Month: February 2021

Pop Stars and Broken Dreams

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R Sloan

An aspiring solo artist

A girl group that needs a fourth

Teenage girls with too much money, fame, and freedom

What could possibly go wrong?

We find out in The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes. I’ve wanted to read this book since it’s 2020 release, and while I’m glad I finally read it, it left me slightly underwhelmed.

This book should have brought up all the emotions for me. Failed friendships, body image issues, mental health struggles, toxic relationships, and the Me Too movement all play significant roles in this book. Told in dual timelines of the girl group Gloss’s rise to fame and the death of Cassidy “Sassy Gloss” Holmes more than 10 years later, this book is packed with so much. But, that’s what keeps me from giving it 5⭐️s. It was just too much. If maybe one or two of the subplots weren’t included, I would have enjoyed it more. However, Ms. Sloan handled sensitive issues with care and Grace.

A 4⭐️ read for me.

You Should Read The Four Winds

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

I start any book by Kristin Hannah with the expectation that she’s going to devastate my emotions with her characters and plot lines. And, with that in mind, The Four Winds did not disappoint!

I could feel the despair and heartache that these characters experienced in the Dust Bowl of 1930s Texas and in the neverending circle of poverty when Elsa, our heroine, moves her children to California in search of a better life. From the touching relationships between Elsa, her in-laws, her children, and her friends, and the emotive descriptions of the landscape during the Great Depression, Ms. Hannah has created a book that will stay with me for a long time.

I can’t recommend this 5⭐️ book enough!

What 5⭐️ book do you think people should read?

A Gorgeous Concrete Rose

Book Review: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

A 5⭐️ Read

Angie Thomas does it again. She’s ripped my heart out and then patched it back together with her beautiful prose, vivid imagery, and glorious characters. I truly hope Ms. Thomas continues to tell stories about Garden Heights because each novel gets better and better.

Concrete Rose is the story of Maverick Carter. He’s 17 and dealing with a too much: his dad is in prison, he’s dealing drugs outside of his gang’s operation, and he just found out he’s a father. That’s just the start of the challenges that Maverick faces in Concrete Rose, and every bit of his journey brings all the emotions.

With plenty of Easter eggs from The Hate U Give and On the Come Up, this book takes us back to the Garden Heights in the 1990s. It’s a powerful, emotional book that deserves all the Sevens, all the roses, and all the stars.

Reviewing Mango Street

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street is one of those books I should have read a long time ago. Now that I’ve read it, I’m a bit salty that it was never assigned in school. This book, with less than 150 pages, is a bit like reading magic.

With chapters of short vignettes, and. Cisneros gives a glimpse into Esperanza’s life on Mango Street in Chicago. The protagonist speaks to the reader using stream of consciousness, vivid imagery, and unique characters who experience their own tragedies. Esperanza comes of age while participating in and observing life in her neighborhood, and she too faces tragedies. At times buoyant and heartbreaking, this book brings so many emotions to the surface.

I enjoyed the writing in this book as much as the stories Esperanza shares. Ms. Cisneros brings rhythm and poetry to the narrative, and I loved it!

A 5⭐️ read!

On the Come Up: A Book Review

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

I loved this book! I knew that Ms. Thomas is an amazing author when I finished The Hate You Give, but On the Come Up brings her talent and insight to another level.

As the narrator, Bri gives us a look at how a strong young woman internalizes her surroundings and all the pressures that come with her experiences and those of her family and friends. Her desire to become a rapper is just part of the journey as she finds herself.

A definite 5⭐️ read to finish up this month of reading. Now I’m even more excited to read Concrete Rose, Ms. Thomas’s newest release!