Tag: Brittney Morris

REVIEW: The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

REVIEW: The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alex can see the future when he touches an object. The longer he holds it, the farther forward he can see. He’s learned to shut most of his visions down immediately. (He really doesn’t need to see himself pick up a napkin in his mind and throw it away just before he throws it away in real life.) He’s also learned that he tends to cause more trouble when he tries to fix things or stop things from happening. The thing he tries to fix always happens anyway.

The visions started at the hospital after Alex’s parents died. They are a constant companion, and a constant burden. The anxiety he lives with, braced for the incoming images all the time, is devastating.

But then he has the vision about his younger brother, Isaiah.

Review

Wow. Reading this book over several hours one evening felt like I took a journey. For a long time, the journey was full of anxiety and fear. Then, Alex was able to share his burden with one person. And sharing the load and being seen and understood lessened the weight of it for Alex – and for me. But it was still heavy.

But there was a moment, in the pain and strain of Alex’s journey, where it all clicked. The whole journey, all of time and space of this story came together. It was like someone flipped a switch. Suddenly, I “got” it at a whole new level. I understood the author’s message and her point in a way I just didn’t get until that precise moment. And it is something that has stuck with me since I finished the book. (Be sure to read the author’s note/acknowledgements, too. It’s the perfect closing after finishing the story. You can also read my review of the author’s book. Slay, here. I loved it!)

This was a hard story to love early on. While I adored Alex and Isaiah from the start, and I was engaged with their story, the angst and anxiety and burden of Alex’s visions are tremendous. But there’s a reason, a purpose to it that is not to be missed. The book touches on many issues – racism, gun violence, grief and loss, slavery – but in a way that felt new and fresh for me. And I think the story will stick with readers in ways a more straightforward story might have missed. I highly recommend this one. It would be a fascinating book to discuss with other readers! This book releases NEXT WEEK, April 6th. (Language, TW: anxiety, racism, grief and loss, gun violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Together, Apart

REVIEW: Together, Apart

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is a collection of 9 romantic stories for young adults about love in the time of Covid and quarantine.

“Love, Delivered” by Erin A. Craig
A family’s move is accelerated due to the pandemic as Millie’s scientist parents are needed at their new jobs ASAP. Thanks to the pandemic, her folks have to report to work right away, but their groceries won’t be delivered for a few days. This leaves Millie ordering a lot of pizza from a local joint – and getting to know the delivery guy.

This was ADORABLE! So sweet. I thought it captured the early days of the pandemic well as people tried to adjust to new masking and distancing requirements. Loved this! ♥♥♥♥½

“The Socially Distant Dog-Walking Brigade” by Bill Konigsberg
After several awkward encounters with a group of dog walkers, a cute boy invites Kaz to join them.

This is a far more serious, angsty story than the first one. Kaz has been burned in relationships before. He’s introverted and shy to begin with, but now he’s also protective. But slowly Daxton gets him to warm up. This was good, although halfway through the book it became clear that the cozy, squishy stories were more my speed than the more serious ones in general. (Language, LGBTQ+, TW: Cutting) ♥♥♥

“One Day” by Sajni Patel
A girl in search of peace and quiet while in lockdown with her family in their apartment starts communicating with a boy playing guitar on his balcony, after she throws her shoe at him and he refuses to return it.

This was another cute, flirty story – right up my alley. I loved how all of these stories so far have taken a different angle on the lockdown, in this case, a small apartment with four people at home. ♥♥♥♥

“The Rules of Comedy” by Auriane Desombre
Harper gets her older sister’s help with a funny TikTok video to get her crush’s attention. But when it works, Harper thinks she’s not funny enough on her own to keep up with the conversation.

I enjoyed the relationship with the sisters here. For me that was the more interesting, and in the end, satisfying, relationship addressed in the story. Covid was the context for why Harper was connecting with Alyssa through devices rather than at school in person, but otherwise it wasn’t a big factor in this story. (LGBTQ+) ♥♥♥

“The New Boy Next Door” by Natasha Preston
Quinn’s new neighbor is gorgeous – and brooding. But she’s determined to break down his walls and get to know him – from a safe distance.

This was delightful! The flirty banter is exactly what I love in stories. I also enjoyed the glimpse at how the fictional neighborhood was dealing with Covid and staying connected. ♥♥♥♥½

“The Green Thumb War” by Brittney Morris
Two teens growing herbs on their balconies devise a contest to see who can do something amazing with them.

