Item: Watch Us Rise
Rating: 2.00
Author: amber

by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

This stunning book is the story I've been waiting for my whole life; where girls rise up to claim their space with joy and power." --Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Speak

An extraordinary story of two indomitable spirits. --Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling co-author of All American Boys and Tradition

Timely, thought-provoking, and powerful. --Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin'

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Renee Watson teams up with poet Ellen Hagan in this YA feminist anthem about raising your voice.

Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission--they're sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post their work online--poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial microaggressions she experiences--and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by trolls. When things escalate in real life, the principal shuts the club down. Not willing to be silenced, Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices--and those of other young women--to be heard.
These two dynamic, creative young women stand up and speak out in a novel that features their compelling art and poetry along with powerful personal journeys that will inspire readers and budding poets, feminists, and activists.

Acclaim for Piecing Me Together
2018 Newbery Honor Book
2018 Coretta Scott King Author Award
2017 Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Young Adult Finalist
Timely and timeless. --Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming
Watson, with rhythm and style, somehow gets at . . . the life-changing power of voice and opportunity. --Jason Reynolds, NYT-bestselling author of Long Way Down
Brilliant. --John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
* "Teeming with compassion and insight. --Publishers Weekly, starred review
* A timely, nuanced, and unforgettable story about the power of art, community, and friendship. --Kirkus , starred review
* A nuanced meditation on race, privilege, and intersectionality. --SLJ, starred review

I received Watch Us Rise as a review copy from NetGalley. Obviously, these are my honest thoughts and feelings about the book. I also posted this review on my book blog if you'd like to check it out!

Watch Us Rise had a lot of promise as a feminist YA story, but unfortunately it fell pretty flat for me. I was unable to connect with any of the characters, mostly because they were either lacking substance or completely irritating.

The main problem I had – and the problem that I think a lot of readers will have – is that the feminism in this book felt incredibly forced. It felt unnatural in that the characters were spouting out angry feminist rants at every opportunity. I’m quite disappointed by this, because I felt like the authors failed to portray teen feminists in a realistic way, and instead made them into what almost felt like caricatures or stereotypes.

Chelsea was someone that really grated on my nerves, as she had no personality other than being an angry feminist. She was also pretty crappy towards Jasmine, her best friend.

I’m very disappointed by Watch Us Rise, especially because I was hoping for something on par with The Nowhere Girls, I Stop Somewhere, or Moxie. This could have been better.

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Watch Us Rise

by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

Reviewed by Amber on Mar 23, 2019

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