Berls
Written on Dec 25, 2021
However, it was REALLY REALLY good. I mean, it wasn’t a burden to read it in a little over a day (just finished this morning). It did require me checking the audio version out from the library so I could read it off and on with the Kindle version I was already reading. But I enjoyed it even more than I expected.
What I expected to like was the diversity of characters. It felt like the real world (at least my real world) where you have melting pot of races, sexualities, and backgrounds. The main character – Alice – is a Black, Bi-Sexual, Asexual, woman. So she alone brings in a lot of diversity. Add in her friends, including her romantic interest Takumi (Japanese) and the diversity is fantastic.
What I didn’t expect – and the reason why I think this should fly to the top of TBR lists everywhere – was to learn something. A lot rather. I consider myself fairly “woke,” especially in regard to sexual and racial diversity. But I had some deeply flawed perceptions of what it meant to be asexual. Not in the way that poor Alice had encountered – I wasn’t confused into thinking it was unnatural, for example – but I also had wrongly mistook asexuality for not wanting romantic relationships. So going through this romantic journey with Alice was eye opening for me.
I also really enjoyed her path of self-discovery and independence. She’s at that young adult age where you’re in college, trying to adult for the first time but still feeling parental and family pressures to be a specific person, that maybe you don’t want to be. I loved watching her figure it out, make the mature decision to go to therapy, and the way that she dealt with changes in friendships and herself. I also appreciated that she wasn’t glorified as always being the wronged party – she grows and learns that she’s been wrong too in previously relationships; really great personal growth. This was a real coming of age book – also unexpected – and very enjoyable.
Narrator thoughts:
I hadn’t planned to listen to this book but probably ended up listening to half on audio. What a treat that was too. Adenrele Ojo is a fantastic narrator, brand new for me. For a brief moment I thought I was listening to Bahni Turpin, another fantastic narrator. They have some light differences though, once I listened more carefully. But to be mistaken for Bahni Turpin is a great compliment in my book and means I will happily listen to Adenrele Ojo again!
This book qualifies for COYER Fall Scavenger Hunt Item #12 – read a book with a diverse main character.
