Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now

by Dana L Davis

[Sam@WLABB]

I couldn't imagine being thrown into a situation like Tiffany's. While still mourning her mother's death, she was uprooted, and moved into, essentially, a whole new world, and I really enjoyed being there with her while she tried to figure it all out.

•Pro: I had a strong pull towards Tiffany from the very beginning of the story. I absolutely loved her voice, and wanted to know everything about her. She was nursing a lot of pain and sometimes lashed out, but I understood her and empathized with her, and this girl had a wicked sense of humor that I just couldn't get enough of.

•Pro: Marcus!!! He was probably one of the oddest characters I have encountered lately, but I just adored him. His backstory, his mannerisms, and his quirks just endeared him to me, but man, when he talked, I wanted to listen to him. He was definitely on a higher plane.

•Pro: I would say all of the characters were quite interesting and well drawn, but standouts for me were Jo, Marcus' mother, Keelah, Tiffany's best friend, and Juanita, Tiffany's grandmother. I also think I would have loved Tiffany's mother, because the pieces of her that were revealed to us via memories showed she was a very special person.

•Con: This book took on A LOT of issues - racism, self identity, religion/faith, autism, mental health, and self identity to name a few, and sometimes I thought it was a bit much

•Pro: HOWEVER, I did appreciate the way Davis balanced the heavy and the light, thus preventing the story from being too weighty.

•Pro: I cannot pretend I didn't love the way Davis challenged stereotypes in such a straightforward way.

•Pro: Though it was not a main storyline, Tiffany's anxiety and OCD was featured, and I thought it was done well.

•Pro: I had so many emotions. There were times when I was angry, happy, sad, and glad, and I love being taken on that sort of roller coaster.

•Pro: It was interesting practicing Jehovah's Witnesses in a YA book. I think this is a first for me.

•Pro: Characters were able to redeem themselves. This was such an important thing for me, and was glad Davis let her characters grow and change.

Overall: A thought provoking story of family and identity, which made me rage and warmed my heart.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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