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A review by streetwrites
One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
3.0
Character (2/5)
Plot & Pacing (2.5/5)
Setting & Surroundings (2/5)
Dialogue & Diction (3/5)
Craft & Voice (3/5)
Reading Experience (2.5/5)
Final Rating:
2.58/5
Comments:
I love Nicola’s YA novels, and was excited to dig into her adult debut. From a social commentary perspective, as a white guy, I don’t really have grounds to make any kind of critical assessment of this book as far as the message and themes. I am aware that it has caused a big stir among Black readers, and that Nicky has been accused of some things by the community of which she is a part. What I can say is that, by the end, I did feel the novel was definitely a satire of the Black experience in America, with a particular emphasis on how exhausting it undoubtedly feels, dealing with structural/systemic racism at an almost constant clip. I do think this book had a lot to say about the expectations of Black folks of others in their community, as well as the exterior perceptions by non-Black folks. Unfortunately, it felt like the final “conclusion,” if you will, was that the problem lies within the Black community itself, and not with racism that impacts them. This just seems completely antithetical to the truth, and if that wasn’t Nicky’s intention here, then I’m just not sure I got the message she intended.
Plot & Pacing (2.5/5)
Setting & Surroundings (2/5)
Dialogue & Diction (3/5)
Craft & Voice (3/5)
Reading Experience (2.5/5)
Final Rating:
2.58/5
Comments:
I love Nicola’s YA novels, and was excited to dig into her adult debut. From a social commentary perspective, as a white guy, I don’t really have grounds to make any kind of critical assessment of this book as far as the message and themes. I am aware that it has caused a big stir among Black readers, and that Nicky has been accused of some things by the community of which she is a part. What I can say is that, by the end, I did feel the novel was definitely a satire of the Black experience in America, with a particular emphasis on how exhausting it undoubtedly feels, dealing with structural/systemic racism at an almost constant clip. I do think this book had a lot to say about the expectations of Black folks of others in their community, as well as the exterior perceptions by non-Black folks. Unfortunately, it felt like the final “conclusion,” if you will, was that the problem lies within the Black community itself, and not with racism that impacts them. This just seems completely antithetical to the truth, and if that wasn’t Nicky’s intention here, then I’m just not sure I got the message she intended.