Lily McClure

I have not even finished reading this book because I just cannot stand it. The book is stereotypical in everything it portrays. Many of the black characters are made into stereotypes. It's painful to read. The part that most repulsed me most was how the abuse from Kya's father was depicted. I dislike the way Owens portrayed the abuse because it, too, was just exceedingly stereotypical. Father gets drunk, father beats wife, father beats kids. Physical violence is not the only form of abuse, and anytime physical violence is present, it is always accompanied by psychological abuse. The book does not at all touch on the psychological aspects of abuse. Dialogue throughout the book is limited, stereotypical, and seems to be focused more on showcasing dialects and vocabularies than providing the reader a clearer understanding of characters or progressing the plot. This book is so painfully (I'm gonna say it again) stereotypical! It sucks! Very boring! Very inaccurate! Very hard to read!