e-Audio, 11:16:52
Narrated by: Alaska Jackson
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: October 10-13, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Mention of an Overdose, Death of a grandparent, Death of a parent, Recounting of Abandonment, The N Word is Used Derogatorily, Optioned for Sexual Harassment (boss/worker)
For Readers Interested In: Dual Timelines, Historical, Old Hollywood, Family Drama, Reality TV, YAFrom Boston Globe/Horn Book Award–winning author Brandy Colbert comes the story of four generations of a Hollywood family—an unforgettable tale of ambition, fame, struggle, loss, and love in America.
The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name. Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything. Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite.
When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford. Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.
Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Y’all know this is a Brandy Colbert stan account, so no matter what it is she’s written, I’m going to give it a try. And this one was no different. I HATE reality tv, but I knew I was going to have to at least try it. So naturally, I pre-ordered it at the same time I bought it for my library system lol
The most confusing part about this was the different timelines. I just didn’t understand why Colbert decided to do it this way instead of like them reading some of her letters or journal and letting that take us back in time. Instead in the story we get just chapters with her POV back in history. Now it does tell her life story, but it didn’t like correlate with what was happening in the story, so it was just like it was just some weird flashbacks.
The characters of this were all good tho. Since we get a POV from the cousins and the grandma, they are all fully fleshed out and they were all important parts of the story. Usually I feel like it’s super hard to do this when there’s so many POV’s, but it actually wasn’t. They were all actually done really well.
The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. Likeeeeeee where was the conflict? I kept waiting for something big to happen, but nothing ever did. It seemed like a real reality show and we break for a commercial, and then find out that that was all for the week. Idk how to explain it. I just wanted more conflict. I get it, she went through a lot of shit, but it felt so easy. Idk I’m not usually one for flowery language, but I was expecting this to give me a gut punch. And normally, seeing someone choose her career, or any of the other things that happened would give me that. But this just didn’t.
But even if I didn’t like the ending, I did still like it as I was reading it. It really feels like you’re watching a reality show. I was so engrossed in this book. I couldn’t listen fast enough. I wanted to know why all of these things were so important and why BB had all these secrets. And even though all of those things weren’t answered, it was still so much fun to read it as I went along.
The narration was pretty cool too. I’ve listened to all of Alaska Jackson’s backlist and I loved those too. I don’t know of any problems and the inflections and emotions were all on point. Definitely someone I’d listen to read a grocery list. I’m excited to see what other books they will narrate. ESPECIALLY since they’re an Own Voices narrator.
This wasn’t everything I expected, but it was almost everything I wanted. Drama filled and full of family and high emotions. The family drama and all that they go through is definitely worth the read. I just hope you don’t change your mind when you finally get to the end.
Overall, I give this
