Take a photo of a barcode or cover
brittmariasbooks's Reviews (1.45k)
This book was beautifully writing, however, for some reason, I was mostly confused about what was meant while reading this book. Because I couldn't fully follow the plot, I enjoyed it less, unfortunately. The 3rd person point of view could be part of the reason. Also, the time periods where Red and Blue travelled to was left to the reader to guess, which I got more into with every chapter but was confused by in the beginning.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and University of Nebraska Press for providing me with an ARC copy of Dear Diaspora.
Dear Diaspora introduces us to Suzi: ripping her leg hairs out with duct tape, praying for ecstasy during Sunday mass, dreaming up a language for buried familial trauma and discovering that such a language may not exist. Through a collage of lyric, documentary, and epistolary poems, we follow Suzi as she untangles intergenerational grief and her father’s disappearance while climbing trees to stare at the colour green and wishing that she wore Lucy Liu’s freckles. Winner of the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry, Dear Diaspora scrutinizes our turning away from the trauma of our past and our complicity in its erasure. Suzi, caught between enjoying a rundown American adolescence and living with the inheritances of war, attempts to unravel her own inherited grief as she explores the multiplicities of identity and selfhood against the backdrop of the Vietnamese diaspora. In its deliberate interweaving of voices, Dear Diaspora explores Suzi’s journey while bringing to light other incarnations of the refugee experience.
I am aware these poems were not written for me but I think they were still important to read and enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley and University of Nebraska Press for providing me with an ARC copy of Dear Diaspora.
Dear Diaspora introduces us to Suzi: ripping her leg hairs out with duct tape, praying for ecstasy during Sunday mass, dreaming up a language for buried familial trauma and discovering that such a language may not exist. Through a collage of lyric, documentary, and epistolary poems, we follow Suzi as she untangles intergenerational grief and her father’s disappearance while climbing trees to stare at the colour green and wishing that she wore Lucy Liu’s freckles. Winner of the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry, Dear Diaspora scrutinizes our turning away from the trauma of our past and our complicity in its erasure. Suzi, caught between enjoying a rundown American adolescence and living with the inheritances of war, attempts to unravel her own inherited grief as she explores the multiplicities of identity and selfhood against the backdrop of the Vietnamese diaspora. In its deliberate interweaving of voices, Dear Diaspora explores Suzi’s journey while bringing to light other incarnations of the refugee experience.
I am aware these poems were not written for me but I think they were still important to read and enjoy.
Het zusje van gaat over Liv, het zusje van Alex. Alex heeft in een auto-ongeluk een meisje van Liv haar school doodgereden. Het boek gaat over de nasleep van het ongeluk en het effect dat het op Liv heeft.
Het boek is de eerste in een reeks Shorties van Blossom Books. Met 195 pagina's is het inderdaad een kort boekje. Ik vloog er door heen. Ik denk dat dit het eerste boek is dat ik in één dag heb uitgelezen! Liv's verhaal is aangrijpend. Ik begreep dat zij haar broer wilde steunen maar ook verdrietig was dat een meisje van haar school dood was. Ik denk dat Het zusje van voor goede gesprekken en stof tot nadenken zal leiden. De vragen achterin zijn heel goed en ik hoop dat veel jongeren van dit verhaal zullen genieten en hopelijk er ook iets van zullen opsteken.
Ik had dit boek van de uitgeverij gekregen omdat zij mijn foto van Dickens' Kerstverhaal mooi vonden. Nogmaals bedankt!
Het boek is de eerste in een reeks Shorties van Blossom Books. Met 195 pagina's is het inderdaad een kort boekje. Ik vloog er door heen. Ik denk dat dit het eerste boek is dat ik in één dag heb uitgelezen! Liv's verhaal is aangrijpend. Ik begreep dat zij haar broer wilde steunen maar ook verdrietig was dat een meisje van haar school dood was. Ik denk dat Het zusje van voor goede gesprekken en stof tot nadenken zal leiden. De vragen achterin zijn heel goed en ik hoop dat veel jongeren van dit verhaal zullen genieten en hopelijk er ook iets van zullen opsteken.
Ik had dit boek van de uitgeverij gekregen omdat zij mijn foto van Dickens' Kerstverhaal mooi vonden. Nogmaals bedankt!
CW: police brutality, death, racism
Reread in April 2021
I am still so impressed with Nic Stone's Dear Martin. I am sad it is still so timely even after four years. 2017-me was right: this book is one that will stay with you forever.
