Category: Black

Reviews of books with Black representation.

Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel by Jason Reynolds, illus. Zeke Peña

May 9, 2024

Miles Morales Suspended touches on themes of identity, censorship, and the “patterns” of Miles’ life and upbringing through a combination of prose and poetry. The reader joins Miles for a day of in-school suspension, and it soon becomes apparent that something is afoot when termites start popping up and setting off his spidey-sense. Can Spider-Man solve this mystery? Or is this incident representative of something greater than defeating another bad guy? … More Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel by Jason Reynolds, illus. Zeke Peña

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

May 7, 2024

So much happens in this book, I could not stop reading. In this sequel to Legendborn, Briana Mathews is no longer just fighting shadowborn demons and trying to uncover the truth of her mother’s death. Now, Bree finds herself in the supposedly most powerful position within the unwelcoming Order. She is suddenly fighting demons who want to take over the world, political leaders who see her as a threat to their system, and ancestors from two different bloodlines who think she should do things differently.  … More Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

April 25, 2024

Throughout the ordeal with the police, the public, and the family, the book shows how privilege, media, racism, and distrust interact to control both parts of a story — the spun narrative and the harrowing truth. As more secrets come to light, things become even more morally complex and layered. The descriptions of violence and terror (clarified in the book’s content warnings) are intense and don’t hold back, creating a suspenseful, disturbing atmosphere in a truly enthralling way. … More Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter

April 16, 2024

Coi is a strong-willed and lovable main character, and Carter does a wonderful job of developing her personality. Though this novel tackles tougher subjects like grief and trauma, it also addresses struggles teenagers often face. As a first-year university student, Coi is figuring out her professional passions, developing meaningful friendships, and understanding her new romantic relationship. The mix of these struggles while also coming to terms with her mother’s death culminates in a determined main character I couldn’t help but root for. … More And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter

The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy

June 29, 2023

At some point or another, every kid wishes for exciting adventures, real magic, and a trusty animal sidekick. Janelle McCurdy’s The Lightcasters encompasses all those childhood dreams but with a twist. The umbra—hybrid animals made of shadows and magic—come to life in McCurdy’s prose with a unique reimagining of the bond between humans and animals. The novel begins with 12-year-old Mia’s first-day training to be an umbra tamer, a first day which quickly turns dangerous as Mia’s city falls under attack and most of its people are captured. Thrown into an adventure outside the city walls, Mia must learn to tame umbra in the field with only her wits and Jada—an older girl and taming mentor—to guide her. It’s up to Mia, Jada, her best friend TJ, her little brother Lucas, and her newly bonded umbra to brave all kinds of new dangers in the name of saving their world. … More The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy