In Every Mirror She's Black

I thought this was an interesting read. I chose to read this because the idea of these 3 completely separate characters in someway being connected and what that could be was interesting to me. I’m a little disappointed because while these characters intersecting was flirted with it wasn’t something that really happened. 2 of 3 characters had story lines that were more developed while the character that created the most empathy for me seemed a little forgotten about. Kemi and Brittany’s characters were stressful.

Kemi trying to navigate an even whiter world than what she had already experienced was interesting. I was rooting for her taking the chance with this opportunity. She definitely had some rocky water to navigate though, some that automatically came with the move and adjusting to the environment; others that she created for herself. I became annoyed with her inability to see that Ragnar was just another person trying to sample her as if it wasn’t something that just happened. I was bothered by how much she let her sister get in her head about her blooming relationship with Tobias. I was disappointed in the end when she almost cheated on him, made the realization that Ragnar just wanted to smash, almost fell for it, then turned around and asked Tobias to uproot his life to be with her. One word. MESSY.

While she had her own issues it drove me crazy how when it came to Brittany she constantly came off as really judgmental. Not every opinion needs to be shared out loud and it seemed like where there was opportunity to connect with her Kemi consistently put her foot in her mouth.

Now we’re not going to make Brittney a saint in this story either. Sis made a lot of questionable decisions. This guy basically stalked this girl and she decides to date him as if stalking isn’t a red flag, rich or not. She saw so many warning signs that this wasn’t going to be a great situation for herself and eventually her baby but kept moving forward with it anyway. While Kemi did have a habit of talking too much about her situation, Britt’s defensiveness was kind of annoying because it was heightened by the fact that she knew this other person was right, to an extent, whether she wanted to hear it or not.

Also worth noting, I was disgusted by Jonny’s entire family and how they handled this whole situation, especially his parents. They could have saved themselves and this girl and this baby a world of heartache if they just called out his bs in the first place and i’m not referring to him being on the spectrum (although his parents refusal to acknowledge it and actually get him the guidance he deserved is disgusting). That I get. It’s the fetishizing part of it. You wait for this girl to have an entire baby by this person and then you want to confirm his fetish for her?

Regardless, Brittney should’ve ran from the beginning.

Now, Muna. I wanted better for her. Her story line had so much potential but seemed to be just a background piece. And what was there was just total heartbreak. She lost, literally every person she even tried to care about and in the end when she does decide to move on in life and starts to carve out a path for herself it ends tragically. Her whole life seemed completely unfair.

All in all. This was a good read. It’s a 3 way perspective on navigating a society that just wasn’t made for you. All 3 of these women’s stories are thought provoking while at times infuriating. I found myself cheering for every win but disappointed wishing they had chosen better for themselves in the next chapter. It also opens up a global conversation about race. So often we think about what it’s like living black wherever we are individually as if racism is only limited to wherever we call home. It’s a worldwide thing that needs to be explored and this book could definitely serve as a conversation starter.

Now, the big question. Would I recommend this book. I'd recommend it but it's definitely not for everyone. It's very well written. The twist at the end is... wow. I'd say give it a shot!