Reviews

Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair

elfs29's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

This book was just really lovely. Stevie is such a charismatic character and a great one to follow through the trials of coming of age as a black woman in 1960s Chicago. The intersections between personal and political relationships and the development of all the characters are both astute and interesting, but it’s really the fun, bright prose and attitudes that make this just such a heartwarming discovery of oneself.

I knew I was losing my boyfriend, but I felt relieved. I realized that I had never been in love with Sean, just impressed with him. And that was a different feeling. It hadn’t made me want to run outside and taste a snowflake. 

tawallah's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

À coming of age story of Jean ‘Stevie’ Stevenson set in the sixties in Chicago. Reminiscent of the turbulent times but the main focus is on Stevie navigating  adolescence- parental expectations, friendships, colorism, beauty standards and sexuality. 

Great look at being a teenager struggling to find your own voice and space. Narrative provides highlights rather than a smooth transition to Stevie’s development. 

bbrillie's review against another edition

4.0

This book represents everything I love and want to see in YA fiction. April Sinclair is a storyteller!!!! And her writing is so refreshing and immersive and honest! love love stevie justice for willie jean and protect Roland at all costs!

abaugher's review against another edition

5.0

story told from the perspective of a black girl growing up during the 60s in Chicago, and all the changes she witnesses, both in her world and in herself.

tmarso's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

That was perfect. It was full of so much heart and really spoke to me. An immaculate coming of age story

muddymind's review against another edition

emotional funny

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Stevie is such a lovable character. She’s determined, she has a strong moral compass, she’s inquisitive and has an open heart. Her family is tough at times but filled with love. I appreciated how she reads like an actual kid. 
I think it’s best to go into this book with an open mind & little knowledge about what it’s about because the plot doesn’t limit itself. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual content

lezreadalot's review against another edition

4.0

“Sometimes, your soul looks back and wonders how you got over.”

3.5 stars. This shows its age in a lot of ways, some of them good and some of them bad, but I can't help but have a lot of nostalgia for this type of young adult, coming of age narrative, especially one that features a young black girl growing up amidst rising tensions and the equal rights movements, beginning to question her sexuality. Stevie's voice is very distinct, and I liked following her from a young age, being relatively naïve, and seeing as she learns about the world, how it reacts to her, and we see as she learns about the ways she's affected by racism and sexism. This was written 30-ish years ago and it was set about 30 years before that, and so there are a few things that didn't always sit right with me. A lot of casual fatphobia, and the discussion of queerness was good, but not always great. (Although maybe my perception of that is being coloured by the fact that I have already started the second book, and I have some thoughts.) It would have been nice if the intersectionality was a little more nuanced, but it does make sense, given the time period, and given that Stevie is so young and just sort of learning about things. But I really did like this. These kinds of coming of age stories just strike a chord with me. She has a strained but loving relationship with her mother, who is a difficult woman, but it's easy to see that she just is who she is because of how racism has sculpted her. It's easy to sympathise with them both. Stevie learns a lot of the typical MG/YA lessons and morals, but it was great seeing it through the lens of this time, especially with regards to her sexuality. The ending chapters were really poignant.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Amber Patrick and really enjoyed it. I think she did a good job of capturing Stevie's personality, and also just the essence of the times in the 1960s. Again, I know this isn't my usual genre and I know it's not something that I would ever absolutely love, but I still had a good time and I'm already continuing the series.

deehawkins74's review against another edition

4.0

This was my live book club's Book of the Month. It was really good. I laughed a lot while reading this book.

nenya_kanadka's review against another edition

4.0

A really fascinating look at a time and place I've never been, through the eyes of a very relatable kid. I expected more gayness/bi-ness, but that was mostly in the next book (with a bit of questioning here--and yeah her epic megacrush at the end was very recognizable, haha).

evelikesbooks's review against another edition

4.0

Based on the title and cover image one might think this is a fairly fluffy romance-type novel. It's not. It's a coming-of-age story -- a young girl growing up in Chicago in the 1960s. The author treats in-depth issues of colorism in the Black community (the idea that lighter-skinned people are more attractive/better -- especially girls/women), and the debate over wearing natural hair. Stevie, the main character, gets more radicalized over time as she sees the different ways people around her navigate being Black in a racist society. A little heavy-handed, perhaps, but enjoyable and enlightening.