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sydneyhylland's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
lydiajohnson's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
So I didn't even know that there was a sequel to In Every Mirror She's Black until I literally stumbled across this title on Goodreads. Honestly, one thing Lola does well is write a good interwoven story with each character somehow relating to the next. That's about the only thing I really loved about this book, though. There was just a bit too much drama for me and the majority of the women's stories (at least Brittany and Kemi's) felt like they came to an abrupt halt all within the last couple of chapters. I LOVED the sisterhood between Muna and Yasmin and felt their story was complete - what a beautiful friendship! Took of a few points because some of the content/triggers in here were too much for me, but added points solely because of the storytelling style.
So I didn't even know that there was a sequel to In Every Mirror She's Black until I literally stumbled across this title on Goodreads. Honestly, one thing Lola does well is write a good interwoven story with each character somehow relating to the next. That's about the only thing I really loved about this book, though. There was just a bit too much drama for me and the majority of the women's stories (at least Brittany and Kemi's) felt like they came to an abrupt halt all within the last couple of chapters. I LOVED the sisterhood between Muna and Yasmin and felt their story was complete - what a beautiful friendship! Took of a few points because some of the content/triggers in here were too much for me, but added points solely because of the storytelling style.
quantumfeline_27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
lchatham9's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
dregina's review against another edition
hopeful
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? Yes
4.25
lariluna's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alaboard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
5.0
robyn1998's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love the characterisation in this series. Kemi, Brittany-Rae and Yasmiin felt so real and distinct. I cared about them and got frustrated by their life choices (especially Kemi! She had an excuse for everything!) I appreciated how the author reminded us of what happened in In Every Mirror She's Black without going too far into it. I do find the writing style a little clichéd, a feel like a thesaurus may have been useful at times.
Moderate: Sexual assault
bookishevy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Whew! This sequel to In Every Mirror She's Black was added to my list of messiest reads, because I was scandalized. Again, we experience Sweden through the eyes of Black women.
Kemi, a Nigerian-American marketing executive goes to Sweden for an amazing opportunity working for Jonny von Lundin with hopes of invigorating her lovelife, but she's looking for love in all the wrong places, putting her relationship and career in jeopardy. Let's just say mistakes are made. Or rather the same mistake over and over again. I just wanted to shake her violently.
Brittany, a Jamaican-American flight attendant is swept off her feet by Jonny's obsession with her and the privilege that comes with his money, but marrying into a rich family with a racist, controlling matriarch is a challenge. She must dig into Jonny's past to gain some leverage and her freedom. It's some real The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo type of shit. It's amazing the lengths racists will go to to keep people of color out of their family.
Vasmiin, a Somali refugee who used to be Muna's - one of the mains from the first book - roommate, but their stories become entwined again following a harrowing event. Add this to Yasmiin trying to figure out her shady husband while keeping her past at bay as she pursues her dream of becoming a markup artist.
These women's lives are loosely intertwined and different in many ways, but they all have to put up with the same racism and sexism that comes with patriarchy.
I appreciate Akerstrom, who is Nigerian-American and based in Sweden, for giving us a glimpse into the lives of Black women trying to thrive in Sweden. Before I read this book I didn't know there was a Swedish word for n*****. This was an education.
Kemi, a Nigerian-American marketing executive goes to Sweden for an amazing opportunity working for Jonny von Lundin with hopes of invigorating her lovelife, but she's looking for love in all the wrong places, putting her relationship and career in jeopardy. Let's just say mistakes are made. Or rather the same mistake over and over again. I just wanted to shake her violently.
Brittany, a Jamaican-American flight attendant is swept off her feet by Jonny's obsession with her and the privilege that comes with his money, but marrying into a rich family with a racist, controlling matriarch is a challenge. She must dig into Jonny's past to gain some leverage and her freedom. It's some real The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo type of shit. It's amazing the lengths racists will go to to keep people of color out of their family.
Vasmiin, a Somali refugee who used to be Muna's - one of the mains from the first book - roommate, but their stories become entwined again following a harrowing event. Add this to Yasmiin trying to figure out her shady husband while keeping her past at bay as she pursues her dream of becoming a markup artist.
These women's lives are loosely intertwined and different in many ways, but they all have to put up with the same racism and sexism that comes with patriarchy.
I appreciate Akerstrom, who is Nigerian-American and based in Sweden, for giving us a glimpse into the lives of Black women trying to thrive in Sweden. Before I read this book I didn't know there was a Swedish word for n*****. This was an education.
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Child death, Miscarriage, and Infidelity