e-Audio, 07:15:15
Narrated by: Angel Pean
Release Date: December 3, 2024
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: December 1-3, 2024
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this e-ALC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Death of a Parent,
For Readers Interested In: Coming of Age, Contemporary, Own Voices, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Stand-alone, YAAuthor Charlene Allen blends mystery, romance, and friendship in this contemporary YA novel perfect for fans of We Deserve Monuments and Far from the Tree.
The way Clae’s mom tells it, her dad took off when Clae was a baby, end of story. Ever since, it’s just been the two of them, living in the coastal city of Gloucester, where Clae is one of the only few Black girls. But when Clae discovers clues about a mysterious person she calls her fairy god somebody, she’s determined to know more.
Her chance comes when she’s accepted into a summer journalism program in New York City, where her parents lived before she was born. With a couple of leads and a steel resolve, Clae leaves home for the first time to find out about her history.
New York is as full of magic as it is mystery, not to mention romance. From Brooklyn to Broadway, Clae and her new friends, Nze and Joelle, explore neighborhood haunts and hustles, discovering a family trail that someone’s tried hard to bury. So who is the fairy god somebody? And can Clae use her sleuthing skills to find out the truth?
Set against one unforgettable NYC summer, this is the story of lies that run deep and patterns that are meant to be broken. Clae, Nze, and Joelle will stick with you and remind you that every girl deserves to write her own story.
*MY THOUGHTS*
As soon as I saw this I knew I needed to read it. Funny because I had no idea what it was about. Y’all know I don’t read the synopsis or do anything besides look at the cover lol But this one I was actually happy with.
So basically, Clae has never known her father. She wanted to know more about him but her mother shuts down when he comes up. But when Clae is accepted into a program where he once lived, she decides she’s going to try to find out as much about him as she can.
The road blocks she runs into and the things she encounters while trying to figure this out was crazy. I loved the mystery and the hunt she was on, but the reveal?! Terrible. They spent no time on it. And I get that she didn’t want to know anything at the time, but like at some point in the end it should have been more discussed. But it isn’t. It felt like we wasted an entire book trying to figure this out just to throw away all the depth from it.
The characters were also just okay. She had this whole entire THING with that random girl from school and I just thought that was weird because we hardly got any back story. And when we did, it was just like bits and pieces. Honestly I didn’t understand what was so wrong in the first place. The whole thing was weird af lol
I did enjoy this, but the writing style was a bit lacking. I think I would have enjoyed it more if she had given us more detail; more depth. I just think it glossed over so much and never gave us any information. Even in those situations that actually mattered to the movement of the plot. It was weird in my head.
I think this could have been better in some ways, but it was still entertaining overall. I know someone out there will love it, but for me it didn’t have enough feeling for me. And because of that I didn’t feel that much throughout the story either. Idk it just seemed weird. Like we just looked at a point in her life, but there was no climax or anything.
Overall, I give this
