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I am still officially on a break from the blog until at least July as I continue to process recent personal events. However, I felt compelled to post this blog now given the current climate and recent events. There are so many wonderful books written by empowering African-American authors. These are just a handful that I enjoyed and/or found to be impactful. I hope you will give them a read.
1. Angie Thomas - The Hate U Give
While Angie Thomas as two published books, the other being On the Come Up, I have only read her debut The Hate U Give (I own and plan on soon reading the other). The Hate U Give is a YA contemporary that was actually inspired by the Black Lives Matter Movement. It is about a girl named Starr Carter who witnesses the murder of her childhood friend Khalil at the hands of a racist police officer. This novel invokes a lot of emotion and is extremely powerful. It highlights racism, police brutality, and standing up for justice. This is a must read.
The Hate U Give Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3303406699
2. Elizabeth Acevedo - The Poet X, Clap When You Land, With the Fire on High
All three of Acevedo's novels are YA contemporaries that feature Afro-Latina main characters (Acevedo herself is Afro-Latina). The Poet X and Clap When You Land are both written in verse and demonstrate Acevedo's wizardry with prose. The Poet X explores growing up in a strict Afro-Latino household with a deeply religious mother while finding one's voice through poetry. Clap When You Land features half-sisters (one growing up in the States and the other in the D.R.) who must cope with their father's death. With the Fire on High sees a teenage single mother struggling to balance school, motherhood, and her dreams of becoming a chef. It is written like a traditional novel but is also beautifully written.
The Poet X Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2746244464
Clap When You Land Review: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/clap-when-you-land-by-elizabeth-acevedo-a-review
With the Fire on High Review: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/a-review-of-with-the-fire-on-high-by-elizabeth-acevedo
3. Amanda Joy - A River of Royal Blood
This novel, unlike the previous ones, is an own voices YA fantasy about a queendom in which two sister princesses must fight to the death to determine who will be queen. This novel is full of magic and conflict. The society is well developed and inspired by North African culture. There are those who are more privileged/in possession of more power in the society than others which I believe is the author's way of addressing racism (though that's just my interpretation). A River of Royal Blood Review: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/a-river-of-royal-blood-by-amanda-joy-a-review
#blacklivesmatter #africanamericanauthors #thehateugive #thepoetx #clapwhenyouland #withthefireonhigh #ariverofroyalblood #bookrecommendations #bookreviews
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