As someone who has lived in both NYC and Mississippi, this book was a treat. So much of it would sound improbable to anyone unacquainted, but it is a fresh, lyrical look at the amazing place that is Mississippi. A few gems left me laughing out loud.

This book is powerful and lovely and very honest. At moments it felt like Shauna was writing about my situation specifically: about proving and approval and hustle and anxiety. I am grateful for the timing of this book in my life and the call it offers to release and simply be who you are and do what you are meant to do. 

A really important look into the biases built into the tech that permeates our lives. Insightful anecdotes and important points about the need for ethics and diversity in the tech industry. As someone in that space already, most of it wasn’t new, but I’m glad the book exists! I hope the right people read it and change can come about in the companies that (literally) run our lives.

This book is a cross between A Series of Unfortunate Events, Holes, and Big Fish. It is gripping and interesting and just a tad fantastical.

Definitely a book that sits with you and covers a section of history that is often glanced over in fiction writing (post-WWII Jim Crow South). The pace was not great: the vast majority of the book happens in the last third, and the balance between character voices felt off, particularly considering the story’s climax. I also struggled with the extreme tension and the frustrating choices some characters made. It's definitely a really dark book.