I understand I’m not the intended audience, but I cared not one iota about these characters. The story moved a bit erratic, and the Dad acted like a child. I don’t think I meshed with the art style either.

+1 for the focus on Black music, especially from the 70’s.

 Osun (2 stars) - This is legit an AU fanfiction of African deities. At least, it doesn’t take place in a coffee shop, iykyk.  I enjoyed the passages about Osun’s connection to water, but I didn’t care for Sango, the playboy. The first 75% of this story sounded like, “my man knows where home is.” I mean whatever you’ve to say to convince yourself. *insert Spongebob chicken meme* 

The writing style is a bit flowery, but there are some seriously snazzy lines. Once a new suitor arrives, the attraction is instantaneous, in a way that doesn’t feel quite earned, but fine. Erinle felt too good to be true. He was laying it on THICK! Like, he was legit saying everything Osun wanted to hear. 

Because this is a short story, it’s understandable everything wouldn’t be fully developed, but I think the shift from Sango to Erinle was rocky. With that being said, I adored the final line. 

Scheherazade (3 stars) - Sometimes, I did not like the flowery pose and other times I did. I thought the characters’ dynamic was fun. Scheherazade made things harder than what they needed to be, but I loved Shahryar’s directness.; they just work together. The ending jumped the shark the slightest bit.

. I was like okay. It’s one of those ‘better to have loved than not” type of stories. Tomorrow’s not promised. Love while you can. But nah, Scher had actual political SNIPERS out for her neck.

 

Nefertiti (3.5 stars) - Loved the underground club/crime ring/haven for abused women. Nefertiti was intriguing. The Batman/Catwoman dynamic is one of my all-time favorites, here we’ve Queen Crime Boss and

basically, an undercover cop

Mattie. Minor ancient Egyptian themes as you would expect. I almost wanted this one to be longer. 

Attem (2.5 stars) – Good banter between the couple. Sickly sweet. 

Yaa (3.5 or maybe 4 stars) - Really enjoyed ambitious Yaa as a character. 

Siya ( 4.5 stars) – Commander and their loyal righthand man/2nd in-command? Another dynamic I love. And when the calm one loses their cool because they’re afraid for the other’s life? *chef’s kiss*

also, an un-proposal

 

Psyche (3 stars) – fun banter. Gave me The Other Black Girl vibes but more engaging and with a spunkier character. Also… Come on, sopranos! ♩ MISCOMMUNICATION!!! ♫ 

Naleli (3 stars) – A  super cute high-school love (childhood best friends + popular star athlete and unpopular girl)! I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where the MC has vitiligo. 

Zhinu (3.5 stars) – I enjoyed this one; it had some fun lines: “Why did they need to be mortal?” Zhinu was sweet and trying to survive stardom with her tiger mom/helicopter parent. I thought Niulang and Zhinu’s dynamic was sweet as well. Who knew a

one night stand

could be adorable? 

Thisbe (2 stars) – College love: “The good guy who isn’t actually good” vs “unchecked emotional issues playboy.” Still, not bad. A strong attempt to add depth to a playboy character. 

Tiara (1 star) – Boop! 

Orin (1 star) – Date from hell. 

Alagomeji (2 stars) - Soulmates. God loves them. 

Overall, I enjoyed these. Most weren’t swoon-worthy, but almost all were heartwarming at some point. Giving women agency in these tales was intentional, which was pleasing to read from the author’s note. Just lovely. 

I really felt for Moth and her guilt surrounding her family. I love how Navajo/Dine spirituality and the history of the South (USA) is seamlessly sprinkled in. “Thomas Jefferson Had a Blue Beard,” “Things My Grandfather Taught Me About the South,” and “Things Sani Knows About the South” were particularly good and the TRUTH. 

But neither Moth or Sani sound like actual teenagers. They are very otherworldly. I can’t get over a 17-year-old calling someone honey, but it’s cute. The purplish flowery prose is intended and, at times, lovely. Despite the characters going through very serious situations (grief, physical abuse, deep depression, refusal to take pills, growing pains, etc) the writing could feel melodramatic. Perhaps, a testament to how everything feels 10x bigger when you’re still a young person growing up. 

McBride can pack a lot into a few lines. I’ve become fond of books in verse recently, and this one is no different.

 Not much happens in this volume besides a meet-cute and Persephone trying (and failing) to have a heart-to-heart with her strict mama Demeter. This is just gorgeous to look at and the expressions are so fun. You can really see when a character has a flirty smile. 

Much like Relationship Goals the brunt of this is like a word from word transcription from his Crazy Faith sermons though there are certainly some new insights like the “Don’t Buy a Kmart” story. But if you like his sermons, then you’ll definitely like this book as it’s written in a friendly, casual narrative like Todd speaks. The graphics, tables, and the spotlight on important quotes were a nice touch to make the reading experience engaging.

I always enjoy how simple, relevant, and entertaining Todd makes biblical things. 

There’s a lot going on here, and it gets dark despite the cute art style. I was confused at

Poorling’s origin, but, if I have this right, Emuu, the mother of creation and the bear's momma went through an elaborate scheme to get her daughter to cut her ties to Earth and her cubs, so she could be with her again on the other side/afterlife.

Poorling, the main character, is unnatural but an innocent child, so many plot points come with emotional implications. 

The artwork is lovely and the way scenes are framed, like trees being the actual borders or no borders at all, was an interesting design choice. I liked the touches of gold but the golden font was a bit unreadable. Whenever there’s a splash of color, it makes an impact. 5 stars for the artwork!

I liked seeing Finnish folklore, especially the shadow creatures, but I think knowing the actual story is essential for maximum enjoyment. Without having that background, the story felt erratic. I'm sure those familiar with the folklore will appreciate the story in this form.

What I think some of the themes were…

being tricked by the “devil?”/deity/moral-less entity, the strong bond of motherhood, turbulent mother-daughter relationships, not fitting in, God’s creations rebelling, should a God give his creation free will, death, etc

Jessica’s frustrations and struggles, irrational moments excluded, were handled very well. She is a teenager after all with a lot on her shoulders. But the way the Aztecs gods were introduced left a lot to be desired. Also, all of Jessica’s friends and love interest were bland. I loved how colorful everything was, but, at random moments, characters would get huge broad shoulders like they had on shoulder pads. 

 This one started out slow but once a character named Melvira arrived the story took a fun, exciting turn. I loved the dynamic between Missy and Melvira. I think kids will find this wonderfully dumb. In this world, there are all types of people, animals, and even sentient popsicles. It’s rare I see a kids’ book that acknowledges heroes aren’t perfect, and that, sometimes, being mean and excluding people can (inadvertently) create villains. Subtracting a few points for the gross-out humor though. I guess vomiting appeals to kids. Anyway, in two words: chaotic fun! 

Ending spoiler: <spoiler > I haven’t seen a kid anti-hero since El Tigre :D 

 I really wanted the story to play more with the moral dilemma, working for the bad guys and getting paid by them but for a good reason. I thought Willow’s motivation made perfect sense, but she didn’t seem to think too deeply about what she was getting into. Also, Garfield, the love interest, was bland as all get out. I liked Pammie though. 

The ending feels very episodic in nature as nothing of any value really happens. The status quo is remained throughout, so hopefully it gets addressed in another book.