There was only one thing really that kept this from being five stars for me, and that is something I will go into a bit later but be warned it is into possible spoiler-y territory. Overall this was an engaging story. Lyrically it was beautifully and Emezi's talent with the written word. They are very good are poetically weaving together a story and giving depth to the most unlikable of characters. I will admit when it started I didn't think I was going to like it because it hinted at a possible affair between Chika and Mary, his brother's wife.

Luckily Mary put a stop to that nonsense real quick which is arguably one of the only redeeming things her character does throughout the course of the story.

Stories that start at the end are tricky to master. Either they're well done and masterful; or they're not and they crash and burn. This book falls into the former category since it's pretty engaging from the first page. I enjoyed all the different points of views we had in the story including, in brief interludes, the titular character. It does bring up questions about how we can be good people, good allies,s and good parents and are we actually that if our loved ones feel they have to hide a part of themselves?

Again I don't like rehashing plots in my reviews and will just reiterate that it is beautifully written. However there was one specific aspect that almost changed the tide of this book for me. And here is your warning about spoilers for a few things.....












The incestuous relationship was completely unnecessary. I don't know if it was put in there to double down on the taboo nature one of the relationships that Vivek/Nnemdi was in. But, for the part of the world that their story took place in, there was no need to add to said taboo or double dwn on it. And honestly it give it an 'ick' factor that would have ruined the whole book for me had it encompassed a larger part of the plot. Yes it was there always in the background as a consistent undertone. However it was at one point brought full front to the story and almost killed it for me.

Their relationship with this person wouldn't have been any less tragic had they not been related. It still would have been because of the world that they lived in and the circumstances that lead to the Vivke/Nnemdi's death. It just left a bad taste in my mouth, much like I got when I thought that an affair was going to happen between Chika and Mary. And while there were affairs, it wasn't that close of a relationship. The rest of the story after that became more apparent was well written enough that this didn't overshadow but in a lesser story it would have for me and I would be re-homing this book.


Despite being a short page count this book packs a punch and is one I would recommend with the aforementioned content warnings. It's tragically beautiful and not what one would call a feel good book. However I wasn't quite as emotionally beaten down as I thought I would be and likely would read it again, skipping over the parts that were problematic for me.

This book was a favorite of mine from my teen years and reading it brought up all the memories. Some of the characters were still unlikable and the ending was still a bit anti-climactic and creepy for other reasons but I still enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice mix of humor and horror and it gradually went from the former to the latter throughout the book (especially when you begin to notice the catalog pictures at the beginning of the chapters). It was freaky enough to make me have to put it down for the nighit and read a light hearted humor book before bed as I was alone in my apartment and the noises of any apartment living in the silence was unnerving to me.

Whereas most horror stories are a "bam" out of the gate thing or just have things for shock value this one did not. As I said it unfolded naturally into a haunted house story and was beliveable in the way the events happened. I would def recommend this to someone who enjoys horror mixed with a bit of humor and would certainly pick this author up again.

Wow. This book....just wow.

There is so much to unpack from this book and it is not one that can easily be breezed through. Hence, why it took me so long. I didn't know that it was going to be a series until I was halfway through and started seeing 'Book One' in parenthesis behind it. I immediately became concerned about if I would like it, since in my experience fantasies, whether they are high, low, or urban, have a bad habit of spending too much of the book setting up the world and then not enough on the plot.

That wasn't the case here.

Yes there was a lot of a world build up involved here. However, the laying of the foundation was masterfully done. The introduction to all the boroughs as well a their avatars and by extension the personalities was interesting. It was hilarious to see how they interacted with one another as well since, even if one doesn't have first hand knowledge of New York City, you can still pick up on how the dynamics are there.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger but it was for the series and not the book. The arch that was presented in the book was resolved. Lines were drawn, alliances made, and now we know all the players and have a good idea of their places on the chessboard. The conflict was a bit anti-climactic but unlike other books it fit. It was essentially a multiverse rumble and in a rumble where there is a lot of build up and mad talking shit on both sides at the end of it all, the fight lasts maybe five minutes.

I can't wait for the next one to see what comes up next for all the avatars and how the rest of this battle plays out. This was my first Jemisin book and it won't be my last. I thoroughly recommend this one, especially if you're a Lovecraft fan.

Before now the only book I had ever read by this author was The Mall which I loved as a teenager. And even when I read it recently as an adult, there was still that touch of nostalgia there, even as I rolled my eyes at all the teenage tropes. And there were quite a few. There may be slight spoilers ahead so read at your own risk although to be fair the book has been out since 1990.

