Category Book review

#bookreview The Line Between Us By Syreeta Harvey Pasley 

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Synopsis

A young Black man with a bright future. A tragic misunderstanding. A city on the edge.

Darius Porter has everything going for himā€”a promising future in medicine, a supportive family, and the determination to rise above the challenges of his working-class Camden neighborhood. But when he returns home from college for a weekend visit, an ordinary evening takes a devastating turn.

As tensions rise, Detective Jada Edgars finds herself caught between the police department she serves and the community that raised her. Tasked with investigating the disappearance of two young Black women, she soon realizes that their cases are more than isolated incidentsā€”they’re pieces of a larger, more dangerous puzzle. With the city erupting in protests and pressure mounting from all sides, Jada must navigate the thin line between duty and justice, confronting the very system that has long failed those it claims to protect.

The Line Between Us is a powerful, thought-provoking novel that explores racial injustice, identity, and the fight for truth. With a gripping narrative told through multiple perspectives, it’s a must-read for fans of The Hate U Give and When No One Is Watching.

Will justice prevail, or will the voices demanding change be drowned out once again?

Author Instagram @ syreeta_harvey

Website https://www.syreetahp.com/

Review/my thoughts

The story starts off with a young Black man, home from college, is mistakenly gunned down by police who believed he was an intruder in his own home. In the aftermath, Detective Jada Edgars finds herself overwhelmed by the turmoil engulfing the city. On top of everything, sheā€™s handling two missing persons cases involving young Black women who disappeared around the same time, adding to the mounting pressure.

Jada struggles to balance her loyalty to her job and her commitment to her community, knowing the weight of whatā€™s at stake. The city is torn, grieving Dariusā€™s death and demanding justice, yet Jada hopes to prevent violence from eruptingā€”whether against the police or the people of Camden.

The story unfolds with a smooth and compelling flow, though watching Jada shoulder so much responsibility is intense. The writing keeps everything aligned, creating an engaging and thought-provoking narrative. Iā€™d recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers and wants a gripping story that offers insight into law enforcement from am a different point of view.

**Rating:** 4 ā­ā­ā­ā­

Thank you to the  author for allowing me to share my honest review***

#bookreview The Unboxing Of A Black Girl By Angela Shante

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Synopsis


Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. The debut YA title, by award-winning author Angela ShantƩ, is a love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls.

As ShantƩ navigates the city through memory, she balances poetry with vignettes that explore the innocence and joy of childhood eroded by adultification. Through this book, she illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or exploited in stories and poems about personal and political boxes, love, loss, and sexual assault. Many entries are also studded with cultural footnotes designed to further understanding.

Review/thoughts


This book is written in verse and poetry, making it a unique and engaging read. I truly enjoyed personal experiences growing up in the Bronx, reflecting on her childhood while also exploring the expectations society places on Black womenā€”how we are told to act, the roles we are assigned, and the boxes others put us in based on gender and race. She examines how Black women are often labeled as ā€œstrongā€ and expected to carry immense responsibilitiesā€”fighting for our children, education, family, home, and ensuring everything stays intact.

I deeply resonated with this book because, as a Black woman, I saw my own experiences reflected in the author’s words. Everything she discusses feels authentic, and it was refreshing to read from someone who shares similar views.

The writing is beautifully done, and I appreciated that the author included notes at the end of each verse for easy understanding and classification. Overall, this was a stunning, insightful read. If you love poetry and want a different perspective on some of the shared experiences of Black women, I highly recommend it.

**Rating: ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­**

#bookreview Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly #netgally

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Synopsis

The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, theyā€™ve encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time theyā€™d decided to take a chance on a property where two murders have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property have been repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer had no use for the headmasterā€™s house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining a mystery to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structureā€™s demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

Review/my thoughts

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck tackle a Victorian mansion with a dark past, aiming to transform it into a boutique hotel. As Whitney delves into the unsolved murders of the former headmaster and his wife, she uncovers chilling secrets that put her in danger. With engaging characters, a gripping plot, and a different settings, this cozy mystery is a delightful blend of suspense and charm. The authorsĀ  writing style in Dead Post Society is engagingĀ  blending humor, suspense, and vivid descriptions. She skillfully incorporatesĀ  twists to keep readers guessing, while also weaving in historical elements and poetry quotes that add depth to the story. I found the story easy to read and understand and follow along as well.

Thanks netgally and to the author for allowing me to read this novel and give my honest review.

Rating 4 šŸŒŸ

#bookreview Hale By K Webster

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Synopsis

Heā€™s my everything.
I would die without him.

Because he infects me.
My brother.
Heā€™s inside my mind.
My thoughts are black and bruised.
Twisted and wrong.
A secret that eats me alive, but one Iā€™ll take to my grave.

And then it happens.
He sees inside me.
Understands the darkness.
Loves what he finds.

Iā€™m contagious.

Itā€™s true.
Now, heā€™s sick too.

**********************************

Note this book is only available for purchase from K Webster’s website, which can be found on the author’s GR page.

Warning:
This book is an epic, emotional, raw love storyā€¦
between a brother and sister.
Many wonā€™t be able to handle that.
But if I donā€™t tell their story, who else will?

Review/ thoughts

so I have to be 100% honest here I absolutely hate this book! First off I started thisĀ  book a year ago and picked it back up recently and I remembered why I couldn’t finish it. This book is disgusting and I was really hoping the author was going to take another route, but she didn’t.

I don’t care what event happens in my life I’ll never on earth sleep with my sibling, that’s a big no for me! I tried my hardest to justify it and I just can’t. I made it a little over 60% of the way and I’m calling it quites I don’t care about the siblings relationship and how they are going cope without their parents, I simply don’t care. it’s disgusting. Step siblings maybe because they aren’t blood related. But that wasn’t the case here at all. I know this book has a big fan based and a lot of people love this story me I can careless how it ends.

so I’m giving it 2 stars for my time wasted while reading this.

Rating 2 šŸŒŸšŸŒŸ

#bookreview Toxic Daughter By Shuzo Oshimi #netgally

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Synopsis

You canā€™t hide your darkness from Chi

Itā€™s been years since Chi, a mysterious outcast and borderline dropout, and her childhood friend Yua last spoke. One day, Chi shows up to school with a handful of dead bugs and starts a commotion that gives Yuaā€™s classmate, golden boy Kodai, an idea: heā€™s going to bring Chi back into the fold, and he needs Yuaā€™s help to do it. But good intentions can lead to bad places, and the darkness in Chi may be more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Review/thoughts

This Manga was all over the place for me. It doesn’t really share too much back story on the character Chi and why she kills and collects bugs. Also why she is so freaky and off putting. It doesn’t share what led up to why she is this way. I didn’t like Koadi character at all, I mean he seemed like he really wanted to help Chi and get her back to school but he seemed like he wanted to appear more like a good son in front of his dad. Trigger Warning: This story does have a rape scene which I honestly didn’t care for and it didn’t make sense why it even happend to Yua in the first place.

Over it wad an okay Manga I wanted to read something different and out of my comfort zone
so when I saw that.this was horror Manga I wanted to try it out.

thanks to netgalley for allowing to read and share my honest opinion on this story

Rating 3 stars ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļø