Review: The Mountains Sing
THE PLOT: The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is historical fiction set in Vietnam. Covering several generations of the same family, the story goes back and forth between two storylines. The main character, Hương, waits from her parents and … Continue reading Review: The Mountains Sing
Review: Three Hours
THE PLOT: Three hours by Rosamund Lupton is a literary thriller about a school shooting in Somerset. Matthew Marr is headmaster at a progressive, liberal school where children are free to express whatever gender they want, teachers are openly gay … Continue reading Review: Three Hours
Review: Ghosts
THE PLOT: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton is a novel about a 32-year-old woman on the London dating scene. Food-writer Nina split up from her long-term boyfriend two years ago and is ready to get back out there. She downloads a dating … Continue reading Review: Ghosts
Review: Snowflake
THE PLOT: “Snowflake” by Louise Nealon is a novel about a young girl from rural Ireland who is accepted into the prestigious Trinity College in Dublin. Intelligent loner Debbie comes from a family of dairy farmers in Kildare. Her mum is … Continue reading Review: Snowflake
Review: Sista Sister
THE PLOT: Sista Sister by Candice Brathwaite is a compilation of personal essays. Written for black girls, the book covers all the things Candice wishes someone had talked to her about when she was growing up in South London. The book … Continue reading Review: Sista Sister
Review: Passing
THE PLOT: Passing by Nella Larsen is a short novel about two light-skinned women in 1920’s New York. Irene has an enviable life. She and her husband, a prominent physician in the Black community, share a comfortable Harlem town house with … Continue reading Review: Passing
Review: Genesis Begins Again
THE PLOT: Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams is a middle-grade novel about a 13-year-old girl from Detroit. There are ninety-six reasons why Genesis dislikes herself. She knows because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is … Continue reading Review: Genesis Begins Again
Review: The Bluest Eye
THE PLOT: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is about a young girl called Pecola whose life is full of trauma. She’s poor, her daddy is an alcoholic and her mother cares more about the white girl she’s paid to … Continue reading Review: The Bluest Eye
Review: Anna of Kleve
THE PLOT: Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets is the fourth book in the ‘Six Tudor Queens’ series by Alison Weir. Starting with Anna’s life as a princess in the German duchy of Kleve, it follows her short-lived marriage to … Continue reading Review: Anna of Kleve
Review: Ace of Spades
THE PLOT: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a young-adult thriller about black teenagers at an elite school. At the start of their senior year both Chiamaka and Devon are focussed on their futures. Chiamaka is the most popular girl … Continue reading Review: Ace of Spades
