One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon - Review

I got this book in the library in December. It caught my eye because I've read other books by Nicola Yoon and enjoyed them, so I picked this up. It's her first book for adults so I was really intrigued and checked it out. I started reading it just after Christmas but didn't get it finished because of how busy I was, so it just sneaked into 2026 and was my first finish on New Year's Day! I really liked it, I hope Nicola writes more books for adults!

The book is about a Black woman called Jasmyn and her family. She is married to King and they have a son and another one on the way. They've made quite a lot of money and have been living in Los Angeles, but then King wants the family to move to Liberty. That's a town in California where only Black people live. It's a gated community type of place and pretty exclusive. Jasmyn isn't sold on it, but King is pretty insistent on the move.

Once they get there, Jasmyn struggles to fit in. She quickly manages to annoy some of her neighbours, who are like the elders of the community and who ostracise her. King, though, fits in immediately, and begins spending too much time at the wellness centre which is a focal point of the town. He encourages Jasmyn to join too, but she's busy with work and her child. She also hoped that she would find like minded people in Liberty - people who are interested in social justice and rights for Black people and all of that stuff. But she can't find anyone else who thinks like she does, and she's disappointed. 

She goes to the wellness centre for a pregnancy massage and she hears screaming and tries to run towards it, but she's stopped by the overly polite and extremely firm staff. She does meet two friends who are politically minded like she is, but they end up changing too and Jasmyn is trying to find out what on earth is going on in Liberty. 

I loved the book. It did slow a bit in parts but it kept me reading. I liked Jasmyn and desperately wanted her to succeed. There were a bunch of twists and turns and the twist at the end really shocked me. I loved the set up and all the supporting characters. I'm giving this five out of five. 

Whiteout by Angie Thomas, Nicola Yoon, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Tiffany D Jackson, and Nic Stone - Review

Can you remember the book Blackout by the same group of authors as above, which I reviewed here? I loved it, so when I saw that the same six amazing authors had written another book I really wanted to read it. It turned out to be 99p on Kindle after Christmas, so I bought it and picked it up over New Year. It is set just a few days before Christmas, but it isn't particularly 'Christmassy', so I'd say you could read it whenever. It does feature a once in a generation snowstorm hitting Atlanta, Georgia, hence the name. 

The book starts with Stevie, who is a very clever scientist who has a dreamy romantic for a girlfriend, Sola. The two of them have been friends forever and then started a relationship. They have their futures all set out: university together, marriage, kids, all of that. Sola plans a special meal with her family - including some from out of town - so that the two of them can come out as a couple. However Stevie messes it up and Sola is left angry and embarassed. Stevie has her phone taken away so can't contact Sola for days. She finally gets her phone back on the day that the book is set, when she finds Sola's ultimatum: Stevie has to apologise by midnight or they're over for good. Stevie asks her group chat for help and then takes off in an Uber to the local stadium, where her friend's brother works, so that she can get her plan underway. 

So first of all there's Kaz and Porsha. Kaz has a massive crush on Porsha and plans to tell her today, when his family will be celebrating Eid late, with a huge breaking of the fast meal. He's got it all planned out. The two of them head to the mall to help Stevie, but while there, the mall shuts because of the snow, and Kaz and Porsha get stranded as their car breaks down. But Kaz does tell Porsha how he feels, and it's adorable.

Evan Rose is Stevie's best friend, but she attends a private school a way away, and is coming home for the holidays. Stevie and Sola have been to the school and considered going, but ultimately didn't. But they did do like a camp there, and Stevie wants a souvenir that Evan Rose has managed to bring with her. Evan Rose is also travelling with Van, who she's been having an on and off thing with. But Evan Rose also had a thing with someone else, who they end up running into at the airport... it's messy and I liked it!

Next there's Jordyn who is driving home from Howard university (which is where Stevie and Sola want to go) (and which I know is historically a black university thanks to the Real Housewives of Potomac, haha). She is bringing home some branded stuff for Sola, from Stevie. She's also driving her friend Omari home. The two of them kissed and haven't spoken since, so maybe 'friends' is a stretch, but... Then they get stranded on the motorway due to the snow and Jordyn feels really bad that she's letting Stevie down by not getting the stuff to her. She isn't exactly friends with Stevie - her sister Jimi is. But as with Blackout, everyone in this book is connected. 

Then there's Jimi herself. She is busking near the stadium by herself. She was in a band with two people called Kennedy and Rakeem, and she had a strict no love songs policy in their band. Then Kennedy and Rakeem revelead they were seeing each other and wanted to write love songs, and Jimi got upset so the band is kind of on a break. She's busking in the snow when her old friend, now known as rapper Lil Kinsey, turns up. It turns out that Jimi wrote him a love song years ago and he never told her how he felt about it, and now he's world famous. The two end up getting involved in Stevie's thing while maybe having a thing with each other...

