amandasbookreview's reviews
966 reviews

Yellow Wife is written by Sadeqa Johnson. Before I get into the review, there are a few trigger warnings: slavery, racism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, torture, racial slurs, miscarriage, child loss, pregnancy loss, death, trafficking, and that isn’t all of it.

It is 1850 and Pheby is being raised on the Bell Plantation. She is the daughter of an enslaved woman and the plantation master. She is considered a slave but has been taught to read, write, and play the piano. But most of all, she is told by her mother that she must never convince herself in her mind that she is a slave and that she will one day be free. But instead of being freed at 18, the Master’s wife has other plans for her. She sells Pheby and she is forced to be the mistress of the jailer in charge of what is called The Devil’s Half Acre where slaves are beaten and tortured. Every decision she will make is to ensure the survival of her children and loved ones but all of the decisions will come with a sacrifice.

The main thing I want to talk about when it comes to this book is the author’s note. While this book is fiction, it is inspired by real people and a real place. Sadeqa Johnson and her family took the Richmond Slave Trail Walk and she stumbled upon a story that she knew she had to tell. The story of Pheby is inspired by Mary Lumpkin. Johnson then immersed herself in the research behind this woman and it shows. This book is powerful, tragic, heartbreaking, and important. Because of Johnson, Mary’s name is not lost, like so many others who were victims of enslavement in the United States.

In this story, Pheby has a book that holds her mother’s healing recipes but when she is forced to work for the jailor, she meets several enslaved women and is determined to write their stories down before they are beaten and sold to the next white man. There is so much emotion written into Pheby and this story, it is clear that the author intended to honor her ancestors. This is a part of our history. A part of history that many want to ignore. We need to face these atrocities to acknowledge the generational trauma inflicted on Black people and to make sure that history never repeats itself. We can never atone for the brutality and heartlessness that occurred, but we can learn from it and make it so there is true justice and equality from here on out. This is an incredible read from beginning to end.

I, too, live at #9 and after reading The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas, I am not entirely sure that is a good thing. –Thankfully, I don’t have a backyard that could have possible human remains, because that is what happens to Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend, Tom as they are renovating their cottage at 9 Skelton Place. Two bodies are found in the process and the police determine they were buried there in the 1970s or 1980s, while Saffron didn’t live here then, her grandmother, Rose, sure did. Unfortunately, answers don’t come easily from her grandmother because she is in a care home with dementia. Saffron and her mother, Lorna can’t help but investigate Rose’s past but they aren’t remotely prepared for the answers they discover.

At first glance, this seems like a typical thriller…bodies are found and terrible secrets will be uncovered. NO. NOOOOOPE. The plot thickens with every chapter. Honestly, I forgot about the bodies because I needed to know what the hell Rose was up to! Some readers might be a little put off by the timeline jumps, and multiple points of view, but trust me, it is so worth it! This thriller is so complex but it is a slow burn, so don’t expect it to move quickly.

There are many factors that drive this plot but I try to write my reviews without spoilers, but let me just say that murder and betrayal are barely scratching the surface of this book. I did really enjoy the complexities of Lorna and Saffron’s mother-daughter relationship. They are very different people but it is amazing how this story drives them together. I also loved Theo and Jen’s relationship. They both have their difficulties but they communicate with each other and are a great example of a nontoxic relationship, as most thrillers have the most toxic relationships. Overall, I wasn’t sure at first but I ended up loving this book!

Thank you, Celadon Books, and George Dawes Green for the opportunity to read this book! It was released, yesterday, July 19th, 2022!

Yesterday, I participated in the Little Free Library Book Drop for The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green. If you look up the hashtag, you can see where there are copies at Free Little Libraries from all around the country, and trust me, you want to read this book. The book begins with friends Luke and Stony meeting their friends at a bar. However, the night doesn’t turn out as planned, Stony is missing and Luke is murdered. The man who is suspected of murder is a notorious slumlord. He hires Morgana Musgrove who owns a detective agency. Her son, Ransom, and niece, Jaq has close ties with the homeless community and they investigate Luke’s murder. Their investigation takes them from the homeless communities to the homes of the elite and uncovers one of Savannah’s most important secrets.

I loved the synopsis, everything drew me in. The prologue intrigued me. But then I hit the first chapter and I wasn’t sure if I would love it. Then I hit chapter two and I was hooked. I was fully immersed in this mystery with extremely complex characters. I think the one thing that really caught my attention is the dialogue. It is emotional, but full of wit.–Especially from Morgana. She is not a great mother, but you can’t help but enjoy her candor. I love Jaq and Ransom’s relationship, they are truly there for each other and want justice. However, I did appreciate the dive into the dysfunction of the Musgrove family.

