I really wanted to give this a five so let's say this is 4.5. The story and world building is fantastic.

I just don't like Inan and I think his character is the weakest of the cast. He flips from side and side and is the romance between him and Zelie is ??????? Zelie and Amari are the OTP. Inan's character brought the book down but the rest is fantastic.

Can't wait for the sequel!!

I LOVED IT. It was an easy read (a welcome break for my brain after Kentukis) and a fun ride.

I enjoyed it but not as much as Distancia de Rescate. I think I'll read again at some point. It's probably better upon second read.

This is more of a 3.5. I liked it and think it has a good amount of action. The story moves along and there are interesting changes that happen.

However, the story leaves a bit to be desired and is a bit dragged out longer than it needed to be. A game of cat and mouse between the Iyika and monarchy. Also Inan just won't die. He is nothing but frustrating to me. I did enjoy the new romance between Roën and Zélie (even though she should just start loving on Amari, as is her fate if you ask me. Speaking of Amari, good lord was she frustrating. A classic case of "I understand the struggle now that I'm labeled as other too!" She's got magic and wants the best but damn, she makes wrong decision after wrong decision. Zélie also does some annoying shit in here but I'm not as upset about that. At least Zélie is really moody and whiny as she should be since they are teens after all. Last, Adeyemi again rips at my heart, killing a character that I just love so in that, good job.

This book had me feeling all kinds of things. Happy, sad, angry, hopeful, excited, dread. It is about a Puerto Rican boy who struggles as he figures out his sexuality. A few good twists that caught me off guard. If you’re looking for QTPOC representation, aquí está.

2.5 stars. Tara Westover is on her own journey and I respect that, but there's some things I find issue with in this book. First, I think the writing in this book is very good, powerful. I listened to the audiobook and it's an intense listen. Things will be going great and fun to horrific QUICK. You'll be driving, like me, listening to this to find yourself at a red light listening to Tara's description of her brother fearfully pulling metal between two giant blades??? Man, I don't even know. Tara and her family have been through some terrible shit.

Now, I'm not the most eloquent so I'll stick to examples in the book that had me scratching my head. She rarely mentions that she grew up Mormon. Religion is vaguely referenced as going to "the church" and reading the Bible but not so much about Mormonism itself. She does mention it (and wrote her PhD dissertation on it) so it's not missing, but I think this was a choice made during the writing or publishing process to help with selling the book. But what do I know?

Also, when Tara discovers that feminism exists (lol) she begins reading Second-wave feminist writers, but finds that too radical for her, so she moves back to First-wave feminist writers and then spends a strangely long time describing how she was seemingly enlightened and saw things completely different after reading John Stuart Mill, I think. It was definitely a man she wrote a lot about and it's very simple "wow all these women have said it already but hearing it from you, a man, suddenly it all makes sense!"

Finally, as you'd expect in the title, she talks a lot about her education, but even that I'm like ummmmm. She learned to read (which already puts her above those who do not learn) from the Bible and speeches from the 1800s. Damn, Tara. That's some complicated English, my dude. That hard for me, anyway. It's no small task that she taught herself basically all the math needed for the ACT, but I can't ignore how her journey is really White. She adores Europe and seems to only read European philosophers (but also what do I know about philosophers and where they come from??)

Whatever this is too long. I say this book was 2.5 stars because the writing was really good and the audiobook is chef's kiss. Great reading, but you at times are left wondering and hoping that Tara will stop being so White. I hope she does, at least.

Now THIS is a book. Required reading for all who breathe air and drink water. This book is fire. Bladwin pulls no punches and I wanted to highlight and save so many lines from these essays to reread over and over.

Next I'm reading The Fire This Time which is another book of essays from 2016 about race and almost a successor to The Fire Next Time. I'm excited.

#BLM #BHM

Another difficult but fantastic read. If you've read The First Next Time then this collection is worth visiting too.

IMPORTANT BOOK ALERT.

Hello, please read this book. Listen to the audiobook like I did. This book balances science jargon and emotional heartache so well. I don't use HeLa cells and never did any of my research in the past but I still find importance in knowing the (often shady) history of science like told in this book. I feel emotionally attached to Henrietta's daughter.