The Games We Play. Alexandra Warren. 2018. 247 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Chance is only back in his hometown for a brief stint to help his mom remodel what everyone calls her trap house. The best laid plans often go awry, though, and things get complicated almost immediately. Londyn is the younger sister of Eric, Chance’s best friend. What they both thought would be a one-time, discreet hook-up, turns into something t...
Dear Martin. Nic Stone. 2017. Random House. 212 pages. [Source: Public library.] If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be? I picked up Dear Martin on the recommendation of someone because I’d enjoyed The Hate You Give. This book is in a similar vein as THUG in that it follows the aftermath of an officer-involved shooting that results in a young, black teen’s death. More than that, however, ...
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Issa Rae. 2015. Atria. 225 pages. [Source: Public library]. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I’ve been a stan of Issa Rae since her co-worker caught her rapping along aggressively at a stop sign on Youtube. That fandom exploded when her show, Insecure, hit HBO in 2016. I’ve always related quite a bit to her experiences on her web-series, and (not surprisin...
Unforgettable. Delaney Diamond. 2014. Garden Avenue Press. 174 pages. [Source: Public library]. “This isn’t a forever thing. It’s just a for now thing. I have plans.” These are the words that Lucas Baylor shared with socialite Ivy Johnson in the midst of a short-lived, but hot-as-fire affair nearly a decade earlier. In that time, he has skyrocketed to fame as a self-professed permanent bachelor who makes a livi...
Before I Let Go. Marieke Nijkamp. 2018. Sourcebooks Fire. 372 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Small towns don’t often take kindly to outsiders. Sometimes, they don’t even take kindly to their own. Such is the story of Before I Let Go, which follows Corey as she seeks the truth about the sudden — and suspicious — death of her best friend, Kyra. Corey grew up in the small town of Lost Creek...
