Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5
| Emira is incredibly real. Her and her friends are having fun and enjoying their single twenties. But Emira knows it’s time to figure out her life direction and stop babysitting part time. During her own internal struggle to decide what will be next for her, she becomes a pawn in the strange fight between Alix and Kelley. Both seem to have an agenda in proving they aren’t racist and they both try to persuade Emira to side with them. The racism and circumstances are nuanced and thought provoking throughout. Should Kelley actually say the N word when telling a story? The use of the hard R catches Emira off guard. Does he fetishize black people like Alix accuses him? Throughout I sided with Kelley because he seemed genuine. Alix exudes awkwardness and paranoia. She’s constantly concerned about what others think. Initially I thought she was interesting because she tries so hard but then around chapter 4, I realized how awful she is. She thinks she’s better, more hip than everyone. She’s so busy trying to be perfect and to help Emira that she’s an ass. She seems to think she is a white hero that will help her poor, unfortunate sitter. This book really stuck with me. I thought about it for days afterwards. I loved Emira. The more I thought about her and her caring and love for Briar, the more I disliked Alix and Kelley. |
