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Jan 20, 2019goddessbeth rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS This is a tough one to review, because I'm a fan of "own voices" books (i.e., non-white/non-straight/non-cisgender authors writing non-white/non-cisgender/non-straight MCs) and narratives with supporting folklore (bonus points if it's actual folklore from somewhere in the world). I actually put off reviewing this book for a week because I was genuinely concerned that my feelings about this book might be an indication that I've got a bias against non-white MCs or authors. (constant vigilance!) I really liked the premise of this book. Ancestral magic in an urban setting, art that's alive, and a unique setting. The biggest letdown was my utterly inability to connect with Sierra. She's got some fun moments of sassy independence that are almost a lampooning of typical damsel-in-distress tropes. But she never felt genuinely vulnerable or flawed, and so almost everything seemed superficial- her friendships, her concern, her handling of the Chosen One trope (which is another thing that distanced me from the story). She doesn't emotionally process anything, nor does that appear to affect her. The environment was a large factor- I can only assume the author knows NYC intimately. If you know anything about Bed-Stuy (and I didn't- thanks, Wikipedia!) you'll probably be tickled at all the local references. But as someone who does not live in NYC and has no touchstone, I was lost with all the references. It just felt like a wedge, driving me from the narrative, instead of utilizing the environment as a plot device. The ensemble cast was so much background noise- representation in name but not in fact, in that we didn't learn anything about anyone (except Robbie and his epic tattoos, shaggy dreads, wicked artistic talent, dance skills, and heart of gold). I can tell you two of the characters are lesbians, but I can't tell you how they move, what they care about, what they love and hate about knowing Sierra, etc. That sort of thing- and plenty of stories have characters-as-set-dressing, but with the lack of feeling connected to the MC, I was looking to her interactions with her friends to give me reasons to give a damn. I did feel like the "you're too black" crap that Sierra's aunt was slinging came from a genuine place. I don't buy the interactions there, either, but it was nice to see that kind of subtle tearing down within a family dynamic (which I feel is realistic) and the chance for empowerment/self-affirmation it gave Sierra. Also, the sexism within her family (realistic to me because a) Latino cultures tend to be male-as-the-head and b) of course in a system of magic people will draw gender lines as division- even non-magic contemporary skills get these meaningless gender divisions applied). This book has ZERO plot twists. None. Every assumption Sierra makes, every mystery inexplicably solved, every chance encounter- none of it is a red herring. And, to me as a reader, that's like the author telling me I'm not smart enough to figure anything out so they're not going to bother throwing me anything twisty. (I have this beef with TV shows, as well) So basically, the villain is the villain with no surprises, and Sierra's pure assumption about this stranger's motives turn out to be totally true and no one is surprised.