Jackal is an introspective foray into what being black and female is in America. As a black female, I felt it was relatable. Some people don't want black girl magic to shine. Also the ideology many people have of black people needing to stay within boundaries and not rise above a certain level is very significant. So I get where the author was going. I was on board and invested until the last like 50ish pages, and then I was like what the heck. Got lost and confused with the whole end plot twist. Thought this book was going in another direction, so was disappointed with that confusion.

I liked the incorporation of real history into the book. I have heard of Johnstown, but didn't know anything about a flood. The book was well written, but I did think it dragged on a bit. If the ending was not so confusing, I think it would have been worth the slow lead up. The format was great in each girl got to tell their story. Overall, an OK book and great for a debut. Author was definite writing skill/talent.