Click here to read the book synopsis on Goodreads.
Click here to read the book synopsis on The StoryGraph.
Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see? Sometimes your words just hypnotize me…
Replace Biggie with Tiffany Jackson’s name in that hook, and you have my feelings about this YA masterpiece. Why aren’t more people reading/talking about this book?! Seriously, this book should easily have 50,000 ratings on Goodreads by now
This book described life in 1990’s Bed-Stuy so vividly. I felt like I was walking the streets with the teens and like I was a part of their friendships and romances. The development of each character kept me completely engrossed as I peeled back the layer of each of their stories and learned the motives behind every action they took throughout the course of the novel.
5 adjectives to describe this book:
conversational – I recommend listening to the audio for at least part of it if you can.
informative – I learned so much about a time period/place I didn’t get to live through as an adult.
raw – the way Jackson accesses and expresses emotions is unbelievably powerful.
gripping – never bored.
suspenseful
5 things about this book (4 I loved, 1 I didn’t):
I loved the characters and their unique personalities. I always knew whose POV I was reading just by the language in it.
I loved the budding romance between two of our MC’s.
I loved that everything was not as it seemed.
I loved the layers – they were executed perfectly and woven together so intricately and flawlessly.
I didn’t love how quickly it wrapped up once the mystery was solved.
Overall, this book packs a powerful punch while still retaining its very readable YA skeleton. Absolutely recommend. 4.75 stars from me!
Pick up a copy of this book on Amazon if you’d like, or from Bookshop.org to support your favorite indie bookstore!
Jenna, Stop Reading! 