e-ALC, 10:12:20
Narrated by: Jelani Alladin, Preston Butler III, Nicole Cash, Kevin R. Free, iiKane, Ozzie Jacobs, Ebony LaDelle, Angel Pean, Malik Rashad, Andre Santana, Jamie Lincoln Smith, & Zenzi Williams
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Delacorte Press)
Read from: August 12-13, 2025
Stand-alone (Anthology)
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher’s app and the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: N/A
For Readers Interested In: Short Stories, Audio, Anthologies, AdultA heartwarming and unforgettable collection of love stories at Historically Black Colleges and Universities that explore hope, endurance, and what it means to leave a legacy, from some of today’s most prominent Black writers and edited by the acclaimed author of Love Radio.
Featuring stories by Elizabeth Acevedo, Kiese Laymon, Dawnie Walton, Farrah Rochon, Kennedy Ryan, Christine Platt, Nicola Yoon, Kai Harris, Carla Bruce and more.
Love can be messy, painful, and heartbreaking, but it can also be revolutionary, profound, and hopeful. With twelve stories ranging from love that’s found on one of the oldest HBCU campuses in the country, to modern-day romance budding against the rhythm and spirit of homecoming, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too is a celebration of Black love as well as everything HBCUs have given the community.
In Kennedy Ryan’s “Brave the Skies,” tensions brew between a once forbidden love. In Dawnie Walton’s “The Highest of Seven Hills,” Nia might land a second chance with the one that got away while visiting her alma mater. In Kai Harris’ “Whatever Gods May Be,” a coveted audition for the Fisk University Jubilee Singers brings harmony in more ways than one. And in Kiese Laymon’s “The Musty” a darker romance ensues across Jackson State University.
Engrossing and heart-searing, tender and transporting, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too explores the beauty of finding love in transformative places.
*MY THOUGHTS*
As y’all know, this is an Ebony LaDelle stan account. So when I heard she had a book coming out this year for adults, I was hella excited. But then when I saw it was an anthology that she edited and wrote for, and got other authors like Kennedy Ryan, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more. I knew it was going to be amazing before I even opened it.
Ok so as per usual I’ll share my favorites here. So first and foremost, I had never read anything by Kai, but this made me go searching out more. Althoiugh I wanted to hear the audition, I can imagine why they didn’t add it. Other favorite stories include, Kennedy Ryan’s, Elizabeth Acevedo’s, Farrah Rochon’s, Nicola Yoon’s Jasmine Bell’s (this was actually my favorite!), Christine Platt’s, etc. So basically all of them. This really was a bomb ass anthology and I really enjoyed reading it.
There were some that I questioned and I didn’t love. Those just seemed out of place. But I guess the author’s put their own style on them and it just wasn’t for me. But what I loved about even that, was the way it didn’t take any of the enjoyment out of this for me. This book was so much fun it was easy to look over those things I didn’t completely gel with.
I don’t usually love anthologies because I always want them to be longer stories and I know I’m guaranteed to not like at least one of them. But this one, literally “they could never make me hate you” lol It’s been a long time since there was an anthology where I liked almost all of them, but this was the one. I hope y’all pick this up!
Overall, I give this
So to get this rating I rated each one individually and then got the average from that total.