Nic Stone's writing reads so nicely and I always end up flying through this book. I cannot wait to read more of her work soon.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
This book is one of those few that will stay with you forever.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone follows the story of Justyce McAllister who is doing a project to be more like Dr Martin Luther King Jr. by writing him letters. The book covers how it is to be profiled based on only race and how it is to live with everyday racism. I do not want to say anything more because I do not want to give anything away. Just pick up this book. After you have read feel free to read my spoilery thoughts down below.
That doesn't mean there aren't racial problems, though. One of our biggest holidays features people in blackface (google Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet). People, even politicians, defend it by saying they don't want to ruin this tradition of a children's holiday but I don't think the children will care as much as their parents do. And that's excluding the negative effect it might how on children of colour. We call our days of trading in people "one of the black pages in our history" yet slavery is glossed over in most of the history classes I have had. Populist parties like the PVV and the refugee crisis have led to more Islamophobia and hate. And these are just a few problems.
In the first chapter, Justyce is arrested because of racial profiling. During the debates at school about race, some people made arguments that for example, affirmative action is discriminating against the majority. Or even that racism is not a problem anymore. Yet, this book shows how it still is a problem. Only now it is more hidden and easier to close your eyes to. Or maybe it has always been that way, I am not sure. Please enlighten me because I feel like I still have a lot to learn about (American) racial problems.
And it shows it some more in the second part of the book. Manny and Justyce get shot at over something as stupid as having their music too loud, cussing and not listening to someone. It is just so awful to know that this could happen today. It is so awful knowing that with police brutality small things like this were enough to kill!
How does one live like this? The police who should protect everyone is scared of you. They don't see you but something else, something less. And of course, not everyone does, but enough do. How I wish this wasn't still a problem, but it is.
Part of the impact comes because you spend time with both Justyce and Manny and they are these great, sweet guys. And I could not help but go back in my mind to Ferguson 2014 when the news broke here of protests in the US because of Micheal Brown, a boy, who was killed by a police officer.
How can I help to make it better? Maybe I am naive but I had always hoped that when my generations would be the grown ups this would all just stop. However, after the events in Charlottesville, I am not so sure anymore. So how can I help?
So yeah, Dear Martin was a devastating story to me which woke me up a little more. And I think that was the book's purpose or the author's intent.
I recommend Dear Martin to anyone who is looking for books similar to The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. And I would also recommend it to fellow white people who are unlikely to ever experience what Justyce experiences.
Reread in April 2021
I am still so impressed with Nic Stone's Dear Martin. I am sad it is still so timely even after four years. 2017-me was right: this book is one that will stay with you forever.
Nic Stone's writing reads so nicely and I always end up flying through this book. I cannot wait to read more of her work soon.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
This book is one of those few that will stay with you forever.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone follows the story of Justyce McAllister who is doing a project to be more like Dr Martin Luther King Jr. by writing him letters. The book covers how it is to be profiled based on only race and how it is to live with everyday racism. I do not want to say anything more because I do not want to give anything away. Just pick up this book. After you have read feel free to read my spoilery thoughts down below.
Spoiler
It is hard to review this book while not reflecting on it in real life and my own life. Part of the reason I think this book will stick with me forever is that I am privileged enough to never experience this. I am a twenty-year old white European girl living in the rural areas of the Netherlands. Nobody here owns a gun unless they are police officers.That doesn't mean there aren't racial problems, though. One of our biggest holidays features people in blackface (google Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet). People, even politicians, defend it by saying they don't want to ruin this tradition of a children's holiday but I don't think the children will care as much as their parents do. And that's excluding the negative effect it might how on children of colour. We call our days of trading in people "one of the black pages in our history" yet slavery is glossed over in most of the history classes I have had. Populist parties like the PVV and the refugee crisis have led to more Islamophobia and hate. And these are just a few problems.
In the first chapter, Justyce is arrested because of racial profiling. During the debates at school about race, some people made arguments that for example, affirmative action is discriminating against the majority. Or even that racism is not a problem anymore. Yet, this book shows how it still is a problem. Only now it is more hidden and easier to close your eyes to. Or maybe it has always been that way, I am not sure. Please enlighten me because I feel like I still have a lot to learn about (American) racial problems.
And it shows it some more in the second part of the book. Manny and Justyce get shot at over something as stupid as having their music too loud, cussing and not listening to someone. It is just so awful to know that this could happen today. It is so awful knowing that with police brutality small things like this were enough to kill!
How does one live like this? The police who should protect everyone is scared of you. They don't see you but something else, something less. And of course, not everyone does, but enough do. How I wish this wasn't still a problem, but it is.
