It isn’t every day that you come across a wealthy Black family. But in Chicago, Illinois, it is possible. Set in the Jim Crow Era, the Davenport kids are trying to live up to their parents’ expectations. Their brain tells them to follow the rules, but their hearts say otherwise. Olivia, the elder daughter, tries to love Mr. Lawrence, she really does, but when a civil rights activist gets involved, he ignites a new fire in Olivia and takes over her heart. Helen, the younger daughter, never believed in finding romance, that is unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Ruby, Olivia’s best friend, always thought that John, the eldest Davenport child, was her soulmate. Everything seems to be going her way until their maid steals his heart, and someone else steals hers. Amy-Rose, former friend and now maid of the Davenport daughters, has had a crush on John for as long as she can remember. And she starts to think that maybe he does too.
The Davenports is the perfect multiple perspective romance novel. It includes multiple plot twists and stolen kisses that are sure to make your heart melt. I loved how each character shows development through their relationships. This book had absolutely no flaws in my eyes and this is a must read for romance fanatics.
One memorable thing was from Olivia’s story. Washington DeWight and Olivia are marching on the streets of Chicago, fighting for their rights when they get caught. Their escape takes a turn for the better when she finally admits to herself, her feelings for Washington.
The Legacy Club is not just any elite club; it offers its members a lifetime of privilege and influence that extends far beyond the boundaries of a typical social circle. Membership in this prestigious club guarantees safety, security, and connections that can shape one’s destiny. However, gaining entry is no easy feat, as prospective members must undergo a rigorous week of events and culminate their journey with the extravagant Legacy Ball. The story revolves around four high school seniors from Excelsior Prep who are nominated as Legacies: Bernie Kaplan, Isobel Rothcroft, Skyler Hawkins, and Tori Tasso. While Bernie, Isobel, and Skyler come from wealthy families with long-standing pedigrees that ensure their membership, Tori is an unexpected nominee. Hailing from Queens as a scholarship student, Tori has never quite fit into the world of luxury inhabited by her peers, and the mystery lies in how she managed to secure her place among the elite. As the night of the Legacy Ball approaches, anticipation builds, however, no one expects for their own secrets to be exposed and ruthlessly shadowed.
This novel explores elements of privilege, identity, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to protect their own reputations, delving into the complexities of social hierarchies, and illustrating to us readers the contrast between the lives of the wealthy elite and those on the outskirts, looking in. “The Legacies” is a neatly crafted novel that combines aspects of mystery, suspense, and drama to establish multiple plotlines, that kept me guessing. Characters within this story are very well-developed and extremely relatable, each harboring their own agendas and vulnerabilities. Occasionally, I found myself irritated at how Tori kept comparing herself to other nominees; it seemed this formed the majority of her personality. Moreover, some perspectives felt lacking and did not contribute fully to the writing, especially Isobel’s, and this prompted me to skip through them. Despite this, the pacing of this book is excellent, with each chapter leaving me eager to unravel the mysteries that surround the characters. The author’s vivid descriptions brought the world of the Legacy Club to life, immersing me into a world of luxury and excess. Despite clearly containing elements of similar novels such as Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, I did not find the writing to be cliché as it explored unique themes head-on, although the mystery itself was predictable. Overall, this novel is a suspenseful one that will keep readers hooked, from start to finish, and I recommend it to fans of mystery and drama.
A memorable part to this story is its numerous points of view, spread across multiple timelines. I found it to be quite confusing at first, although as I continued reading I was able to make sense out of the chronicles this novel presented to me. The majority of characters in their own perspectives allowed me to see beyond what was presented of their character to others within the novel, and I was able to connect more to them as a result. I especially was able to look beyond the attitude of a select few, and this allowed me to appreciate the novel even further.
Izzy has always loved studying the culture of the 1920s through books and movies, especially her favorite murder mysteries. As a graduation present, her best friend Kassidy gifts her and five friends with a week on an isolated island in which they intend to spend the week acting out the 1920s. However, when one of their friends is murdered, the island becomes a trap. Izzy and her surviving friends are held on the island in a weeklong interrogation with two detectives because a terrible storm is preventing travel from the island. Each of the friends has a motive, and it is only so long until the detectives will find what they are hiding.