Finally there's Ava and Mason, who work together at the aquarium where Stevie's mum is the director. They used to be together but have broken up. But does that mean they can't be friends? They're trying to choose a perfect gift for Sola from the gift shop. 

So will Stevie's big gesture work? That's the question! This is a glorious book, filled with Black joy and Black queer joy. It's lovely! I'm giving this five out of five. 

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon - Review

I saw someone reading this book on instagram and thought it looked good, so bought it a few weeks later. I'm lucky that I can often afford books when I want to just pick them up. I also do like to support authors of colour, especially black authors, and I'm lucky I can afford to do that too!

So this book was the brain child of Dhonielle Clayton, who I have not yet read anything else by. It is set in a New York black out and has a bunch of different characters, all of whom are connected but they may not realise exactly how. Each set of characters has a love story and they are all SO CUTE. All of the characters are black, I think, which was great to read. 

The main characters are Tammi and Kareem. They both turn up for the same internship and just as they're getting stuff sorted the black out starts. They used to be a couple but have broken up. Tammi had different plans for the two of them post school and for college, but now she's got plans of her own to get out of the city. Hence the internship. But now she and Kareem need to walk back to Bed-Stuy together. Tammi is still angry at him but also full of regrets... 

Next, two boys get stuck together on a subway train. They kind of know each other - and had an encounter in a gay club not too long back. JJ knows that Tremaine is very claustrophobic so he breaks them out of the train and gets them to safety. I loved this story, I could have read a whole novel about these two!

Two girls meet at the home one of their grandparents lives in. He knows they will hit it off so sends them off on a wild hunt around the home. Lana and Tristan are in the library when the black out happens and are trying to find their favourite books of all time. Lana has a huge crush on Tristan but daren't tell anyone. Her two dads had a very meet cute beginning to their relationship and Lana really believes in love. A girl visiting from North Carolina or something has a crush on one of the boys in her class, who she's also travelling with, but there's the problem of her boyfriend... And Seymour and Grace meet when he's her cab driver trying to get her to Bed-Stuy for a party - the same party that Kareem is supposed to DJ at. 

Between each story we go back to Tammi and Kareem and watch them trying to make their long way home. 

It's an interesting concept for a book and I think it worked really well; I liked the back and forth and the little vignettes. I loved the setting of the black out and how it made familiar things unfamiliar. I liked how New York City looked through all of the characters. I'm giving this five out of five, I loved it! 

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon - Review and Blog Tour

(This is a proof copy)

Where did I get it? I signed up to the blog tour and then I was lucky enough to win a raffled proofy copy. It arrived and I had forgotten signing up for the tour, but I was very excited to get stuck in to it! I read The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola years and years ago. 

What's it about? Evie is a senior in high school. She lives with her mum and sister Danica. She used to love romance novels and used to believe in Happily Ever After, but ever since her parents split up and she discovered her dad was cheating on her mum, she's lost her faith in love. She donates all her books to a little free library, and as she does she meets a mysterious woman who insists she takes a book called Instructions for Dancing. 

The book seems to give Evie magical powers - when she sees a couple kiss she can see their entire relationship planned out, including when and how they will break up. This makes her believe in true love even less. She tells her friend Martin about her visions. 

The book contains the address for a dance studio not far from Evie's house, so, encouraged by her Martin, she goes along. There, she meets instructor Fifi, and X, a rock musician from New York who, fuelled by tragedy in his personal life, is determined to say yes to everything in life. Fifi wants Evie and X to dance together in an amateur competition. Evie does think X is beautiful and smart and funny, but she's determined to not fall in love. 

Plus she's still not talking to her dad, unwilling to forgive him. 

This is a lovely romantic book. Evie and X are completely loveable characters with complex lives. I liked Evie's friends too, even though we don't see as much of them as I'd have liked. I loved the setting and all the minor characters. I lounged in bed one Friday morning finishing this book because I absolutely loved it and I wanted to know what happened, and it was worth it. 

What age range is it for? 14+ I think 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? There's a subplot with two queer characters, which I won't spoil but which I did like 

Are any main characters people of colour? Yes, I think the only white people are Martin and their friend Cassidy.  

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No 

Is there any sex stuff? Very brief mentions 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No I don't think so

Is there any talk of death? Yes, and it was SO SAD. 

Are there swear words? A few, judiciously used 

 

What criticisms do I have? None. Not one. It's lovely 

Would I recommend the book? Yep yep yep! 

What do I think of the cover? It's lovely and vibrant! I would pick it up in a book shop 

 

What other books is it like? It reminded me of anything by Elizabeth Acevedo. 

How many stars? Five out of five 

 

Where is the book going now? I will probably lend it to my friend Lucinda! 

 

Instructions for Dancing is out now. I was given a free copy of the novel for review purposes but was not compensated in any other way for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.