Scan barcode
lwalsh's review against another edition
4.0
A GREAT book about self love and acceptance for teenagers.
eliz_moreromcoms's review against another edition
4.0
There is such an important discussion on self-love that can resonates with all young women.
As Nala’s summer begins to crumble, I was brought back to being in high school wanting so badly to be loved. The way I would lie and change myself. The way I never loved myself.
As Nala’s summer begins to crumble, I was brought back to being in high school wanting so badly to be loved. The way I would lie and change myself. The way I never loved myself.
ladyofthelit's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the idea of the protagonist and her development but the story fell flat for me.
ldextre's review against another edition
5.0
The main character, Nala, is a rising senior in High school living in a Harlem neighborhood. There are so many reasons I loved this book and can't wait to share it with other readers.
Nala is living with her aunt and cousin because her mother struggles to support her. I like that her mother wasn't the antagonist. She still interacts with her family and loves her daughter, but recognizes her problems with financial responsibility. Nala spends time with her grandmother (my favorite character) in her senior living community where she learns to navigate through her insecurities and adolescence. Her grandmother is no-nonsense, and gives Nala space to work through her problems: "So what will you do to make sure you will grow from this?" The characters are loving, they have a strong community bond, and give wise advice.
The story follows Nala's first-person perspective as she learns to navigate her cousin/sister/friend relationship with Imani and her connections with Imani's activist friends. The conflict is realistic, serving as a good example of talking through issues with loved ones.
Nala keeps a journal to document her summer experiences, which is highlighted by a tender love interest story with an activist named Tye. He's calm, kind, and community-focused. The relationship evolves as they learn about each other, but Nala hides part of herself in fear that she is not Tye's type. There are times when I would yell "Why don't you tell him?!" at Nala's decisions. The misunderstanding creates conflict later in the story, but I like how both characters handled it with maturity.
I enjoyed Nala's wit, introspective journaling, her connection to music, positive body image, and familial bonds. The family is one I would enjoy spending time with. They are loving and have pride in their Jamaican heritage. The food descriptions were enticing, which made me want to grab a plate and sit down to chat with them.
"Love is a Revolution" is a positive bildungsroman for all teens. The content is "clean" (no language or sexy stuff) for younger teen readers. Although female readers would enjoy the empowered, independent, balanced women in the story, all readers will find engaging characters with bits of wisdom and positive role models throughout the uplifting story.
p. 228
1. Remember yourself
2. Honor yourself
3. Critique yourself
4. Love yourself
This is how I plan to grow.
Nala is living with her aunt and cousin because her mother struggles to support her. I like that her mother wasn't the antagonist. She still interacts with her family and loves her daughter, but recognizes her problems with financial responsibility. Nala spends time with her grandmother (my favorite character) in her senior living community where she learns to navigate through her insecurities and adolescence. Her grandmother is no-nonsense, and gives Nala space to work through her problems: "So what will you do to make sure you will grow from this?" The characters are loving, they have a strong community bond, and give wise advice.
The story follows Nala's first-person perspective as she learns to navigate her cousin/sister/friend relationship with Imani and her connections with Imani's activist friends. The conflict is realistic, serving as a good example of talking through issues with loved ones.
Nala keeps a journal to document her summer experiences, which is highlighted by a tender love interest story with an activist named Tye. He's calm, kind, and community-focused. The relationship evolves as they learn about each other, but Nala hides part of herself in fear that she is not Tye's type. There are times when I would yell "Why don't you tell him?!" at Nala's decisions. The misunderstanding creates conflict later in the story, but I like how both characters handled it with maturity.
I enjoyed Nala's wit, introspective journaling, her connection to music, positive body image, and familial bonds. The family is one I would enjoy spending time with. They are loving and have pride in their Jamaican heritage. The food descriptions were enticing, which made me want to grab a plate and sit down to chat with them.