Enter Kate, a would be horror writer who goes to camp and meets not one, not two, but THREE guys who seem to have the hots for her even though one is a grumpy bear about showing it. I mean, apparently the love triangle (or in this case square) in YA has been around longer than I remember but I personally found it exhausting and I can see why now there is such an outcry in the world for platonic love. On her first outing with Gideon they kiss. Her encounter with Pearce by the cave and the bear trap she initiates the kiss which was weird to me because he had been a Grade A jerk to her thus far in the A The book played with the fact that Denzil might be a platonic friend but alas more kissy times happened at the end.

I will admit the mystery of who was behind the attacks was engaging and then the reveals were a bit shocking. But then it got to the final 'twist' and I looked at my phone (as I was reading it on the Hoopla app) and was like “Are you freaking kidding me?”

And it's not even that I'm reading it as an adult that made me groan. Teen Me would have been taken aback. I may not have been as enraged as Adult Me is but I wouldn't have been happy. And the reason was that it seemed like it was phoned in. At least with other stories with this twist you can go back or remember and see the signs. This one? Seemed to come completely out of nowhere and was just thrown in I guess for a shock value? But it seemed weak and honestly the villain being the way it as originally presented would have been better.

That 'twist' is what dropped the book to a two-star because up until then it rain pretty much on course for a teen horror from that time. But that wasn't a good one even by the standards of those days. I did not have said nostalgia for this book so I read it a bit more critically than I did The Mall, even though it's the same 1990's Point Horror teenage genre. All that said, for me at least, it wasn't great The Mall even with all of its problematic threads and there are quite a few.

I'm also sad that Tawney was actually that dumb. :(

This book was amazing.

I know I've said that about most of Talia Hibbert's books but it's true. Its very true. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did Chloe's story but I did and on some levels maybe I enjoyed it a bit more, because Dani was a little bit more likable than Chloe. Which isn't to say Chloe as unlikable I just think I resonated with Dani a bit more.

Or I could have enjoyed Zaf a bit more because there's something intricately sexy about a man who recognizes that emotions are a good thing and learning how to process them is important. I also enjoyed how they fall into an easy pace in their relationship even if it as fake, especially since it seemed to surprise Dani so much that Zaf didn't have expectations of her. He understood the way she worked and adjusted to that rather than expect her to not have the drive she did for her career. That isn't always the case even in today's world.

If you don't believe search for articles for how many women versus men have given up on or paused their career to take care of the distance education.

Anyway I digress.

I also enjoyed how Dani, even unknowingly, began to make small changes for Zaf. They weren't grand but they were enough to where she could still do what she needed to do and support him. Her surprise at her knowing small things about her was also endearing.

I just....I really loved this book. I really needed it to help with the utter shitestorm that 2020 has been. You don't need to read the first one to enjoy this one although I still recommend Chloe's book as well. Amazing. Can't wait for Eve's story.

I was given a digital ARC of this copy for a voluntary and honest review.

I have been reading a lot of heavy stuff lately and this book was just the shot of sweetness that I needed. Even better that was a Courtney Milan, who, like Beverly Jenkins, always teaches as well as entertains me with her books.

I loved the switch up here with Chloe being the grumpy person and Jeremy being the sunshiny one. Chloe wasn't even that much of a grump but she as certainly more grumpy than Jeremy, who brought joy to the pages every time you read about him. Even when he was having an internal conflict he was determined to never be fully serious and bring happiness to his loved ones.

I loved their banter and interactions and that it was obvious to everyone their feelings for each other. The story as just them coming to the realization that they didn't have to be or do what others thought they had to, and could be together no matter what the world said.

Yes there were a few enraging comments about how the world spoke of Jeremy's being biracial and half Chinese but it wasn't enough to overpower the story or have too many enraged moments, since the sweetness outweighed the sourness there. Other than that, there was no conflict in this story or a third act misunderstanding and that I shall I will say on that lest I spoil it for someone else. What I can and will say is that all the items on the 'To-Do' list for this book were fulfilled and checked off.

Pure sweetness. That is what this book was and what I needed. Five out of five. Would recommend.

And to think I almost skipped the month that this was a BOTM option. I am s glad that I swallowed the disappointment of the book I was hoping for not being an option and gave this one a try.

Those statements should illustrate how much I enjoyed this book. It as a suspenseful ride of so many twists and turns that I weren't sure where I would end up. I have to say that I did not see anything coming, although to be fair I am working on not doing that when reading to avoid spoiling it for myself. That said I don't think I could have guessed everything that happened here even if I had tried to. Towards the end when everything was coming together I thought, and said, more than one 'adult word'.

The only thing I can see being divisive is the very ending, to which I say, it would be exceedingly difficult to bring something like this all together in a way that will make everyone happy. While I wasn't necessarily overjoyed with it, it didn't take away I can't say too much more since I don't want to spoil it for everyone. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am going to actively seek out the other book this author wrote under this name. For me five out of five would recommend.

Such a wonderful story. I love how it read like we actually had a child narrator and not an adult trying too hard to sound like a child.