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Elizabeth Acevedo has done it again guys. She can do no wrong and anyone who disagrees and keep your opinions to yourself and let me be okay? okay.So where do I even begin? Liz's writing is beautiful, it's simple yet poetic, she really has a way with words. This book has some of my new favorite quotes like “The world is a turntable that never stops spinning; as humans we merely choose the tracks we want to sit out and the ones that inspire us to dance.”And“I'm constantly having to give people geography and history lessons on how my grandmother's hometown is 65 percent Afro–Puerto Rican, on how the majority of slaves were dropped off in the Caribbean and Latin America, on how just because our Black comes with bomba and mofongo doesn't mean it isn't valid.”That last one hit me hard. As an Afro-Latina myself I often have to explain the same thing to people.JUST BECAUSE MY BLACK COMES WITH MERENGUE AND MANGU DOESN'T MEAN IT ISN'T VALID!!!I love how this book focus's on Emoni's love life. Not only with the love interest that comes into her life. But mainly with her Daughter and her love of cooking. This is a story of family and how you're not only born into it. But, you can also find it in people you would never think of finding it. Emoni starts off with just her Daughter and Buela. And by the end of the book she grows to accept that she isn't alone in the world. That there's so many people who are willing to help and support her in the next step of her life. And that my friends is beautiful!Also can we talk about how the baby daddy is actually in the baby's life. That made me happy so see that we're breaking the “missing baby daddy” stereotypes!! Even though Emoni wants to lowkey smack him upside the head but tbh same lmao!! Tyrone isn't the best character, he says and does dumb things. But you can see that he try's his best to be in Babygirl's life, and I love that. I will link my full review here that I will post on YouTube later this month!PS: Read [b:The Poet X 33294200 The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498766234s/33294200.jpg 54024746] if you haven't already hehhehe

Wow! I was already a huge fan of Elizabeth's spoken word poem this is based on. But wow, the poem paired with the illustrations made me love it even more.

“We are the best at swallowing amnesia in a cup of morir soñando: DIE DREAMING. Because it seems easier to do that than live in this REALITY”

That hits different.

I recommend watching her spoken word version if you liked this and viceversa.

tw: death of parent, car accident, death, murder, microaggressions, racism, ptsd and anxiety

this is hands down a new favorite book. i love it so much. it was so nice to see a kickass queer black girl in the forefront of a fantasy novel. i saw pieces of myself in this. this is why we need more diverse fantasy books where people like me can feel like we can be heroes and not just backup or side characters.

i'm personally not a huge fan of romance in books but y'all

How wonderful is it to read a graphic novel that celebrates Black women! How we all come in all shapes and sizes. The beauty of our hair and the love and care is put in to make sure they poppin'. I loved how it showed Black women from all walks of life. This shows Black queer women, Black women that struggle with mental health, Black women walking away from what could be a toxic relationship, and Black women putting themselves first before any man!!! We absolutely love to see it.

Ripe is definitely a captivating and thought-provoking read that manages to depict Cassie's deep sense of emptiness. The author's engaging and bold prose truly brings the story to life, showcasing the unique format of the book that skillfully alternates between Cassie's present and past experiences. However, what truly adds to the poignancy of the narrative is how the ever-present black hole consistently mirrors Cassie's emotions in every passing moment. It's a hauntingly beautiful, yet undeniably sad and somewhat discomforting journey.

CW: suicide, infidelity, statutory rape, violence, and bullying.

Wow, this book was really good and beautifully written. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone to read. It is such an important read for anyone that is struggling through life. The author takes the subject matter and writes about it with care. Especially when reading the author's note at the end.

I knew the plot twist from the beginning but honestly, it didn't take away from the experience. I was actually hoping that I was right. Eto Mori made me really care for the main character's life and well-being. And I haven't felt like this in a while.

This will definitely be a story that will stick with me for a long time.

tw: sexism, misogyny, sexual harassment, depression, mentions of suicide and miscarriage.

this book is definitely a new favorite. it is one i would love to purchase a physical copy, reread, and annotate. i would recommend this book to everyone to read. it's such a beautiful and powerful novel. i got so frustrated and infuriated at some of the situations that happened that i almost threw my kindle across the room.

this is a story about misogyny in the workplace, gender roles in a family, and forced motherhood. i really felt for jiyoung having to give up so much to live a “normal” life for a woman. women have always had to give up so much for these gender roles that are passed down from generations. between not getting a good positions in the workplace, having to give up your life and dreams for a child, or being seen as an object to men. damn we can't ever win.

jiyoung's story is one that we could all relate to someway or another. it shows us how far we've come but also how much work we still need to do to be seen as equals.

not me staying up at 2 am thinking this book would keep getting better..... call the circus they missed a clown.

cw: death, fatphobic comments, ableism and ablest terminology.

i was promised a eerie horror/thriller and what i got was a weirdly paced literary trying to be mysterious. i love short books but damn i wish this was longer and went in depth in the “thriller-y” aspects. i would continue ranting but i'm tired and want to be free from this book lmao.

honestly if you're intrigued by this pick it up, you might like it. but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Oni press and net galley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Transphobia, Sexual Harassment, and Fatphobic remarks.

This was so cute! I really enjoyed my time reading this. It was so nice to see a plus sized main character that is athletic and doesn't give af. I loved Annie and BeBe so much. I loved the way their friendship blossomed into a relationship. And how they always had each other's backs to peoples hateful remarks towards the other. I also really liked how this showed that all bodies are healthy and can be active.

But i feel like it was too short and most of the problems they were presented with were resolved too quickly. Some of the cheerleaders made some transphobic comments and microaggressions and we never got to see them apologizing. We can just see that they do grow from that and learn to truly accept BeBe. I just wish we could've seen more.

Overall, I definitely recommend this graphic novel its wholesome, has great representation, and has a great message.