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.