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tuma's reviews
417 reviews
Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Man...this book was soooo wild! So much happened that I couldn't fully process. Overall, it was interesting and I enjoyed it. Took a while to get into as the world building needed time to sink in. The ending was surprising but also logical. The writing was a bit long-winded in some parts but just skimmed through it to get back to action. Lots of powerful messages about how our world treats women.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Blood, and Murder
Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow! This book was such a fun read! This is definitely what we needed to add to the YA canon. A book to show young black boys that they are magically and worthy. I was hooked after Act I and couldn't top reading. The story wasn't overally predictable and I was genuinely surprised by the secrets revealed! I didn't see em coming just like Malik didn't. Malik's POV is firmly established and he's complex and flawed and dynamic. Can't help but grow to love him.
Only nitpicky thing is sometimes the slang/cuss words felt awkward. I dunno if anything was edited as I read an ARC or if it's a southern thing Im not familiar with as a northerner. There were moments a character would think or say something and I'd be like "what?? Who says that?" Lol but eventually got used to it and it didn't take away from a great, magical adventure .
Only nitpicky thing is sometimes the slang/cuss words felt awkward. I dunno if anything was edited as I read an ARC or if it's a southern thing Im not familiar with as a northerner. There were moments a character would think or say something and I'd be like "what?? Who says that?" Lol but eventually got used to it and it didn't take away from a great, magical adventure .
Puerto Rican Tales: Legends of Spanish Colonial Times by Cayetano Coll y Toste, Jose Ramirez-Rivera
informative
slow-paced
3.25
This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets by Kwame Alexander
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Really powerful correction of pens. I liked how it was organized by themes. I enjoyed the poems in some sections more than others based on the content. Overall, would recommend to anyway who likes accessible, relatable poetry.
The Simple Seerah Part Two by Toyris Miah, Asim Khan
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
The Simple Seerah ; The Story of Prophet Muhammad SAW (Part One) by Toyris Miah, Asim Khan
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was completed captivated by this book. Hooked from page 1 in a chokehold and wasn't let go to final page. All I can say is DAMN, Jackson can WRITE!
Home is a Silhouette by Kataru Yahya
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There was a lot of potential here! I liked this book well enough. I enjoyed the unique story line and Muslim rep but the writing lacked depth and nuance. Characters were flat and caricatures rather than "real people". Despite the really interesting way of retelling Beauty & the Beast story, I read with my mind more than my heart because there was a lot of "telling" vs. "showing". I really wanted to love this but the writing wasn't very captivating for me. But still think it's a good story. Would def give this to younger readers. Great for teens in a classroom library.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Xenophobia
The Boo Hag Flex by Justina Ireland
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
This was a really fun read! As someone who was scarred by Goosebumps as a kid, I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. It's really perfect for upper elementary fans of Goosebump series but with more diverse representation.
Tasha's character is super relatable and likely. She's a book lover and avid reader, just lost her mom to COVID and is forced to live with her "deadbeat" dad and his mother. Yet she's thoughtful, caring, mature, and had a great head on her shoulders. She develops a great friendship with Ellie and her grandmother Mrs. Washington is a sweetheart. John sucked but I think it offers great representation for other kids with absentee or distant fathers. You can still be okay with the other people in your life who care for you. I wondered if it was falling into stereotypes a little bit but it's also reality for many kids. In terms of horror level, perfect balance of creepy but not extremely scary scary. And the "villain" wasn't super easy to guess which was nice! I was faked just a little bit but then I guessed correct a lil bit before big reveal. Overall, highly recommended! This is a great start to what I know will be an amazing new series.
Tasha's character is super relatable and likely. She's a book lover and avid reader, just lost her mom to COVID and is forced to live with her "deadbeat" dad and his mother. Yet she's thoughtful, caring, mature, and had a great head on her shoulders. She develops a great friendship with Ellie and her grandmother Mrs. Washington is a sweetheart. John sucked but I think it offers great representation for other kids with absentee or distant fathers. You can still be okay with the other people in your life who care for you. I wondered if it was falling into stereotypes a little bit but it's also reality for many kids. In terms of horror level, perfect balance of creepy but not extremely scary scary. And the "villain" wasn't super easy to guess which was nice! I was faked just a little bit but then I guessed correct a lil bit before big reveal. Overall, highly recommended! This is a great start to what I know will be an amazing new series.
Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel by Maysoon Zayid
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really fun graphic novel read! Starring Bay Ann, a Arab, Muslim, Disabled (cerebral palsy) middle schooler who is aiming for fame through going viral. She's quirky and unapologetically herself. Her parents are divorced though they live next door to one another and she goes back and forth between them. Her friends are cute and funny as well. Bay Ann's obsession with going viral got a little annoying at some point and I wanted the character development I knew was coming to come earlier. But eventually she learns what truly matters. I thought the portrayal of a tense mother/daughter relationship was interesting and something I think middle school girls need rep for navigating. Overall, there's lots of great rep and lessons in this book for middle schoolers. Highly recommend.