Talk Nerdy Book Blog

TagBIPOC Representation

Striking Yet Harrowing: Searching For Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
September 23, 2020
S

Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 4, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
A poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women—two sisters and their mother—in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge, from the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation

It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother—and then vanishes.

Amy, the sheltered baby of the Lee family, is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place, and didn’t rejoin her family in America until age nine. Timid and shy, Amy has always looked up to her sister, the fierce and fearless protector who showered her with unconditional love.

But what happened to Sylvie? Amy and her parents are distraught and desperate for answers. Sylvie has always looked out for them. Now, it’s Amy’s turn to help. Terrified yet determined, Amy retraces her sister’s movements, flying to the last place Sylvie was seen. But instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: the truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets . . . secrets that will reveal more about Amy’s complicated family—and herself—than she ever could have imagined.

A deeply moving story of family, secrets, identity, and longing, Searching for Sylvie Lee is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive portrait of an immigrant family. It is a profound exploration of the many ways culture and language can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.

<strong>Ending:</strong>
Tragedy; HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Chinese main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Racism
• Statutory r@pe
• Discussion of suicide
• Emotional and physical abuse
• Infidelity
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Childhood abandonment
• Missing person (the resulting grief that goes with that)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

(more…)
Read on4 comments

Calming and Genuine: The Secret Women by Sheila Williams

By Sarah
In 5-stars, Book Review
September 19, 2020
C

Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 9, 2020

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Elise Armstrong, Carmen Bradshaw, and DeeDee Davis meet in a yoga class. Though vastly different, these women discover they all have one thing in common: their mothers have recently passed away. Becoming fast friends, the trio make a pact to help each other sort through the belongings their mothers’ left behind. But when they find old letters and diaries, Elise, Carmen, and DeeDee are astonished to learn that each of their mothers hid secrets—secrets that will transform their own lives.

Meeting each month over margaritas, the trio share laughter, advice, and support. As they help each other overcome challenges and celebrate successes, Elise, Carmen, and DeeDee gain not only a better understanding of the women their mothers were, but of themselves. They also come to realize they have what their mothers needed most but did not have during difficult times—other women they could trust.

Filled with poignant life lessons, The Secret Women pays tribute to the power of friendship and family and the bonds that tie us together. Beautiful, full of spirit and heart, it is a thoughtful and ultimately uplifting story of unconditional love.

<strong>Ending:</strong>
HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black biracial main character
• Black main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Mental Illness — Bipolar disorder
• Attempted suicide and murder of children
• Death of parent
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Death of parent
• Allusions to teenagers drinking
• (Amicable) divorce
• Children (who are late 40s to early 60s) lashing out at parents who start dating after their spouse dies
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Paperback

Rating: 5/5 stars

(more…)
Read on2 comments

Clever and Bold: The Body Politic by Brian Platzer

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
September 11, 2020
C

Series: Standalone

Release Date: March 3, 2020

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
New York City is still regaining its balance in the years following 9/11, when four twenty-somethings—Tess, Tazio, David, and Angelica—meet in a bar, each yearning for something: connection, recognition, a place in the world, a cause to believe in. Nearly fifteen years later, as their city recalibrates in the wake of the 2016 election, their bond has endured—but almost everything else has changed.

As freshmen at Cooper Union, Tess and Tazio were the ambitious, talented future of the art world—but by thirty-six, Tess is married to David, the mother of two young boys, and working as an understudy on Broadway. Kind and steady, David is everything Tess lacked in her own childhood—but a recent freak accident has left him with befuddling symptoms, and she’s still adjusting to her new role as caretaker.

Meanwhile, Tazio—who once had a knack for earning the kind of attention that Cooper Union students long for—has left the art world for a career in creative branding and politics. But in December 2016, fresh off the astonishing loss of his candidate, Tazio is adrift, and not even his gorgeous and accomplished fiancée, Angelica, seems able to get through to him. With tensions rising on the national stage, the four friends are forced to face the reality of their shared histories, especially a long-ago betrayal that has shaped every aspect of their friendship.

