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A review by ldextre
Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson
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.