I am trying to catch up on some reviews of books I read a little while ago that I hadn’t had a chance to write. So today you get 3 mini reviews: Furia, You had me at Hola and Transcendent Kingdom.
Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez
Short Synopsis – An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the lineeven her blooming love storyto follow her dreams.
Rating – 5 Stars (An Absolutely Amazing book!)
My Thoughts – This is a great Young Adult book! It is full of amazing characters, a great setting and the author is amazing. I got a chance to host an Instagram live with Yamile and it was so much fun. I loved learning more about Rosario, Argentina and loved the main character Camila. She is a young woman who is able to rise above societal expectations and navigate her own path. This was Reese Witherspoon’s YA Book Club pick last month and I’m so glad it’s getting so much exposure because I hope more people read this book. FYI – there is a “Camila’s pregame playlist” on Spotify that was created by the publisher and its awesome. You can find it here.
You Had me at Hola by Alexis Daria
Short Synopsis – A hilarious rom-com set in the drama filled world of telenovelas.
Rating – 3.5 Stars (I liked it!)
My Thoughts – A book that features a telenovela and soap opera couple, count me in! Ok this is a great book but I didn’t love it. I think this is a very typical romance except for that it is centered around a latinx couple. I loved that, however, I don’t love typical romances. If you like romances you’ll LOVE this one, I am just very picky with the genre. My main issue with some romances is that I don’t feel the WHY the characters are so in love or so into each other they just are and that is how I felt with this one. Overall, I enjoyed the characters, the plot and the mentions of Puerto Rico (even though the mention of hurricane Maria was a little too soon for me). I enjoyed the audiobook format for this one.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Short Synopsis – A powerful, raw, intimate, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama.
Rating – 3.5 Stars (I liked it!)
My thoughts – I have been putting off writing this review because I can’t quite figure out how I feel about it. The premise was so interesting to me and the writing is beautiful. However, something was missing for me and I can’t quite figure out what it is. I think this may be one of those books that I just “didn’t get it” maybe it was too literary for me which happens sometimes. The story covers the themes of family, loss, grief, immigration, racism, spirituality and science in a fascinating way. This would be a great book to read with a book club. Even though I didn’t love this book as much as other people I want to check out the other book by the author, Homegoing.
Get the Books!
I hope you enjoyed these 3 mini reviews. Interested in reading any of these books? You can get the books from Bookshop.org here. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
If you’ve read any of these books let me know your thoughts in the comments!
