Here are a few short reviews of the books I’ve been reading recently.
The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones
This book was practically impossible to tear myself away from to do otherwise unimportant things like eating, sleeping, or going to my job. Blending elements of thriller, historical fiction, and the supernatural, THE STRING DIARIES is first and foremost the story of a line of women with the desire to survive in the face of unimaginable danger and, secondarily, about the lovers and family members willing to do anything to ensure they can do just that.
There’s little I can say without giving away key elements of the story, but this is one novel that doesn’t hesitate to make its characters pay heavy prices, and even its relatively “happy” ending has enough foundation built so much earlier in the story that it doesn’t feel oddly deus ex machina. Definitely a recommended read.
Black and White (Noughts & Crosses) by Malorie Blackman
My official Goodreads review for this book is very simple:
The only thing I can really say about this book without giving up a lot of spoilers is that it makes me want to lay on the floor in a ball and cry in the best way possible.
The only thing I’d want to add is that I feel this book is very important for people with racial privilege to understand the base level of racism in the US. I feel Blackman’s attention to detail really digs in to make the reader understand, on both a conscious and unconscious level, what discrimination feels like.
Feliza Casano 