Elegant and perceptive, The Body Politic explores the meaning of commitment, the nature of forgiveness, the way that buried secrets will always find their way to the surface, and how all of it can shift—and eventually erupt—over the course of a life.

<strong>Ending:</strong>
HFN… I guess.
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black-Thai biracial supporting/main character
• Latino biracial supporting character
• Latina side character
• Trans woman side character
• Challenges ableism: the MC is working through living with chronic dizziness
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Witnessing the murder of a parent by another parent
• Depression
• Parental abandonment
• Physical abuse
• Rape
• Alcoholism
• Death of parent
<strong>Safety Rating (of the married couple, Tess and David):</strong> Not Safe
• Does have cheating (Tess has cheated on David multiple times and with little regret)
• Does have OM drama
— OM is David and Tess’s best friend, Tazio, who is a main supporting character
— Tess also recently cheated on David with a co-star
• Does have OW drama
— Tess brings up feel like David’s business partner wants to get with him… but decides to trust David (it’s left unresolved)
• Does have the Hero and Herojne pushing each other away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

(more…)
Read on4 comments

Crucial and Authentic: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
August 20, 2020
C

Series: Standalone

Release Date: January 21, 2020

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a “real man.”

Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.

His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl, and that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed.

With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right?

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black main character
• Black supporting characters
• Black side characters
• Gay supporting character
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Slut-shaming
• Discussion of r@pe and sexual assault
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Sex, including unprotected sex
• Masturbation
• Porn
• Teen pregnancy
• Underaged drinking
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4/5 stars

(more…)
Read on2 comments

Brilliant and Kickass: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
August 5, 2020
B

Series: Dread Nation

Release Date: April 3, 2018

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

<strong>Ending</strong>


• Plot – Cliffhanger
• Character – HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black biracial main character
• Black biracial (white passing) supporting character
• Black side characters
• Bisexual main character
• Asexual supporting character
• Lenape side character
<strong>Possible Triggers: </strong> Yes
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Torture (whipping)
• Corporal punishment (of children)
• Allusion to sexual violence and assault
• Racial slurs
• Unwanted experimentation (“vaccination”)
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• References to sex
• Allusions to drug use
• Discussion of prostitution
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

(more…)
Read on4 comments

Lovely and Relatable: When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
July 14, 2020
L

Series: Standalone

Release Date: March 10, 2020

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
You can’t rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again.

It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded.

Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again.

Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex-best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.

Alternating between timelines of Then and Now, When You Were Everything blends past and present into an emotional story about the beauty of self-forgiveness, the promise of new beginnings, and the courage it takes to remain open to love.

<strong>Ending</strong>
HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black MC (main character)
• Muslim Bengali American SC (supporting character) with a stutter
• Black SC
• Chinese American SC
• Lesbian Korean American SC
• Hijabi Bengali SC
• Indian American SC
• Gay SC
• FF side romance
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Death of a loved one
• Grief
• Bullying
• Divorce
• Adultery/cheating
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Allusions to sex
• Underage drinking
• Discussions of statutory rape
• Slut-shaming
• Teen pregnancy
• Absentee parents
• Girl-hating
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

(more…)
Read on2 comments

Thrilling and Introspective: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
July 25, 2019
T

Series: Sands of Arawiya

Release Date: May 14, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Death
• Violence
• Abuse
• Emotional torture
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• The Hero is dealing with the emotional and psychological torture of having his past love interest punished for loving (and being kind) to him by his father
• The Heroine’s best friend is in love with her, and she’s considering taking it further
• The Heroine is haunted by the death of her father
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

(more…)
Read on1 comment
Talk Nerdy Book Blog

Follow Me on Wordpress

Follow Talk Nerdy To Me on WordPress.com

Currently Reading

You Should See Me in a Crown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I Hope I Join the Band: Narrative, Affiliation, and Antiraciset Rhetoric


Sarah Anne's favorite books »

Archives

Upcoming Releases

Parade
The Art of Catching Feelings
A Novel Love Story


Sarah Anne's favorite books »