"Love is a Revolution" is a positive bildungsroman for all teens. The content is "clean" (no language or sexy stuff) for younger teen readers. Although female readers would enjoy the empowered, independent, balanced women in the story, all readers will find engaging characters with bits of wisdom and positive role models throughout the uplifting story.
p. 228
1. Remember yourself
2. Honor yourself
3. Critique yourself
4. Love yourself
This is how I plan to grow.
faithnoelleauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book, which I finished in less than a day. It's a quick, engaging read that is so real and relatable. I love that this is a story about Black girls, family, and growing in self-love. I also love that it features and celebrates plus-sized girls without the protagonist's main insecurity being focused on her weight. Instead, her looks are one thing she is confident in, and I overall love the balance between having a protagonist who is fierce and confident while at the same time struggling with self-doubt, because it is such a real experience. I love Nala as a main character and her arc throughout the story, and I love the dynamics in each of her different relationships with family, friends, and her love interest. For some reason I especially love books in which the main character interacts with an old person, whether at a senior facility or otherwise, and learns from them while also getting to experience the wonderful sass of old people. It's great and I loved how it flowed in this story. Overall this is a really great read that I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
bbyrose's review
2.0
2.5 stars
Honestly, this book felt like pulling teeth. I wanted so bad to love this book. I saw this pretty black girl that looked like me, chubby and dark skin, and the whole time she was insecure, judgemental and unmotivated. I know at the end she is supposedly better, I still fell like this book was a let down. I think it was random and didn't have a real plot to it. The book was supposed to be about this big lie, so I thought maybe this lie would turn into her becoming a real activist or at least challenging herself to do better in her community, but that really wasn't the case. Plus at the end, it dragged on. She had already resolved her issues with the guy and it could have ended there, but instead it dragged and dragged. And those last chapters did not drive the story. The story was too repetitive, all they did was eat and complain and the activitist activities were just eating events and handing out flyers. I expected protests and social media videos to try to spread awareness. All in all, this book was dry and was sold and promoted as a book it was not. I would not recommend at all. It felt too much like a watt pad book and another insecure black girl. And though I liked the family parts, it should have been promoted as a family book and not a romance because that wasn't the main part of the story.
Honestly, this book felt like pulling teeth. I wanted so bad to love this book. I saw this pretty black girl that looked like me, chubby and dark skin, and the whole time she was insecure, judgemental and unmotivated. I know at the end she is supposedly better, I still fell like this book was a let down. I think it was random and didn't have a real plot to it. The book was supposed to be about this big lie, so I thought maybe this lie would turn into her becoming a real activist or at least challenging herself to do better in her community, but that really wasn't the case. Plus at the end, it dragged on. She had already resolved her issues with the guy and it could have ended there, but instead it dragged and dragged. And those last chapters did not drive the story. The story was too repetitive, all they did was eat and complain and the activitist activities were just eating events and handing out flyers. I expected protests and social media videos to try to spread awareness. All in all, this book was dry and was sold and promoted as a book it was not. I would not recommend at all. It felt too much like a watt pad book and another insecure black girl. And though I liked the family parts, it should have been promoted as a family book and not a romance because that wasn't the main part of the story.
haileydodson's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
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
2.75
danilatrice87's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely beautiful! This book wasn’t just a love story—it was a celebration of self-love, identity, and finding your voice. I couldn’t help but adore Nala. Her journey felt so real and relatable, especially as she navigated her insecurities and learned to love herself for who she truly is, not who she thought she needed to be to fit in or impress others.
Renée Watson has such a gift for creating characters that feel like people you know. Nala’s relationship with her family, her friendships, and her crush on Tye were all so authentic. The layers of community activism and self-discovery added so much depth to the story without ever feeling heavy-handed.
I loved the message of learning to accept yourself first before seeking validation from others. Nala’s story is a reminder that love—whether romantic or platonic—starts with how we treat and see ourselves. By the end, I felt so inspired and uplifted.
This book was empowering, joyful, and full of heart.
Renée Watson has such a gift for creating characters that feel like people you know. Nala’s relationship with her family, her friendships, and her crush on Tye were all so authentic. The layers of community activism and self-discovery added so much depth to the story without ever feeling heavy-handed.
I loved the message of learning to accept yourself first before seeking validation from others. Nala’s story is a reminder that love—whether romantic or platonic—starts with how we treat and see ourselves. By the end, I felt so inspired and uplifted.
This book was empowering, joyful, and full of heart.
samiamlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Loving yourself really is a revolution. What a relatable book! Trying to figure out who you should or need to be to fit in, to make others like you, to like yourself. It was hard to watch Nala's self destruction, but as you see with the other characters we are all guilty of it, it's just how you bounce back.