This starts with antagonists, not unlike “One Day,” although with a cat and dog fight as well as an injury instead of just a thrown shoe. But I enjoyed the awkward, quirky characters and their back-and-forth banter. The set up for this one was clever, as was the resolution. ♥♥♥♥½

“Stuck with Her” by Rachael Lippincott
Allie’s roommate, Mia, is making her crazy, eating all her food and playing loud music at 3am while they are stuck together in lockdown.

This may be the most relatable regarding Covid for me, reading this in December. This shows some of the wear and tear of constant togetherness, the question of whether things will ever get back to normal, etc. Allie’s coming out story is heartbreaking. The description of her panic attack felt realistic, and the way Mia cares for her and responds is endearing. The coming out story and panic attack could be triggering for some readers. (LGBTQ+) ♥♥♥♥½

“Masked” by Erin Hahn
When Covid cancels prom, Gray decides to use the material she bought to make her dream dress to make masks instead. She meets Jude on a neighborhood app when he reaches out to have her make masks for his uncle’s business.

This is my favorite story from the collection! Not a surprise because I already love the author. There’s a fun music component to this, like in a lot of her work. I was devastated for Gray to sacrifice her dress and her dreams for prom. I felt like the author did a great job demonstrating that piece of the early part of the pandemic. That she used her sewing skills and her precious material to do something to help others was endearing. And then she met Jude. *swoon* ♥♥♥♥♥

 

This whole collection is a delight. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Slay by Brittney Morris

REVIEW: Slay by Brittney Morris

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kiera Johnson may seem like a typical teen – high school senior, math tutor, gamer. But she’s also the creator of the video game SLAY. After a lifetime of experiences of being in the minority, including being one of four Black kids at her high school, Kiera wanted a place where she didn’t feel like an outsider. So she built the game.

She doesn’t want anyone to know she is the developer. She’s always on her guard, hiding the game from her family and friends. If he knew, her boyfriend would probably dissect SLAY to see if it is authentic enough, and that’s only if he could get past the idea that gaming is a distraction to keep Blacks from achieving all they can in the world. Her sister would probably antagonize everyone in the game with her questions and opinions about every little thing. In a way, even in the world she created to celebrate Blackness, Kiera can’t just be completely herself when it comes to SLAY.

Then a kid is killed over something that happened in the game. The whole world learns about SLAY. Kiera, as her character Emerald, is under fire as the developer for creating this “violent” place with “gangs” and other misconceptions from outsiders, both White and Black. Reporters are debating the “racist” nature of SLAY because only Blacks are invited to join. And Kiera’s being harassed inside her own game by a new player who wants to tear down everything she has built. How does a 17-year-old high school student stand up under a firestorm like this?

Review

“All I ever wanted to do was escape into this magical world where for once I don’t have to act a certain way because I’m Black, and where I don’t have to answer certain questions because I’m the Black authority in the room, and where if I do something that’s not stereotypically Black, I’m different…. I think I love SLAY so much because we’re a mutually empathetic collective. As we duel, as we chat, there’s an understanding that ‘your Black is not my Black,’ and ‘your weird is not my weird,’ and ‘your beautiful is not my beautiful,’ and that’s okay.” pg 108-109, e-book

Oh my goodness, I loved this book!! I decided to share these quotes because I thought only Kiera’s words would do when talking about why she built SLAY and what it meant to her. I adored Kiera. And I felt her longing for a place where being Black was celebrated and not debated, where she could shed the tightly controlled facade she maintained in ALL her face-to-face relationships. My favorite thread of this whole book is this idea of finding (or in Kiera’s case, creating) and defending a space where you can be yourself. And I think that became extra special because I loved Kiera and wanted that space to be safe for her.

The gaming pieces of this are cool! Nothing too technical for a non-coder or non-gamer like me. I loved how the uninitiated adults discovered the richness of Black history Kiera built into the game. The dueling style was also fantastic. I have no clue if a dueling-style VR game exists now, but I enjoyed the fictional game play. But really, the game is just a vehicle for telling a richer, deeper story.

While tragic, the murder that pulls SLAY into the public eye isn’t the main story either. Kiera wrestles with her responsibility as the game developer, but ultimately those questions take a back seat to the racial and discrimination questions that are more central to the story.

The obvious question at the center of Slay is is it racist for Black gamers to have their own game, their own forum, where White folks aren’t allowed? And I was happy to see there weren’t any easy answers offered to this question. Readers will have to wrestle with that on their own. But there were just as many hard, nuanced questions about the Black community from within their own ranks. And that was part of the magic of this book for me. It showed me questions I couldn’t possibly know to ask as a white person. And it let me learn and question and wrestle as I read. And I loved every minute of it. This was engrossing and engaging and something I won’t soon forget! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++