It's a devastating reality that a book like this is so necessary.

I appreciate the way Jewell Parker Rhodes juxtaposes Emmett Till's murder with Jerome's to highlight that the unjustified murder of black boys and teens is very much still an issue in today's society and is heavily rooted in systemic racism.

I'm also glad she included Carlos' story line and how he admitted to his shame, but was not blamed by any of the other characters in his life for an event that was outside of his control. The addition of Sarah's point of view helps bridge the gap between different perspectives of the matter and highlights how change can come about in light of horrible events like this, offering some hope for the future.

The book also contains discussion questions and additional resources, making this a valuable educational resource for children and parents or educators who read it.

I found this to be an enjoyable, easy to read fantasy with just the right amount of mystery to keep me engaged. I am between giving it 3.5-4 stars since I liked it, but nothing particularly stood out to give it that wow factor. I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the setting and how Callender really brought the tropics to life through their descriptions of the fictional islands. I also loved that the main character, Sigourney, is complex and can’t be labeled as completely good or bad. She is self-motivated and wants to be accepted by both her fellow islanders and the ruling class yet finds herself an outsider to both groups due to her multiracial identity.

Although this was a pleasant read, I do think it could have been a bit shorter than it was or the plot a little more robust. The pattern established in the book became fairly obvious early on and dragged on for me just a little longer than needed. However, I was still invested in the story and wanted to read on to see who was responsible for the mysterious deaths. I enjoyed it enough to want to pick up the next book in the Islands of Blood and Storm Series when it’s released later this year!

To be honest, I think my expectations for this book were perhaps a little high just because I had seen a lot of hype about Callender’s Felix Ever After. I can’t wait to dive into some of Callender’s middle-grade books!