“They fear our skin and we fear our power. It’s a perfect storm for destruction. Our destruction.”
This story of a murder on Chicago’s south side drew me in instantly, especially as a Chicagoan. I appreciated West’s perspective and the plotting was excellent - I was definitely surprised at a few twists and turns.
However, I think that was,in part, due to the characters being held at arms length. I never felt invested in the central relationship, Layla and Ruby’s friendship, or any other. Multiple POVs can often shed light on the dynamic between characters, but in this novel, they were all so introspective that it made each person seem like an island unto himself. There’s a lot of exclamation (!) in the actual dialogue and it felt heavy handed and angst-y, rather than nuanced and sorrowful.
I think I’d recommend this as a YA novel with it’s emphasis on plot and young people grappling with a legacy they want so desperately to break.
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