Rating: 3/5 -- this one speaks to fans of Renee Watson Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi's American Street
My Thoughts:
This coming of age story by Echo Brown puts the protagonist, "Echo" in a family and a community that is falling apart at the seams, whether it is from drug addiction, violence, drug addiction, sexual exploitation or all of the above. This is a semi autobiographical novel about the author's own coming of age story as she balances two worlds and finds her magical wizard powers.
It is a story of black girl magic, and it is also a story of the magic that is in every young woman. This story is about healing and resilience through tapping into unlimited power/magic and releasing the black veil that threatens to choke us out. Don't let the subtitle, "The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard," lull you into thinking that this is a fantasy book. The emotions are raw and biting, but her coming into her own power is worth the read.
From the Publisher:
Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson's Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi's American Street.
Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor.
Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.
Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor.
Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.
Publication Information:
- Author: Echo Brown
- Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)
- Publication Date: January 14, 2020
- Print length: 304 pages
- Grade level: 10-12
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