Book No. 50 of 2020
This is an ideal book club read because omg, I want to discuss the characters with someone so much. While the story is easy and lighthearted (relative to some of the stuff I read), it’s very nuanced and complex re: benevolent and paternalistic racism and the ubiquity of the white savior complex. (I also appreciated the presence of one aggravating character, at one point referred to as an “Uncle Tom-type,” who demonstrates that no group is a monolith and that having a token friend is not a salve for racism.) The story also sets itself up where you expect the typical hallmarks of contemporary romantic fiction, and then surprises you by going in a different direction (and that’s all I’ll say).
The book is very much grounded in our present moment, with elements we recognize: viral phone videos, Instagram, Black Lives Matter, hashtag-girlboss white feminism, and “woke” bros.
Similar Reads
For more fun, Black-centered contemporary fiction with realistic and relatable protagonists, I recommend Jasmine Guillory’s novels, particularly The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and The Wedding Party.
The TV-interview-as-denouement thing reminded me of Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic.