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naika's review
fast-paced
3.75
October 2020:
Following the loss of her mother , Sofie learned to tame her once rambunctious, care free spirit, into that of a social-norm abiding woman. She is unassuming. She doesn't break her father's rules. She minds her words. But as her community is changing and fellow young adults are taking a stand against racism, Sofie finds that she can no longer accept the confines she (and others) has placed herself in. Despite being uncertain of how things will unfold, she finds the courage to join SNCC and participate in their nonviolent sit-ins.
What she never anticipated was running into her childhood neighbor, Ivan (who also happened to be Sofie's mother's former charge) in one of the organizing meetings. Although not Black and could never truly understand, Ivan feels drawn to the movement, having experienced his own version of discrimination and hatred due to his Jewish ancestry. Although their lives shifted following the loss of Sofie's mother, and years had passed since their last encounter, their pull towards one another remains strong. But with the ever-growing presence of the Civil Rights Movement and the dangers of interracial dating, Ivan and Sofie have much to navigate personally and socially, as they explore a romance.
Although this is a romance, the fight for social justice seems to take precedence, which honestly I had no issue with given our current state as a country at the time of this review. I have read many of Alyssa Cole's work and she never disappoints when it comes to making social commentary. She does not shy away from the darkest, most uncomfortable parts of our history.
Even though the romance between Sofie and Ivan was on the sweeter, more stereotypical side, this is not a fluffy read. This will stir up emotions. I appreciated this story so much more the second time around. Even in the midst of violence, injustice, and chaos, we still look for glimmers of love, hope, and inspiration.
I will say I also enjoyed the two epilogues much more during this reread, but I still feel as though I would have liked to see these relationship-defining moments explored more in a full-length novel. But one can only dream.
August 2019:
A solid read (historical fiction may be growing on me), though not amongst my top books for Alyssa Cole. That is mainly due in part to the epilogue. There were several time jumps that jolted me a bit. They were nicely written, and left me wanting to know, but since this is a novella, it felt like unnecessary tease. Since we saw glimpses of some really important life events for Sophie and Ivan, I would've had like to see this be a novel-length book.
Following the loss of her mother , Sofie learned to tame her once rambunctious, care free spirit, into that of a social-norm abiding woman. She is unassuming. She doesn't break her father's rules. She minds her words. But as her community is changing and fellow young adults are taking a stand against racism, Sofie finds that she can no longer accept the confines she (and others) has placed herself in. Despite being uncertain of how things will unfold, she finds the courage to join SNCC and participate in their nonviolent sit-ins.
What she never anticipated was running into her childhood neighbor, Ivan (who also happened to be Sofie's mother's former charge) in one of the organizing meetings. Although not Black and could never truly understand, Ivan feels drawn to the movement, having experienced his own version of discrimination and hatred due to his Jewish ancestry. Although their lives shifted following the loss of Sofie's mother, and years had passed since their last encounter, their pull towards one another remains strong. But with the ever-growing presence of the Civil Rights Movement and the dangers of interracial dating, Ivan and Sofie have much to navigate personally and socially, as they explore a romance.
Although this is a romance, the fight for social justice seems to take precedence, which honestly I had no issue with given our current state as a country at the time of this review. I have read many of Alyssa Cole's work and she never disappoints when it comes to making social commentary. She does not shy away from the darkest, most uncomfortable parts of our history.
Even though the romance between Sofie and Ivan was on the sweeter, more stereotypical side, this is not a fluffy read. This will stir up emotions. I appreciated this story so much more the second time around. Even in the midst of violence, injustice, and chaos, we still look for glimmers of love, hope, and inspiration.
I will say I also enjoyed the two epilogues much more during this reread, but I still feel as though I would have liked to see these relationship-defining moments explored more in a full-length novel. But one can only dream.
August 2019:
A solid read (historical fiction may be growing on me), though not amongst my top books for Alyssa Cole. That is mainly due in part to the epilogue. There were several time jumps that jolted me a bit. They were nicely written, and left me wanting to know, but since this is a novella, it felt like unnecessary tease. Since we saw glimpses of some really important life events for Sophie and Ivan, I would've had like to see this be a novel-length book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Antisemitism, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, Death, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual content
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