At first glance, this seems like a casual murder mystery, but the murder is committed to uncovering a secret in Savannah, one that many would die to protect. It really shows the darker side of Savannah, rather than the expansive plantations. I also want to point out that it is imperative that readers also read the historical note at the end. It adds so much depth to this mystery.

Thank you, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Jennifer Hillier for the opportunity to read this book! It will release tomorrow, July, 19th!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, assault, gaslighting, severe child abuse, murder, murder scenes, etc…

I was hoping to finish this book before the weekend but we just had the best vacation. While I did read a little bit here and there, I wasn’t able to complete the book until last night. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier starts off strong. Paris Peralta wakes up to find herself covered in blood. It is not her blood but her husband’s blood, the famous comedian, Jimmy Peralta. She is arrested on suspicion of murder. She is his 5th wife, a lot younger than him, and there is a lot of money to gain, but she did not kill him. This is not the first time she has been connected to a murder, nor is it the second time…

As I said, the beginning is so strong, but then it got repetitive. The book is broken up into several parts and changes points of view. Honestly, Drew’s section was extremely dull and he tries to figure out what happened to his friend Joey, who was murdered years before. The ending started to pick up as all the loose ends began to unfold. I did find the finale a bit anti-climatic as well.

However, this book is labeled as a thriller. There are several moments that give off that vibe. But I wouldn’t say the whole book is a thriller. It is mainly about a young girl coming of age in the midst of severe child abuse and trauma and her struggle to run away and be free of her past. The abuse and trauma are HEARTBREAKING and extremely descriptive, so be prepared. It is difficult to read. Overall, it was an intense book about murder and doing whatever it takes to survive.

Song of Solomon is the fourth Toni Morrison that I have read. Every single book has a unique complexity to the characters. This book focuses on Milkman and his journey to discover himself and his roots. The first part goes into the birth of Macon (Milkman), his childhood, and how he ended up estranged from his entire family. He is close with his aunt, Pilate, and his best friend Guitar Bails. Milkman is told about some gold that is supposedly his inheritance. He soon finds that this is more than a journey to find gold.

Toni Morrison’s books can’t be read lightly. This is phenomenal storytelling. This book isn’t as dark as Sula or Beloved but it still touches the soul. One of the best things about Toni Morrison is she gives us flawed characters. They aren’t perfect. They are learning. They are surviving. But there is still so much humanity and growth.

Toni Morrison writes with her unique prose, so if you have not read Toni Morrison before, take it slow. Just because these books are short doesn’t mean one can finish them quickly. There are layers and depth within her writing. I listened to the audiobook. It is narrated by Toni Morrison. At first, the protection threw me off. It felt like it was an at-home recording with small mistakes here and there. But in the end…I loved it. It felt so raw and personal as if she was right there telling me a story.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher is a short retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” It reminded me that an Edgar Allen Poe reread is in order as it has been too long. Also, Mike Flanagan who produced The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass just wrapped his Netflix series adaptation and it may be possible that it will release this year? There will be many familiar faces and Mark Hamill is joining the cast. AND. I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT.

Ok. Beck to What Moves the Dead. Alex Easton is a retired soldier who has come to the aid of their friend, Madeline. She is sick with an unknown illness and it appears her brother, Roderick has the same illness. But one looks at their home and one can see that there is someone about the house that isn’t right.

T. Kingfisher’s writing has just the perfect aesthetic to take on an Edgar Allen Poe story. She perfectly captures the eerie grotesqueness of this story. The author does bring her own voice to the story and I do wish it were longer. I understand it is a retelling of a short story but I felt that with her unique touch there could have been more. I did appreciate the author’s note at the end of the book and I urge everyone to read it. But if you are looking for a creepy short story for this Fall, then this is it!

Thank you, NetGalley, Minette Walters, and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book! It will release on July 12th, 2022.

I have had Minette Walter’s books on my shelf for a long time. I have her Black Death duology: The Last Hours, and The Turn of Midnight. In fact, they are on my Summer Reading List and I had intended to read them before jumping into The Swift and the Harrier. But, time is limited and so The Swift and the Harrier is my first Minette Walters book, but it will not be my last!

