Big shoutout to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Education of Kia Greer was my first read by Alanna Bennett, and let me just say—what a powerful introduction. As soon as I finished, I was deep-diving her background and adding her previous work to my TBR. Her voice? Fresh, fearless, and full of heart.

Kia is the kind of main character that sticks with you—real, layered, and caught between who the world expects her to be and who she actually is. Watching her navigate the chaos of fame while trying to stay true to herself? Whew, it hit deep. There’s something so relatable in that push-and-pull of performance versus authenticity.

Now, I’m not usually pulled in by reality TV-focused stories, so it took me a minute to find my footing. But once I got into the flow? I was locked in. Bennett brings so much depth and nuance to this world—it’s loud, it’s messy, but it’s also full of heart. You can tell she knows the culture inside and out, and it makes every scene feel textured and real.

The middle of the book is where it really started cooking—the tension, the pacing, the emotional shifts. I had to remind myself to slow down because I wanted to devour it all at once. And the way Bennett frames Kia’s voice through her own writing (no spoilers!)? Pure brilliance. It added a whole other layer that made the story stand out.

This book delivers drama, vulnerability, and truth with a side of pop culture flair. Alanna Bennett has a pen that speaks, and I’m absolutely here for whatever she drops next.