Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

 

On Saturday, I finished reading Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams. This realistic fiction novel is about a thirteen-year-old girl, Genesis Anderson, whose family is evicted from their home in Detroit. Although her dad has drinking and gambling problems, he is able to find them a new place in Farmington Hills, claiming that he will be receiving a promotion at work. Along with these problems at home, Genesis's classmates at her previous schools teased and bullied her about her skin color and she has been adding to a list of reasons why she hates herself for years. Initially, she is not looking forward to starting at a new school again, but she makes a couple of friends when she runs with another girl, Sophia, during gym class and receives math tutoring from a boy, Troy, during lunch a few times a week. Her chorus teacher even encourages her to audition for the school talent show. Unfortunately, Genesis still struggles to accept herself because of her dark skin and even harms herself in her attempts to lighten it. Despite her dad telling her that she has her mom's smile and her mom mentioning she is funny like her dad, it isn't long before she discovers her dad's lies and blames herself for why he drinks. As she learns more about her family's past, she begins to understand the consequences of colorism in her life.

This book was so intense that I found it riveting. Genesis really struggled with who she is, and I definitely empathized with her. It's not easy being in middle school when you're not comfortable in your own skin, and it's even harder when you have problems at home and not many real friends at school. It was concerning, though, when Genesis tried harmful methods of lightening her skin and lied to her parents and friends about it. Reading some of the scenes with her dad, Emory, made me sad, too, because I didn't think he realized just how much he was hurting Genesis and her mom with his addictions and lies. I was nervous that something bad would happen when Emory would leave for days at a time and saw how it's difficult to help someone who doesn't want to help himself. At the same time, I understood it would be a really big decision for Genesis's mom to leave Emory because she loved him very much. Additionally, I was so mad at and frustrated with Genesis's grandma because of how her colorist ideals had an effect on the family. On a lighter note, it made me happy that Genesis was having a better experience at her new school. At the beginning of the book, it really sucked when a group of girls from Genesis's old school agreed to hang out at her house on the same day Genesis's family was evicted and were downright mean about seeing all the furniture in the yard. In contrast, Sophia and Troy were nice, genuine, and cared about Genesis, even when they had disagreements. I loved that they hung out in the library together. Not to mention, the chorus teacher, Mrs. Hill, was awesome. I really enjoyed how she shared music with Genesis and thought she should give trying out for the school talent show a chance. Everyone should have a teacher like Mrs. Hill in their lives. While the ending wasn't tied up neatly, it was hopeful. Anyone who has ever felt insecure or self-conscious about themselves should read Genesis Begins Again.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

 

Two days ago, I finished reading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. This realistic novel-in-verse is about a Syrian girl, Jude, whose father sends her and her mother to live with family in Cincinnati, Ohio when things become too dangerous in their hometown due to the increasing violence in nearby towns. Life in America is different and it takes some time for Jude to adjust, especially because she misses her older brother, Issa, and her best friend, Fatima, so much. Even bonding with her cousin, Sarah, is hard. Not to mention, starting at a new school brings its own challenges. Although Jude knows the answers to math problems, she doesn't know how to explain how she got to the answers in English, and she's also skeptical of her ESL class. Fortunately, her classmates in ESL are great, and she decides that she likes the class after her first day. As the months go by, she makes new friends and even decides to try out for the school musical, Beauty and the Beast, because she wants to be an actress someday. When Issa disappears back in Syria and a terrorist attack occurs in the West, Jude has to cope with her fear for her brother and faces racism in her new home. Through it all, Jude maintains her identity and remains hopeful.

This novel-in-verse was a joy to read because it was so beautifully written. I especially loved the line, "I am learning how to be sad and happy at the same time." I thought it was very powerful and profound. While the book was sad and a little scary at times, there was a sense of hope throughout. I really enjoyed the anticipation that built for Jude's new sister to be born and rooted for Jude to get a speaking role in Beauty and the Beast. The friendships that Jude made with Layla and Miles were very special, too. Jude and Layla connected over their shared heritage when Jude decided to visit a Muslim restaurant that Layla's parents happened to own, while Jude and Miles bonded over his dog, Sputnik, and his love for astronomy. It was also interesting to read how Jude's relationships with her mom and Sarah evolved over the course of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by the end. All in all, Other Words for Home was a very satisfying read, and it's perfect for those who are exploring their identity and/or sometimes don't feel like they belong.

Winter Break Reading

 

Happy New Year, everyone! Over winter break, I read A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff and Clean Getaway by Nic Stone. A Young People's History of the United States is a narrative nonfiction book that tells the story of the United States from Columbus through George W. Bush's presidency. Writing from an anti-war perspective, the book highlights the contributions of workers, enslaved people, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories are not typically told in history books. In doing so, it takes a critical view of the U.S. government, while showing how the country's greatness comes from young people.

I found this book fascinating because it presented a version of U.S. history that I was compelled to know more about. While the civil rights movement was highlighted in my education several times, I feel like other eras were only glossed over, especially in recent history. I don't think I realized just how many strikes, rebellions, riots, and marches there have been throughout the country's history, but the book helped me understand the current events of the last five or so years and how the U.S. has gotten to where it is now. It was infuriating to read how the U.S. government tends to choose military spending over programs that would help the people. Additionally, the authors emphasized that the government often does just enough to prevent mass rebellion, which resonated with me. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the relationship between the government, businesses, and people of the United States.

The second book I read, Clean Getaway, is an adventurous realistic fiction novel about an eleven-year-old boy, William "Scoob" Lamar, who goes on a road trip with his grandmother, G'ma, after he gets in trouble at school and his dad cancels his spring break trip. Although the trip starts innocently enough as they head from Georgia to Alabama, he begins to have questions about G'ma's past and who she is as a person after they stop at a jewelry store and it appears she stole a necklace. Scoob also wonders why she won't talk to his dad on the phone. G'ma does begin to open up as they visit different landmarks of the Civil Rights movement and Scoob learns more about the challenges of her relationship with his grandfather because they were a mixed race couple in the South during the 1960s. As their journey continues through Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas towards Mexico, Scoob becomes increasingly worried about G'ma and the secrets she is keeping from him.

For being fairly short, this novel was such a roller coaster ride, like the roller coasters Scoob and G'ma went on when they stopped at Six Flags over Texas, and the ending is definitely bittersweet. Scoob, G'ma, and the story were funny at times, so I never really expected the end to devastate me like it did. The whole book ended up being very moving, and I really enjoyed it. I loved reading a story about the relationship between a boy and his grandmother because I don't think many books have that type of relationship at its core, at least not the ones I've read. Scoob and G'ma seemed really close, especially when Scoob had a strained relationship with his father because of how he was getting in trouble at school over the the past few months. It was wonderful seeing the growth of Scoob and his father's relationship by the end of the book, though. I also thought the inclusion of a Green Book was important because I learned about them when I saw the movie Green Book a few years ago and knew that black people in the South used them to travel safely in the 1960s and before. Overall, Clean Getaway is an emotional and gripping story for anyone who likes reading about family.