The book begins in England, in 1642. The Parliamentarians and Royalists are rising against each other in what would be known as the English Civil War. This civil war was mainly due to differences in governance and religious freedoms. At this time the Catholics were under attack in the never-ending rivalry between Protestants and Catholics. Jane Swift has refused all the suitors thrown her way and has been trained by a physician and has chosen the position of neutrality in the war. It doesn’t take long for her to make a name for herself and has come to the assistance of Lady Alice a staunch Parliamentarian but quite a force. This is how Jayne meets the footman, William Harrier. It is a dangerous time to choose a side and many families are split by their political views. Jayne is determined to stay neutral, but her heart is not.

This is such an immersive historical fiction! The book goes from the beginning of the English Civil War to the execution of the king. Since it goes through so much history, there are some moments that may feel repetitive or feel too long, but I actually enjoyed reading about the back-and-forth strategy and how it affected the people of England with the pillaging and battles. There are quite a few real historical figures that come into play in this book as well which always adds to the realism of the story.

It was fascinating to see Jayne in an unusual position for a lady at the time. Many women would sell home remedies to become midwives, but few, if any were actually trained. But Jayne’s knowledge becomes the centerpiece of this novel. For those looking for a love epic, that is more of a background plot. The true plot is Jayne using her knowledge whenever she can to help those around her even though she is deemed inferior. But throughout this novel, many men will come to see her value and worth.

I started The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones a couple months ago. Normally when I pick up a book I don’t pause. I don’t read other books in between. This book is a massive piece of journalism with more than one author. It is filled with primary sources and analyses the social, political, and economic injustices against Black Americans. So I read a section at a time, looked into the sources provided, and looked up the other contributing authors. The beginning introduces the arrival of enslaved Africans to Virginia in 1619. The publication date of this piece? –2019, 400 years after the first enslaved peoples arrived. The Pilgrims arrived in 1620. Just with the evidence of this date, The 1619 Project encourages the United States to review and acknowledge our history, not beginning with The Pilgrims but acknowledging the injustice laid on Black Americans and their contribution to our society in the face of slavery and racism that still exists today.

While Nikole Hannah-Jones developed this piece, it also has the contributions of several other authors, many of whose works I have read, and many of whose works that I need to read. The co-authors and contributors are Dorothy Roberts, Kahil Gibran Muhammad, Leslie Alexander, Michelle Alexander, Tiya Miles, Matthew Desmond, Jamelle Bouie, Martha S. Jones, Carol Anderson, Bryan Stevenson, Trymaine Lee, Linda Villarosa, Anthea Butler, Wesley Morris, Jeneen Interlandi, Kevin M. Kruse, Ibram K. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, Clint Smith, Sonia Sanchez, Gregory Pardlo, Kiese Laymon, Patricia Smith, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Joshua Bennet, Natasha Tretheway, Camille T. Dungy, Rita Dove, Terry McMillan, Danez Smith, A. Van Jordan, Jasmine Mans, Yaa Gyasi, Forrest Hamer, Evie Shockley, Tracey K. Smith, ZZ Packer, Darryl Pickney, Lynn Nottage, Cornelius Eady, Tim Siebles, Tyehimba Jess, Jesmyn Ward, Barry Jenkins, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Robert Jones Jr., Eve L. Ewing, Yusef Komunyakaa, Terrance Hayes, Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, Nikkey Finney, Vievee Francis, and Claudia Rankine.

This is not an opinion piece. This is history, the true history, that many would like to see ignored. There is fear in accepting the truth. So many have criticized this book without even reading it, without looking at the evidence, despite the fact that the evidence has always been there. This piece also draws parallels from the dawn of the revolution to today’s politics. It discusses racism, and the policies that freed the enslaved but made sure that they could not rise were kept down by segregation and were not given the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They discuss how law enforcement policies were actually inspired by Slave Patrols-units that were formed to hunt down runaway slaves. They discuss how the Black body is automatically seen as criminal and therefore more subject to imprisonment and execution. This piece discusses everything from traffic laws and how white people opposed the MARTA in Georgia. Systematic racism has been embedded in every aspect of our society.

But there is hope.

The book concludes with what needs to be done in order to become the great nation that we claim to be. A great nation would acknowledge our history and make reparations and laws to atone for the injustice and make sure it never happens again.

"Frederick Reynolds' story is one that must be read with earnestness, so lessons can be learned from his experiences."

Check out my full review at InD'tale Magazine:
https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/july_august_mag_2022?fr=sMDBjNTQ5MzMzNjI

"Adrift in Starlight" entices with intergalactic adventure, dragons, and pirate duels, but the real star is the representation!"

Check out my full review at InD'tale Magazine:https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/july_august_mag_2022?fr=sMDBjNTQ5MzMzNjI