Slay by Brittany Morris

“By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man."

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination."

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?”

I picked up the audio version of this book on a whim completely unprepared for what the story entailed. Kiera Johnson is one of the few Black students at her high school, along with her sister Stephanie and her boyfriend Malcolm. Outside of school, Kiera has created an online gaming universe where Blacks from around the world can play without facing discrimination that is sometimes found in other role-playing games. No one knows about Keira's role in the creation of SLAY.

When a teenager is murdered in his own home over SLAY, the world begins to take notice of the game. Faced with the fact that her identity may be revealed and possible repercussions for the murder, Kiera has no one to turn to, especially when a new player to SLAY is determined to destroy the game.

This book hit me with all the feels and the identity of Dred Scott blew me away. An excellent read!

Visit Brittany Morris’ website.

 

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (Letters to the Lost book 2)

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (Letters to the Lost book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a companion story to Letters to the Lost. You can read this one without having read the first book but there are several spoilers or scenes that will make more sense if you do. 

“Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected.” -taken from Goodreads.com

I loved learning more about Rev Fletcher's troubled childhood and how he has moved beyond it. Rev and Declan's friendship continues to shine through this book. Emma Blue was a character that I liked but I wanted to smack some sense into her at times. She made some stupid decisions but this is really Rev's book and his story propels everything forward.

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.