A wonderful coming-of-age story of self-acceptance and understanding the definition of love, Renee Watson delivered another young adult novel featuring Black teens navigating the world and exploring their dreams.

I admit that I had a hard time liking the main character, Nala Robertson, especially since her arc is based on her making lies about herself by saying things she knows Tye, the love interest, wants to hear.

But overall, the story was wrapped up decently and it focused in showing the reality about family and friendship.

RATING: 3stars

Good read for teens and young adults about trying to fit in and staying true to yourself.

I don’t love reading books set in high school and this story was at times a reminder of why I feel that way but it also surprised me because as juvenile as the problems felt, there was something very earnest behind this story that won be back by the end.

I love Nala’s relationship with her family. I love how hard she rides for them. I love the acknowledgement of how loving the community needs to start with those closest to us. Imani may have been the one doing all the activism but it falls short to some degree to spending time with her family and that’s a reminder I need sometimes.

2.5 rounded up

Surprisingly, I thought that I was going to dislike this especially because it focuses on a young girl altering herself for a teenage boy, but this was done well.

Love Is a Revolution primarily focuses on main character, Nala Robertson, who finds herself falling in love with Tye after attending a spoken word event held by a local organization that her sister-cousin-friend Imani is a part of. Instead of being true to herself, Nala makes the decision to alter various things about her personality to encourage a relationship between herself and Tye. What follows is a hard lesson about falling in love, heartbreak, family, and staying true to oneself.

What Worked: Renee Watson has such beautiful, lyrical writing that made reading this book a breeze. I was captivated by every word, every sentence. There were nods to Jamaican family dynamics and culture that I absolutely loved as well. Surprisingly, I both loved and disliked the character development. Nala is changing herself for a guy and reading her lie to him over and over again was frustrating; HOWEVER, I am not the target audience for this book. When I took a brief second and viewed this story through the lens of teenagers, I realized that this is a story that I would have appreciated growing up. A plus size Black teen that isn't ashamed of her body, but still experiences insecurities in ways that are normal for teenagers. Most of us have changed ourselves in some way hoping to fit in and gain acceptance. Things are no different for Nala. She feels left out of the circle of secondary characters who throw themselves into activism when Nala would rather spend her free time watching movies. Naturally, when she grows feelings for Tye, who is an active member in this circle of friends, Nala doesn't feel like she's up to what would be considered his personal standards. But instead of it being in looks, it's about perceived intelligence through the lens of activism. Lately, there has been an increase in activism in young adult communities. I appreciate that Watson tackles this idea that activism can take place in a variety of ways and sometimes it's okay to JUST be a KID/TEENAGER. As a parent, I fear, sometimes, that we push younger generations to be the change they want to see so heavily that they burn themselves out and forget to enjoy life. Nala brings that balance to the table. She wants to make change, but she also recognizes the importance of simply enjoying friends and family. Nala is by no means a perfect character. She's not always likeable and she can be frustrating, BUT she's still growing. She's a teenager trying to not only find her voice, but also her place in her community. I loved seeing her grow and shift into this person that is actively aware of the decisions that she makes in regard to herself and others. And major props to Watson for the nods to Lucille Clifton. I really appreciated that.

Overall, this was a good book. I know that it won't work for everyone especially for adults, but I really appreciated the commentary that Watson made throughout the story.

I have very mixed feelings about this one yall… it was super short, I literally read it in like 6 hours. Felt very young, like the characters being 17 did not seem believable to me personally. This felt more like young reader book than a young adult book to me. There were parts that I really resonated with, but there was also a lot that was not necessarily needed or making sense for me personally. It was… fine. 2.6 ⭐️s.

This was so cute!! An easy YA romance read but it heavily focused on self love and being true to yourself. An amazing message that warmed my heart.

Any book about self love is valuable and important. A teen girl discovering that she is worth more is something I will always get behind. I read this while in a bikini in Vegas. I say that- because while I was reading- I found myself getting more comfortable in my own skin. I recommend this book!