Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advance copy of this book!

I finished reading this fantastic story earlier in the week, but I needed a few days to collect my thoughts. It needed to marinate a bit! But basically, Let Me Hear a Rhyme blew my expectations out of the water.

The story takes place in the late 90s, and focuses on three Brooklyn teens who honour their dead friend by trying to make him a famous rapper. They keep him anonymous and his music draws the attention of the neighbourhood, and eventually a record label. The kids go to some crazy lengths to hide the truth about their friend Steph, but it quickly spirals out of their control. It’s a great premise, and Jackson pulled it off really well. And I won’t spoil it, but I loved loved loved the ending!

The world building wasn’t overly detailed, but I think that kind of added to the story - it turned the focus on to the characters. And Jackson created some amazing ones. Each teen had a wonderfully unique voice - the chapters alternated between each of their POV. I struggled a bit it with slang at first (what can I say - I’m old and very uncool), but I eventually figured it out. And all of the discussion about the popular musicians of the 90’s was a great walk down memory lane.

The story is also a mystery, with Steph’s sister determined to find out who killed him. Even with all the breadcrumbs Jackson dropped along the way, the culprit was still a surprise to me. I’ve said this a million times before, but I really love when a mystery surprises me like that. Overall, this book is pretty perfect, and I’d definitely recommend it!