Review: Into White by Randi Pink

Randi Pink. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2016. pp. 275
Rating: Don't Bother + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

LaToya Williams attends a majority white high school in Montgomery, Alabama. Outside of her older brother, LaToya is without friends at school and in her affluent suburban neighborhood. After an extremely humiliating experience at school, LaToya prays to trade her black skin for that of white. Upon waking the next day, LaToya discovers that her prayer has been answered.  Now LaToya has to learn to navigate life as white, blond, and privileged. Not to mention, maintain the appearance of her pre-transformation self around her family who are unable to see the "new" LaToya. 

Mini Review: Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom. New York: Random House, 2014. 256 pp. 
Rating: Don't Bother

Please be advised: Mini review contains slight spoilers.

What did I just read? Like really, what did I just read? I have so many questions and no answers. What's up with the father? Is he an alcoholic? What happened to all of his dead wife's money? Why is he stealing money from Iris? By the end, I still hadn't figured out if Edgar had a breakdown after Charlotte died.

Although I love historical fiction, I loved nothing about Lucky Us. The book cover hinted at something good and the blurb promised a wonderful treasure within its pages. Oh, I was going to love this book. Not! I couldn't have been more wrong. What started out as a pleasurable reading experience quickly soured. The book didn't make any sense to me. There is little to no plot as everybody is all over the place. Plus, I held no affinity for any of the characters. Lucky Us is a dismal story with depressing characters and gloom leaping off each page. 

*Click on the book cover or title link for book summary. 
**I won a complimentary ARC in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. 

Mini Review: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jandy Nelson. Brilliance Audio, 2015.
Rating: Striking

I'll Give You the Sun is a story of family, sibling rivalry, grudges, loss, disappointment, art, love, forgiveness, and magic. It is the story of a competition gone wrong. At times, the language can be too flowery, but for the most part it is beautiful. I was a little lost in the beginning as to what was actually happening since I was listening to the audiobook. However, if it had not been for the audiobook, I would've given up after the first few pages and missed out on a gem of a story. I plan to reread the book in a physical format so I may enjoy with my eyes that which I previously enjoyed with my ears. 

Review: The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

Lilliam Rivera. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Rating: Decent

Goodreads Summary: Pretty in Pink comes to the South Bronx in this bold and romantic coming-of-age novel about dysfunctional families, good and bad choices, and finding the courage to question everything you ever thought you wanted—from debut author Lilliam Rivera.

THINGS/PEOPLE MARGOT HATES:

Mami, for destroying my social life

Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal

Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal

This supermarket

Everyone else

After “borrowing” her father's credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sanchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.

Review: How Wendy Redbird Dancing Survived the Dark Ages of Nought by Lyn Fairchild Hawks

Lyn Fairchild Hawks. Self-Published, 2013. pp. 268.
Rating: Decent + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙


Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse/Rape

Some months back, a couple of weeks after I'd finished this book, a student who was new to the youth group remarked that she always wears a jacket because she's constantly cold. I then asked if she was anemic and she said that it was her security blanket...that it protected her from many things. Being extremely thin, I wondered if she was self-conscious of her body or was she possibly hiding/shielding herself from somebody or somebodies; however, we were interrupted before I could question her further. Not only did this conversation call up images of Linus from Peanuts dragging his blue blanket—which could morph into various objects when needed, such as a lasso or shepherd's head covering—everywhere, but it also caused me to think of Wendy Redbird Dancing with Michael Jackson, greasy hair, and kohl eyeliner as her security blankets.