A riveting novella set in a world of Orisha. I’d call it new adult in the sense that it’s a coming-of-a-slightly-older-age story. Not a particularly likable protagonist, but an interesting one, remarkably well-developed for the novella’s short length. The supporting characters are also drawn boldly and vividly. The writing is wonderful, urgent yet vivid. Highly recommend! I’m very excited to pick up the sequel soon.

Gorgeous and intricately lyrical, another heartrending and beautiful collection from the “Intro to Poetry” quest. I loved tandem reading this one—audiobook and a physical copy, since each added unique elements to understanding and impact.

Royce pays attention to all the big and small ways loss shows up in people’s lives. There’s a touching depiction of grief and mourning, in community and as an individual, here, and a tender coming-of-age story in a setting that’s vivid and alive.

That being said, though I’m clearly not the intended audience, I didn’t enjoy this as I sometimes do with middle grade books. Sometimes the simplicity of narrative, themes, and language demanded by the audience leads to a clear-sightedness, a way of getting at the very heart of issues. Here, it causes greater confusion. Why are police sometimes bigots who harass and sometimes the protectors of children integrating schools? Why did schools integrating in a different city mean wealthy Black children were pulled out of private schools and sent to Black public schools? It’s likely that readers in the middle grade age group would let these questions pass over their heads as inscrutable adult nonsense, but as an adult reader I was constantly having to bring my own answers to questions the narrative left opaque. There seem to be many topics that Royce wanted to include but not truly address.

Besides the both-sidesing of police violence that amounts to a great deal of copaganda, there was not anything particularly objectionable here. But I would not recommend it as a can’t-miss exemplar of middle grade literature.