who is the most experienced of the three.

The second book copes with the aftermath of the first and demonstrates the importance of mental health and taking care of yourself. Both feature short comics and colorful art that enhance the narrative and give the sparkly antics extra shine. They also tackle certain experiences in a mature manner, such as misogynoir, difficult parents, and online trolls.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

My favorite definition of poetry is “imagination written in verse.” When this definition is applied to verse that tries to define the poet’s self, the verses themselves become a source of power. This is the case with The Black Flamingo, which tells the story of Michael Angelis, a Black British gay man with Greek-Jamaican heritage.

Through performance and verse, Michael blossoms beautifully as we read his story from childhood to burgeoning young adulthood. By using a flamingo as a metaphor to figure himself out, Michael learns to stand out and be proud.

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

Top photo by Anete Lusina from Pexels

 

Most Anticipated 2021 Reads

Most Anticipated 2021 Reads

A new year means reading new books.

While I don’t have a reading goal per se, I do have a long To Be Read list to get through. For every book that I already own, there are also yet-to-be-released books I want to read — not to mention books I won’t know I want to read until I hear about them! As you might imagine, there are a lot of books that I hope to read and review this year. Here are my most anticipated 2021 reads.

Legacy by Nikki Grimes

This book came out on January 5. It combines poetry and visual art to spotlight and pay homage to the lesser known Black women poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Using the poetic method known as “The Golden Shovel,” Nikki Grimes takes one line from poems by Angelina Weld Grimké, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and others and then uses them to create original poems of her own.  These poems are complemented with artwork by Black women such as Vashti Harrison, Ebony Glenn, and Nina Crews.

Although the Harlem Renaissance was my favorite time period to study in school, I only ever learned about Black male Harlem Renaissance poets like Langston Hughes and Paul Lawrence Dunbar. As I am a poetry fan, this book will surely rectify the gaps in my knowledge by bridging the past and present and showing the worth of these words through pictures as well as poems.

A Phoenix Must First Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell

This 2020 short fiction anthology was on my wish list for months before I nabbed the ebook at a discount. Taking inspiration from Octavia Butler, this anthology features sixteen sci-fi and fantasy stories starring Black girls, women, and gender nonconforming people. The authors featured include some familiar and others new to me, including Elizabeth Acevedo, L. L. Mckinney, and Somaiya Daud.

I don’t see many Black SFF anthologies by and for Black women and girls, let alone one that looks so inviting to teen readers who are new to the genres. Did I mention that the cover looks spectacular?

Black Girl Unlimited: The Autobiography of Echo Brown by Echo Brown

Combining magical realism and autobiographical elements, this 2020 novel features Black girl magic occurring amid poverty, sexism, racism, and more. Echo Brown is a teen wizard born and raised on the East Side who uses magic portals to travel to an all-white school on the West Side. However, going back and forth between two worlds has Echo leaving parts of herself on the East Side. Soon, Echo must use her magic to overcome a dark depression that threatens to overwhelm her.

Through family and personal experience, I know that not all magic comes with a letter to a boarding school. There is also magic in making ends meet, magic in personal recovery, and magic in survival. I look forward to seeing how Black Girl Unlimited will embody this.

A Crown So Cursed by L. L. McKinney

The third book in the Nightmare-Verse series is set to be published Fall 2021. After the events of the previous book, Alice Kingston is attempting to rest and recover. However, she and her friends start having dark visions of Wonderland’s past and future. When the evil that Alice thought she had defeated stirs once again, Alice thinks she will have to journey into Wonderland once more. However, the evil is already in the real world.

I have enjoyed the Nightmare-Verse series since I reviewed the first book, A Blade So Black, in 2018. I’m hoping this book will be just as thrilling as the others and will answer some of my lingering questions about the world building and characters.

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

This queer summer coming-of-age rom-com is Claire Kann’s second novel and one I missed when it initially came out in 2019. It tells the story of Winnie, a fat Black queer girl who is unexpectedly crowned Summer Queen of the small town of Misty Haven. With such a huge spotlight on her, Winnie must confront her fears and insecurities to become the best version of herself.

Although I don’t own this book (yet), I would love to read it due to my soft spot for teen summer stories. The premise sounds like a ton of fun and something I’d want adapted into a movie. Besides, I loved Claire Kann’s first book, Let’s Talk About Love.

 

The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.