A review by tuma
Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Woooow! I loved Genesis Begins Agsin so I had high hopes for this one but my goodness. The way the author is about to write authentically about young ppl and their real issues is stunning! 

Packed into a 300+ page novel in verse, Williams explores so many powerful issues and experiences. 

- death of a friend + grief
- the impact of others' ignorance, bias, & prejudice 
- friendship
- struggle to embrace one's true self/self expression 
- fear of rejection
- impact of toxic masculinity in young boys
- violence against black boys 
- power of a village
- absentee fathers (even for reasons such as work)
- food deserts/scarcity + healing power in gardening
- incarceration of black men

I started reading and couldn't put it down until I finished because I was immediately invested in Isaiah and needed to make sure he would be okay by the end.