Book Review: Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Bloomsbury YA
TBP Sept. 1st, 2020

Eury comes to the Bronx as a girl haunted. Haunted by losing everything in Hurricane Maria–and by an evil spirit, Ato. She fully expects the tragedy that befell her and her family in Puerto Rico to catch up with her in New York. Yet, for a time, she can almost set this fear aside, because there’s this boy . . .

Pheus is a golden-voiced, bachata-singing charmer, ready to spend the summer on the beach with his friends, serenading his on-again, off-again flame. That changes when he meets Eury. All he wants is to put a smile on her face and fight off her demons. But some dangers are too powerful for even the strongest love, and as the world threatens to tear them apart, Eury and Pheus must fight for each other and their lives.- Goodreads

This is a retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus. If you don’t exactly remember here the quick snapshot is this man goes to the underworld to save the woman he loves and has to walk back above without looking back to her. If he looks back, she stays in the underworld.

I love the spin Rivera puts on this mythology. Pheus is what makes this book. He has so much life and personality. Eury is sad and depressing. She has every right to be as there is a demon trying to take her to the underworld but calling it like it is, Pheus is what brings the life, the color, the interest to this story. He as well as the plot is written very well.

The story is told through both of their point of views, which shows the difference in personality between the two. Other than my love of Pheus what I loved was the rich environment. I’m from New York, Harlem & Long Island specifically and to see the Bronx so clearly, to hear the train as Rivera describes it is freaking amazing. The writing in this book is done extremely well.

There is a low build up in the novel but it is worth it. What I would have liked to see more is the family history of Pheus and Eury. Its mentioned and pretty much brushed over at the end. I would have liked to see more of that family connection and history since he is used as a foundation towards the end of the book.

The imagery in the novel is fantastic. When it starts getting to the climax/the end of the book it is thick and rich. However, I do feel the ending was not as strong as it could have been and a bit rushed but it did give me a satisfied feeling.

The culture displayed in this novel, being Dominican/Black and Puerto Rican could have been/should have been add more beyond the music references. Again, this goes back to family history. Its mentioned but doesn’t play a whole lot of significance until the end of the novel.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I’m a sucker for mythology and this retelling was done really well.

4 Pickles 

 

Book Review: Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta

Astoria
TBP June 4th 2019
272 Pages

Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle — of her Canadian nationality and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother’s rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too “faas” or too “quiet” or too “bold” or too “soft.” Set in “Little Jamaica,” Toronto’s Eglinton West neighbourhood,

Kara moves from girlhood to the threshold of adulthood, from elementary school to high school graduation, in these twelve interconnected stories. We see her on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig’s head in her great aunt’s freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother’s house, trying to cope with the ongoing battles between her unyielding grandparents.- Goodreads

There are books that have a very clear audience and then there are books that do not. This book has a clear audience and I was not the intended audience.

Frying Plantains is a well written, detailed book that is narrated by Kara. I don’t say that the book is about her because it is and then it isn’t. The book focuses on her, her mother and then her grandmother. What ties these stories together is Kara and her growing up but it doesn’t exactly give you a focus on the main picture or point of the novel.

What I mean is Kara’s mother doesn’t have the best relationship with not only Kara but with her mother. You can see from the point of contact that Kara’s mother is trying to make it being a single mother but cannot get past her attitude and in general the chip on her shoulder. This affects her relationship with Kara because she is extremely hard on her.

You can see where she gets this from when you met Kara’s grandmother. However, she isn’t as hard as you think and that is more than likely due to her losing steam. But I slightly digress with my point.

This book gives you a look into the life of a young Canadian/Jamaican girl, who initially you believe is trying to balance being “true” Jamaican. This is the point you start off with but it is quickly lost as Kara gets older. You begin to wonder what is the point of the book? Is it meant to just show a life of a young Canadian/Jamaican girl, is it suppose to show the dynamics of family in the United States or is it just to show you that what you think you know, you really don’t?

When I mentioned earlier that this book was intended for a specific audience, nothing in me believes its audience is for Black women but for other women who may not have had to deal with specific expectations from their family, dealing with the past mistakes of the women in their family and having to grow on your own in all of that.

The fact that Kara is Jamaican plays a background part into this story. It pushes the story to remind you the struggles of an immigrant parent and how they raise their child(children).

Its a good solid story. A good book to read in between books. Its colorful, detailed without being boring and I can see, without a doubt, this book winning some awards.

Overall,

I recommend reading this book because it provides a different outlook that most people do not even consider or see.

3 Pickles

Book Review: Want by Cindy Pon

Simon Pulse
June 13th 2007
336 Pages

Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits that protect them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city, while those without suffer illness and early deaths. Frustrated by his city’s corruption and still grieving the loss of his mother, who died as a result of it, Zhou is determined to change things, no matter the cost.

With the help of his friends, Zhou infiltrates the lives of the wealthy in hopes of destroying the international Jin Corporation from within. Jin Corp not only manufactures the special suits the rich rely on, but they may also be manufacturing the pollution that makes them necessary.

Yet the deeper Zhou delves into this new world of excess and wealth, the more muddled his plans become. And against his better judgment, Zhou finds himself falling for Daiyu, the daughter of Jin Corp’s CEO. Can Zhou save his city without compromising who he is or destroying his own heart?- Goodreads 

It took me some time to get into this book even though it was surprisingly short (short as in less than 20 chapters). I wasn’t getting sucked into the story, which was disappointing at first. But when Jason actually gets to work, I was like alright this could be a solid book.

I liked Jason and I loved the internal conflict he was experiencing. He was struggling with doing what is right and how to complete the mission without catching feelings. Its a classic battle but it was written really well. Jason is a likable character, despite the overall slow moving plot.

What I liked most about the book was the literature references. Jason proves how smart he is by being able to hold a conversation and show off his intelligence without actually trying to belittle people. He is very conscious of how he is viewed, no matter when he didn’t have any money to when he had money to blow.

Jin Corp which is the villain of the novel and for me they weren’t as evil enough. Their role in the novel was basic as in they kill people for $ and on principle. They do not care about the little people and will do anything to stay on top. True classic villain and I am not even made at it.

However, there was predictability within this book. The author tries to add shock value for certain things but it was stating the obvious because you saw it coming when the story began.

What I wanted more from the book was a bit more backstory on Jason’s team. They made a lot of things possible and I don’t think there was as much credit as they deserved. I felt that their voice could have been stronger, especially since the book itself was a bit slow.

I will give the author credit for that ending. It made me want to read book two. There is a thrill I feel that book two will have that this book did not and that is what I am looking forward to.

Overall,

3 Pickles