ARC, 289 pages
Release Date: September 18, 2018Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: September 12-16 ,2018Stand-aloneSource: TxLATW: N/A
For fans of: POC MC, Contemporary Romance, Re-tellings, YAZuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I am not a classics kind of person, so when this book’s title and synopsis was released, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to get to it. Until I saw it was by Ibi Zoboi. And now after reading this, I can honestly say that I can see myself giving the original classic a chance. That’s how much I enjoyed this.
“Late June in Brooklyn is like the very beginning of a party- when the music is really good, but you know its about to get way better, so you just do a little two-step before the real turn-up starts.“pg. 24
Zuri and her family have lived in their own corner of Brooklyn their entire life. They know everyone and everything that happens in their hood. And then something she doesn’t expect happens. A wealthy family moves in across the street and they go against everything that the hood Zuri knows stands for. But as their story unfolds, Zuri realizes she doesn’t know as much as she thought she did.
“Read to travel.” Papi always says. Every book is a different hood, a different country, a different world. Reading is how I visit places and people and ideas.“pg. 28
The ONLY reason I didn’t give this 5 stars was Zuri and her attitude. I’m not sure if that’s how the characters in the original story is, but she was a little too prideful for me. I hated that because that was once me, except I was the Darius character. We don’t act as if we’re better than anyone, its just the way we were raised. I got in many a fight over that when I was in middle school because people said that. It hurt just as much reading it as it did when I went through it back then. I just really wanted Zuri to realize she was doing the very thing she was accusing him of doing.
“What happened, Z? Is this an inside story or an outside story? Hot tea or iced tea? Spill it! I got my teacup right here!” She pretends to sip from a tiny cup while holding out her pinkie. .“pg. 38
As for the re-telling, I read the Sparknotes (don’t judge me) and from what I can tell it was a solid re-telling. All the biggest events from it were in the book, but with its own spin and I loved that. Even though it was telling a different story, it still was able to tell its own.
“Black clouds over Bushwick have a kind of magic to them. […] Clouds are never just clouds in my hood. So when the sun takes cover, and the thunder rolls, I know something’s about to go down.“pg. 47
As for the romance, I wasn’t really convinced with it. I’m not sure if the abrupt change from hating each other to being in love was the same in the original, but it didn’t work for me here. I couldn’t really define the place where she really began falling for him. It just seemed forced and not natural.
“Just because I like somebody doesn’t mean I forget everything else in my life. People have relationships.“pg. 120
As for the plot, I really did like the spin of gentrification. As much as I want to read a rom com with black leads, I love contemporary romances with heavy, hard hitting issues too. And this was one of them. It wasn’t something I knew I needed until I read it. And sometimes, those are the best reads.
“[…] the thing about sharp corners is, the right turns can bring you back home.“pg. 272
After missing American Street when it released last year, I wasn’t missing Ibi Zoboi’s sophomore book for anything. And I’m so glad I didn’t. Although this wasn’t something I was expecting to like, it surprised me and got me interested in the story by Jane Austen. I’m hoping to try my luck with that one soon too!
Overall, I give this
I've never read Austen so I'm curious if Zuri's attitude is borrowed from Elizabeth.
Same. That's what I assumed so I didn't really hold it against her. Well, TOO much. But it DID cause me not to like her as much as I should have I guess.
Ha! I sought out a summary for P&P as well, though, I am considering watching one of the adaptations. I liked this book quite a bit. I loved being back in Brooklyn, and I thought Zoboi really captured what it's like to belong to a neighborhood in NYC.