[rating from personal enjoyment]

Nothing that breaks the shounen/shonen mold, but it looks interesting. I'll read volume 2 to see where this goes.

I like Skai Jackson. I think she’s beautiful and bright, so it was nice to get some of her behind-the-scenes experiences. A lot of this book is filler and padding because do we really need a play-by-play of the whole Azealia Banks situation? There’s also constant name-dropping, but none of that takes away from this book. The pictures and little self-help tidbits were nice.

Hmm... I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It's heavy-handed at times but imaginative. Pretty much includes the majority of the main discussions/conflicts of the Black community. Still, it was draining to read due to the subject matter not the writing. Ugh, I just wanted to speed-past every time Wyatt opened his mouth. I liked reading about the game mechanics though.

I feel like this was more story-driven than character-driven, so I don't have a favorite. If I had to choose though, it would be Steph. She was about to do some damage with some coffee.

I'm only halfway surprised Malcolm turned out to be the big-bad. I mean I thought he was a little cringy/dusty, but he really went off the deep end. Some hoteps can be downright annoying, but Malcolm seemed well-meaning at first. His character just got a whole cartoony-villian meltdown. I totally would've believed him going on Bow-Wow level meltdowns on social media, but him threatening to sue and putting his character in blackface with a swastika was just a lot. I just never really liked him. Still, there are definitely dudes like Malcolm out there.

Also, why couldn't Kiera just say she was light-skinned instead of a few shades above the paper bag test?

so tired of these white people with dreads conversations.

3.5

Hmmm, I get the references (from the dumb stereotypes, Tom Token, his magical sidekick, Jim Crow, Headmaster Lynch, the KKK as evil magicians, etc), but I’m not feeling them. KKK hoods just turn my stomach, but that’s just me. On the other hand, the animesque art style is cool, sleek and conveys whatever it wants to very well. For example, the scene when Jim gets hit is a nice showcase of color and expression. The artwork and Tom’s finishing move (loved it!) are the real highlights.

The pacing here is fast with tons of magic battles, but I would’ve preferred more time with Tom in the white space.

he barely got a chance to talk to Summer or any of the other black souls.

I don’t care about Lindsay, obligatory good white person that keeps hogging the narrative, but I know why she’s here. In addition, Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas, and John Henry (folk-hero) are all KKK-fighting magicians. Not bad for a standalone
On a side note, this story made me think about Ruby Bridges-Hall and all she had to go through.

3.5

I just adore how imaginative the world of Hilda is. A lovely ending.