*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*

Jessica Machado dives deep into her life and her culture in the memoir LOCAL. Interspersed throughout her stories of being part of a blended family, general teenage angst, and eventually her 'wild' early twenties, Machado weaves the beautiful story of Hawai'i, its culture, and its colonization. The direct effect of said colonization, as the daughter of a Portuguese-Kanaka man and Haole woman, Machado struggles with her identity for the majority of the book-- only beginning the journey of calling herself a 'local' by the end of the book.

This book read as a love story from the author to her past self and her childhood home. Machado, sometimes less unsuccessfully, tries to link her experiences to Hawaiian culture and mythology. However, the author's respect and desire to honor Hawai'i is obvious in the beautiful and profound parts of the book dedicated to Hawaiian culture.

LOCAL is a good read for anyone who likes memoirs, or is interested in reading a first-hand perspective on growing up in modern-day Hawaii.