Okay, so I did NOT realize this book was going to be this wild!!

We have our main protagonist, who became deaf after getting sick when she was young. One thing I think this book does incredibly well is explore how Black communities sometimes navigate disability without making the story feel like a lecture or an obvious critique.

Our MFC's parents never learned sign language. Instead, they got her hearing aids when she started school and taught her that the world wasn't going to make accommodations for her disability, so she needed to learn how to navigate it.

And honestly...as a Black woman, I understand the complexity of that. It's already hard navigating the world as a Black person, but being Black and disabled adds another layer entirely. Sometimes it feels like there is no room to be vulnerable.

But also...they should have done better. They should have taken the time to support their child and learn ASL instead of placing the responsibility solely on her to be "strong" and adapt.

And I think that's a difficult conversation we sometimes have to have in the Black community. Sometimes the survival skills that helped previous generations navigate the world can unintentionally become the same things that prevent us from giving our children the support and softness they deserve.

What I love is that the author doesn't force the reader to view this through one specific lens. She just tells this character's story, and the commentary is there if you're willing to sit with it. Which I did lol 

Currently, our MFC is engaged to a man who is not treating her the way he should be. And his parents?! HORRIBLE. This book will have you wanting to jump into the pages and wring someone's neck.

What I was NOT expecting was our MMC.

Because this man is...a lot. 😂

He is confident, unapologetic, sexually liberated (this man is spicy friends), he's friends with illegal drag racers, and a successful business owner who truly does not care what people think of him.

And when I first found out about his lifestyle, I was genuinely shocked because the contrast between him and our MFC is so interesting.

We have this bubbly, sensitive Black woman who has spent so much of her life allowing people to overstep her boundaries.

And then we have this man who says exactly what he thinks, knows exactly who he is, and refuses to apologize for it.

This book has been the BEST surprise, and I'm so happy my Instagram audience picked it for me to read.

I'm about 50% through the audiobook, and I am addicted.

At first, the pacing was really fast, but then the author slowed things down and gave us time to truly understand both the MFC and MMC. That slower section was needed because now that we know these characters, the story is about to pick back up with some new information coming to light.

Anywho...what are y'all currently reading?