I really enjoyed this book because it was different from other books of the genre. Despite undergoing a murder investigation where they have no escape from the constant watch of the detectives, the characters all stuck together loyally instead of betraying each other like one would expect in such a high-stress environment. Each of the characters had a very plausible motive, which I appreciated because usually when reading murder mysteries the culprit becomes obvious right away, but in this book I was genuinely guessing until the end. I also enjoyed how the detectives were given real personalities outside of the investigation, unlike how in most books detectives are portrayed as cold, flat characters in order to signify the cruelty of the criminal justice system. Finally, I enjoyed the effective blend of well-researched 1920s culture with modern day life. I would recommend this book to fans of murder mysteries, those who enjoy reading about powerful friendships that can survive anything, and people who enjoy learning about the 1920s. However, I will caution that this book was not seriously researched regarding all of the nuances and different aspects of the 1920s. The author pays tribute to popular music, movies, fashion, and dance of the time period, but it is not a historical novel.
One memorable thing about this book was that every character seemed like they could be the killer. Each of them had evidence pointing to their involvement, they all had realistic motives, and they all had alibis, so this book truly keeps the audience guessing someone different on every page.
If you’re looking for an inspirational read, then you’ll love The Bodyguard Unit, a nonfiction graphic novel that shares a peek at the women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century. This book offers a unique look into this movement, focusing on Edith Garrud and her teaching jujitsu to British women suffragettes so they could defend themselves against attacks from soldiers and police. The women in this remarkable story struggled a lot to get what they deserved – more votes. They were put into jail or even killed when peacefully marching.
There were many interesting historical events such as when they finally got the rights they deserved and much about Edith Garrud. There were also many “larger-than-life” characters who risked everything to fight for their rights. The illustrations in the book captured the essence of the time it took place, which I really liked. I also loved the slight humor between the characters and very much enjoyed the cute romance between Edith and her husband, William. Overall, The Bodyguard Unit is an engaging and delightful book that definitely kept me hooked from start to finish.
I think that one memorable detail was that there was the use of the word “gaol” which is not a word now but was used in the 1900’s. The word “gaol” meant “jail” at the time. It’s not an important detail, but it felt meaningful to me and I believe it contributed to the authenticity of the time period.
Revolution. Roma and Juliette, heirs to competing gangs that dominate over Shanghai, are mortal enemies; however, seeing as the population is quickly infested by a mysterious disease that is causing people to rip their throats out, they have been forced to investigate the occurrences together. As the story progresses, readers learn that Roma and Juliette had dated in secret 4 years before, until Roma almost killed Juliette by betraying her. Throughout the book, Chloe Gong takes canonical scenes that had taken place in the Shakespheres’s play and implement similar yet contextually sound versions in her own and weaves a beautiful yet tragic reimagined tale that piques the readers’ interest until the very end.
This book, and all the books in the Secret Shanghai series, takes place in a historical fantasy 1920s Shanghai. While obviously taking major creative leaps, the book’s subplot follows the Chinese Revolution. This book, in particular, does not utilize this subplot as much as Chloe Gong’s other books. It focuses on Roma, Juliette, and their respective close family members. My personal favorite subplot, and characters, are Roma’s cousin and his best friend, who later get into a relationship; this plot isn’t exactly relevant throughout the story, but I loved it.
This book is one of the most immersive and complex books I’ve ever read. The characters and their interactions felt real, and I could easily picture the scenes in my head. Chloe Gong successfully chooses sub-plots that flesh out all her characters yet avoid wordiness and almost ‘cluttered’ writing. One minor ‘issue’ I had when reading this book was how many difficult words there were; I had my phone dictionary on hand the entire time. However, it fits the ‘Shakespeare’ theme, and I could usually guess the meanings of the words; I look past that con. Roma and Juliette were already perfectly written in the first book, but Chloe further perfects them by revealing secrets that changed the meaning of their relationship. Overall, this book was packed with substantial writing, and this book, in particular, led to me reading all of her released books.
While this book is focused on Roma and Juliette, I think that one particular side plot romance, which is a somewhat twist, was really cute. I guessed it from the beginning, but I will let you find it out for yourself. Chloe writes characters and their personality/emotions extremely well, and I find character development to be the most important in a novel.
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 