A Little Bit of Karma. ReShona Tate Billingsley. 2020. Gallery Books. 288 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Even with the suspense and “whodunit” plot, Reshonda Tate Billingsley stayed true to her redemptive characters. If you’ve read her previous works, you know she always takes the characters through an evolution – Jay and Dr. Shannon were no different. This was a stray from her usual writing style and not her best work, but still a good read nonetheless. Impossible to compare to the recently hyped thrillers, this book was a “whodunit” with a primary focus on the survival of a relationship. I found myself absorbed in the first half of the book and initially perplexed as the action began … I ultimately rode the wave to the end, interested in The Who, what, when and why, and was satisfied with the conclusion and how the author had it unfold. The only complaint I have is the inability to clearly understand the relationship between Keri and the older woman — initially I thought the discrepancy was a highlight to the woman’s lapsing memory but I’m not quite sure … is that her mother or grandmother? Four stars – but suspense…

Let Me Hear a Rhyme. Tiffany D. Jackson. 2019. Katherine Tegan Books. 384 pages. [Source: Public Library.] If there was ever a book written that speaks directly to the soul of 14-year-old me, it is Let Me Hear a Rhyme.  On its surface, it’s a touching story of a group of friends refusing to let their friend become another anonymous victim of street violence. But it really feels like a long-overdue homage to the New York hip-hop scene at one of its most pivotal periods. The story takes place on the heels of the Notorious BIG’s murder, and opens with the funeral of Steph, a 16-year-old aspiring rapper.  With that major spoiler out of the way, the book turns to his sister Jasmine and his two best friends, Jarrell and Quadir, as they reckon with his loss and attempt to secure his legacy as one of the best to put on for Brooklyn. During their quest, they discover that each of them knew less about Steph’s life than they could have imagined.  Let Me Hear a Rhyme doesn’t leave out any of the memorable people, places, and sounds of the New York hip-hop scene in the late ‘90s. Anyone who…

Never Never. James Patterson. 2017. Little, Brown, and Company. 370 pages. [Source: public library.] I actually meant to read Liar, Liar. I let the kiddo pick a library book for me, and that was the selection. Too bad it was the third book in the series, because I had to go backward to go forward. Never Never‘s protagonist is Detective Harriet J. Blue. She’s a sex crimes detective who finds herself shuttled away from her precinct to avoid the spotlight after her brother is arrested as a notorious serial killer. Her new assignment — with a brand new partner — lands her in the middle of the Australian outback, trying to find the truth behind missing uranium miners. Admittedly, this isn’t a book that I would have jumped to pick out for myself. I’m not so much into thrillers, but I was pulled in by the story. This is an easy read with a comfortable pacing; it took me less than four hours overall to read. I was a bit thrown by the short chapters, though. There are over 100 in this book, but they go by quickly and work as a device to push the story forward from the…

Monday’s Not Coming. Tiffany D. Jackson. 2018. Katherine Tegen Books. 432 pages. [Source: public library.] Friendships during your teen years can often feel like a lifeline when you’re navigating home, school, hormones, and the rest that comes with transitioning from a kid to a young adult. That is absolutely the reality for Claudia and Monday, best friends who are on the brink of 8th grade. Although their home lives are markedly different, the two are kindred spirits facing life together. That changes when Claudia returns to Washington, D.C. from her annual summer vacation to Georgia. Despite promises, Monday hasn’t written a single letter and doesn’t show up for school for months. No one notices, no one looks, and no one cares about Monday’s disappearance except Claudia. Early in the book, Claudia asks: “How can a whole person, a kid, disappear and no one say a word?” This is central to the plot of the book, which follows Claudia in her pursuit of the truth about where Monday’s been. With Monday’s Not Coming, Jackson has given a voice to stories that often go unheard. Missing black girls and women do not get the same media coverage as other demographics, though their…

The Perfect Family. Samantha King. 2018. Kensington Books. 304 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley]. The Perfect Family is not what it seems, both the book and its main characters. It starts by describing the aftermath of any parents’ nightmare — being asked to choose which of your children will live or die. For Maddie, it’s being asked which of her twins will be spared by a masked man who shows up at her door. The shock of her daughter’s death leaves her mute, but her mind is active in reflecting about the day tragedy struck and her motive for her choice. Overall, this is an emotionally jarring read — the tension and anxiety were near constant. As you get to see what lies under the surface of Dom and Maddie’s marriage, you learn to take everything else with a grain (or pound) of salt. Through her reflections, you see Maddie struggling to keep from spiraling as she questions herself as a mother, but also no longer understanding what she takes for granted as truth. I compliment King because she was able to evoke emotions in me that made me need to know what happened next so I could…