Part of the impact comes because you spend time with both Justyce and Manny and they are these great, sweet guys. And I could not help but go back in my mind to Ferguson 2014 when the news broke here of protests in the US because of Micheal Brown, a boy, who was killed by a police officer.
How can I help to make it better? Maybe I am naive but I had always hoped that when my generations would be the grown ups this would all just stop. However, after the events in Charlottesville, I am not so sure anymore. So how can I help?
So yeah, Dear Martin was a devastating story to me which woke me up a little more. And I think that was the book's purpose or the author's intent.
I recommend Dear Martin to anyone who is looking for books similar to The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. And I would also recommend it to fellow white people who are unlikely to ever experience what Justyce experiences.
In Wat maakt een verzetsheld? vertelt [a:Rutger Bregman|5781839|Rutger Bregman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517928864p2/5781839.jpg] het verhaal van Arnold Douwes en zijn tijd in het verzet tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Bregman bespreekt Douwes zijn werkstijl om mensen over te halen om Joodse onderduikers in huis te nemen. Verder gaat Bregman in op wat een verzetsheld maakt in een vergelijkbare stijl als in [b:De meeste mensen deugen|45995328|De meeste mensen deugen|Rutger Bregman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558569920l/45995328._SY75_.jpg|70850890]. Waarom blijven zoveel mensen passief? Wat hebben verzetshelden gemeen?
Ik was tot een paar jaar geleden geobsedeerd met Soldaat van Oranje de musical. Een centraal thema in de musical (en het gelijknamige lied) is Als Wij Niets Doen Wie Dan? Deze vraag komt ook terug in Bregman's boekje. En deze vragen vind ik fascinerend. Zeker als blijkt dat als men gevraagd werd een (kleine) daad van verzet te doen, dat zij dat ook deden en zo verder.
Mocht jij deze vragen ook interessant vinden, dan kan ik je dit boekje erg aanraden. Het audioboek is goed ingesproken door Rutger Bregman zelf en erg toegankelijk omdat het ook op Spotify beschikbaar is. Klik hier om het boek te luisteren via Spotify! (maar 40 minuutjes!)
Ik was tot een paar jaar geleden geobsedeerd met Soldaat van Oranje de musical. Een centraal thema in de musical (en het gelijknamige lied) is Als Wij Niets Doen Wie Dan? Deze vraag komt ook terug in Bregman's boekje. En deze vragen vind ik fascinerend. Zeker als blijkt dat als men gevraagd werd een (kleine) daad van verzet te doen, dat zij dat ook deden en zo verder.
Mocht jij deze vragen ook interessant vinden, dan kan ik je dit boekje erg aanraden. Het audioboek is goed ingesproken door Rutger Bregman zelf en erg toegankelijk omdat het ook op Spotify beschikbaar is. Klik hier om het boek te luisteren via Spotify! (maar 40 minuutjes!)
Not me thinking a book called Only Mostly Devastated would not make me cry...
CW:
Only Mostly Devastated is another YA contemporary romance that surprised me. The book is promoted as an LGBTQIA+ re-imaging Grease since Oliver and Will have a summer fling and unexpectedly end up being classmates. Also, one of them is not out yet. Therefore, I was surprised by the heartfelt story that it actually is. Ollie's bond with his family is precious.
I flew through this book. I finished it in two days because Oliver's story with Will as well as with his family was so compelling. Even though this book made me tear up and cry at some points I also had to laugh because Ollie's narration is funny. At some points, I wanted this book to be dually narrated by both Ollie and Will but the book manages very well with just one point of view.
I recommend this book especially to those who enjoyed Love & Gelato - another YA contemporary that surprise me - and Love, Victor.
CW:
Spoiler
family death, cancer, homophobiaOnly Mostly Devastated is another YA contemporary romance that surprised me. The book is promoted as an LGBTQIA+ re-imaging Grease since Oliver and Will have a summer fling and unexpectedly end up being classmates. Also, one of them is not out yet. Therefore, I was surprised by the heartfelt story that it actually is. Ollie's bond with his family is precious.
Spoiler
I cried so much because of Aunt Linda, especially the scene in the hospital when she realises she will never see her children grow up. That one gutted me.I flew through this book. I finished it in two days because Oliver's story with Will as well as with his family was so compelling. Even though this book made me tear up and cry at some points I also had to laugh because Ollie's narration is funny. At some points, I wanted this book to be dually narrated by both Ollie and Will but the book manages very well with just one point of view.
I recommend this book especially to those who enjoyed Love & Gelato - another YA contemporary that surprise me - and Love, Victor.