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ktdakotareads's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief, Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It pains me to give this a low(ish) rating, because I love historical YA fiction and the Greenwood Massacre is such a devastating and often overlooked piece of U.S. history. I really liked Isaiah and his character arc, as well as the last section of the book where the attack was described and the people of the town made heart-breaking sacrifices to try to protect one another. The build-up paid off because as a reader, you grow attached to the people of Greenwood and their tight-knit community.
Unfortunately, the initial two-thirds of the book really bored me. Basically every page was dedicated to discussing Angel's angelic qualities and how much she did for the town. I thought there was going to be some kind of twist or moment of growth where she stopped being so self-sacrificing, but that trait stayed consistent throughout. She was a full-on Mary Sue, and her characterization really ruined the rest of the story for me. Without Isaiah and the countdown to the Tulsa massacre, I don't think I would have kept reading.
Unfortunately, the initial two-thirds of the book really bored me. Basically every page was dedicated to discussing Angel's angelic qualities and how much she did for the town. I thought there was going to be some kind of twist or moment of growth where she stopped being so self-sacrificing, but that trait stayed consistent throughout. She was a full-on Mary Sue, and her characterization really ruined the rest of the story for me. Without Isaiah and the countdown to the Tulsa massacre, I don't think I would have kept reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Death of parent, and Hate crime
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Infidelity
haley49's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such a good book. I loved everything from the characters and their bonds, to the writing style, to the discussion of Washington vs Du Bois. It was all very well done. Knowing what was coming left me on the edge of my seat and the tragedy of the story brought me to tears. I loved the unexpected redemption in the end and the way they pushed through it all. I liked how the book focused less on the racist perpetrators of the massacre than the damage they inflicted. However, it spent so much time building up to the massacre and then it brushed over it so quickly. The author probably did it to avoid torture porn which is 100% valid but despite the tragedy there was no sense of danger to the main leads despite all the dangerous things they actively did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Hate crime
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Death, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Murder, Animal death, Rape, and Bullying
kayladaila's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Infidelity, and Slavery
bookcaptivated's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Racism, Murder, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
Minor: Bullying, Excrement, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Classism
asparagusisreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Feiwel & Friends, and the author, Randi Pink, for sending me this e-arc copy of ANGEL OF GREENWOOD to read and review.
TW+CW: death, racism, child abuse, violence, blood, arson and fire, death of parent, bullying
ANGEL OF GREENWOOD by RANDI PINK is a historical young adult fiction novel following the two teen perspectives, Angel and Isaiah, that have opposing views on how black people should rise in power, when they take on summer job with their English Teacher. Over the summer, they work a mobile library that is a bike with only has three wheels and two seats. Even though Angel and Isaiah have different opinions and reasons why they took the summer job, they can't help but grow intrigued by the other and wanting to spend more time together, creating a budding romance. But then their life is changed on May 31st, 1921 when a white mob arrives in Greenwood armed with anger and vengeance leaving many people displaced, distraught, and decided on who their true enemies are.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and feeling a bit disappointed in myself for not reading it sooner. I think it's a wonderful read, giving readers some insight on some black history many probably haven't learned about in school. I didn't know about the Greenwood Massacre, aka Black Wall Street, and thanks to this book, I plan to take some time researching it and other books that is written about black history like this. I liked how the story was written because it felt like you were there. Everyone was living their life, gossiping, working, etc. when there was an unexpected event and your life is changing, flashing before your eyes. As the reader, it felt like I was watching the tragic events unfold before me. I don't typically read historical fiction but this book has me reconsidering. It is an emotional and impactful story that I will be thinking about for awhile.
I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in reading a historical fiction, reading about the Greenwood Massacre of 1921, or just interested in reading a story about two teenagers with opposing opinions on how black people should rise coming together to form a friendship and then a romantic relationship (the romance is not the main focus of the book.)
TW+CW: death, racism, child abuse, violence, blood, arson and fire, death of parent, bullying
ANGEL OF GREENWOOD by RANDI PINK is a historical young adult fiction novel following the two teen perspectives, Angel and Isaiah, that have opposing views on how black people should rise in power, when they take on summer job with their English Teacher. Over the summer, they work a mobile library that is a bike with only has three wheels and two seats. Even though Angel and Isaiah have different opinions and reasons why they took the summer job, they can't help but grow intrigued by the other and wanting to spend more time together, creating a budding romance. But then their life is changed on May 31st, 1921 when a white mob arrives in Greenwood armed with anger and vengeance leaving many people displaced, distraught, and decided on who their true enemies are.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and feeling a bit disappointed in myself for not reading it sooner. I think it's a wonderful read, giving readers some insight on some black history many probably haven't learned about in school. I didn't know about the Greenwood Massacre, aka Black Wall Street, and thanks to this book, I plan to take some time researching it and other books that is written about black history like this. I liked how the story was written because it felt like you were there. Everyone was living their life, gossiping, working, etc. when there was an unexpected event and your life is changing, flashing before your eyes. As the reader, it felt like I was watching the tragic events unfold before me. I don't typically read historical fiction but this book has me reconsidering. It is an emotional and impactful story that I will be thinking about for awhile.
I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in reading a historical fiction, reading about the Greenwood Massacre of 1921, or just interested in reading a story about two teenagers with opposing opinions on how black people should rise coming together to form a friendship and then a romantic relationship (the romance is not the main focus of the book.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Bullying
antonique_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Racism
jenciereads's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, and Terminal illness
Nothing is described in explicit detail, but this is a young adult book and these thing were covered and it was done extremely well but it will possibly make some upset or emotional.plumpaperbacks's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked this up at the library on a whim because the title intrigued me, and when I read the synopsis, I knew this would be an important story. I was right. Although the first half of the book was rather slow, Pink’s writing had me speeding through it nonetheless. Angel and Isaiah grew on me both as individuals and, eventually, as a couple. The family and community dynamics warmed my heart, only for the last third of the book to weigh it down more than I thought possible. The Greenwood massacres are a part of American history not taught in school that I only recently learned about, and this story was eye-opening in more ways than one. I’m not sure what else I can say, as a white person, but I’m glad I read this and definitely think other white people need to as well.
Representation
Representation
- Black protagonist and side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Child abuse
Also contains a scene at the end of the book where a building in Greenwood is bombed.idogrocker's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Death of parent