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A review by tanya_tate
Slay by Brittney Morris
Did not finish book.
Review Spoilers
Book Stats
Stars: DNFED @20%
Start Date : 02/9/2020
Ending Date: 02/15/2020
Genre: YA Contemporary, Own Voice
Form: Digital Copy and Audiobook
Page Count: 323 pages
Publishing Date: 2019
Point of View: 1st Person
Setting: Modern Day
What I thought I was going to get: Warcross seasoned in with Black Girl STEAM Magic just in time for Black History Month.That could have been on the same lines as The Hate U Give
What I got: A black girl that was so close to being Black Girl Steam Magic but her Killmonger wannabe boyfriend took all the life out of it... Since he was so stuck of trying to being a woke black man who had strong opinion about the Black Culture but doesn't understand shit about it.
I just couldn't related to this it at all. That's beling a black girl who felt like when she was younger that I had to hide a part of who I was.
So Slay is pretty much about a 17 year old black gamer girl, named Kiera Johnson. A smart black girl who goes to a majority white school at day and is the creator and developer of Slay at night . A visual reality card based game that are based of aspects of the black culture. Which she goes by the name of Emerald in the game. It supposed to be a safe space for Blacks so in a sense it supposed to do the same thing HBCUS's did and still do for Blacks People. A place where black people can come together and have fun since it's underground . One of the players supposed to get murdered but I didn't stay long to see that play through.
I have a question tho
How the hell did she get the money to not only do this but to keep it up?
And to do it without anyone noticing? Like How the hell can she buy a big ass server and put it in her room without anyone noticing?
Like how??
It's impossible! Essentially the fact the game supposed to be huge with nice ass graphics and a lot of people play it??
Really??
Don't get me start with Malcolm.. Kiera's boyfriend that she's so in love with that she's pretty much planning her whole damn future around. Since she's planning on going to an HBCU in Atlanta (Spelman) cause he's going to one as well. ( Morehouse He doesn't deserve to go to the same school MLK Jr. went to) Who she says that he "gets her" and she can be herself around but doesn't even know about Slay since he doesn't like video games. Since he says video games oppressed black people. ( eye roll since video games is apart of black culture as well cough NBA Live, Madden, Call of Duty,Mario, Fortnite and etc cough) Who feels like a wannabe Killmonger from Black Panther wannabe since he wants to be a woke black man but is so damn sleep. That has strong opinions about the black culture but doesn't understand at all . Who transfer to the same school Kiera cause he got expelled from school but somehow are parents are ok with him. Even more ok with the fact they are actively having sex in their home. ( Yes Both of her parents are black. Shocker I know.) ( I read a spoiler about him and I'm glad I decided to dip out early.
Also you have her younger sister named Steph which seem like was going to be the best character in the book. Besides Claire aka Cicada A black girl who live in Paris, France who is pretty much Keira's partner in crime/ second in command in Slay.
Then you got Harper and her brother who seems like a bitch since she want to do Culture appropriation things (like having Dreads and maybe wear a Native American Headdress) and asking Kiera ( who besides her sister and couple other blacks) are the only black kid in the school is ok for her to do so. Since Kiera's black , Harper thinks she should know all things black and give her permission to do it. She's pretty much Haley from T.H.U.G but with no bite. ( Cause I wanted Starr to punch her ass again in that book)
Which leads me to a problem I'm beginning to see in Black " Own Voices" Books.
I don't know why " Black Main character and her siblings transferred to a majority white school" trope that I'm seeing popping up in Black Own Voices" books is bothering me. I understand why it's there to show that public schools ( especially predominantly Black and PoC schools in predominantly Black and Poc Neighborhoods )are failing since the social economic status of most of the neighborhood is low while the majority white schools have the resources to succeed and are in good neighborhoods.
Being black girl born and raised in Selma, Alabama I absolutely get it for real.
But here's the thing.
It's starting to feel like a fantasy to me because me and I know countless other black kids, we didn't have luxury. We had to make due with the education that we got going to a poor public school with poverty stricken neighborhoods.
Would I have loved to transfer to other school to get a better education? Yes But living in a small town where in the city had one high school you went to unless you live in the country where you had two options, you make due with what you have. Even if resources where very limited. I'm glad now that my town is trying to make strides in order for the black kids to have better opportunities than the ones before. That STEAM is finally being incorporated into the schools which actually having a positive impact in the School System. I understand how it's portrayed in the books with the previous school the MC went to being ganged infected and not qualified teachers who doesn't prepared the students for college. I understand that but some of us we just had to work our butts off a little harder even tho we was already behind.
Can I please have one black book where the MC stays in her school where she's working her asss off to make it even tho the odds are against her? Please!
Which this book felt like it was trying to be something that it's not and I'm glad I decided to drop it before I got farther.
When I first read the summary of this book I was like " Oooo A book almost like Warcross by Marie Lu but with a black PoC! A Black Gamer Girl! How Cool"
But now I felt like I have been cheated of that experience with rushed writing and a MC that could be great if she dumps her BF, tell everyone about the Game she created, and follow her own path rather it's choosing a HBCU or going to fucking M.I.T. and becoming a billionaire.
Now that would have Slayed.
Tanya
Book Stats
Stars: DNFED @20%
Start Date : 02/9/2020
Ending Date: 02/15/2020
Genre: YA Contemporary, Own Voice
Form: Digital Copy and Audiobook
Page Count: 323 pages
Publishing Date: 2019
Point of View: 1st Person
Setting: Modern Day
What I thought I was going to get: Warcross seasoned in with Black Girl STEAM Magic just in time for Black History Month.That could have been on the same lines as The Hate U Give
What I got: A black girl that was so close to being Black Girl Steam Magic but her Killmonger wannabe boyfriend took all the life out of it... Since he was so stuck of trying to being a woke black man who had strong opinion about the Black Culture but doesn't understand shit about it.
I just couldn't related to this it at all. That's beling a black girl who felt like when she was younger that I had to hide a part of who I was.
So Slay is pretty much about a 17 year old black gamer girl, named Kiera Johnson. A smart black girl who goes to a majority white school at day and is the creator and developer of Slay at night . A visual reality card based game that are based of aspects of the black culture. Which she goes by the name of Emerald in the game. It supposed to be a safe space for Blacks so in a sense it supposed to do the same thing HBCUS's did and still do for Blacks People. A place where black people can come together and have fun since it's underground . One of the players supposed to get murdered but I didn't stay long to see that play through.
I have a question tho
How the hell did she get the money to not only do this but to keep it up?
And to do it without anyone noticing? Like How the hell can she buy a big ass server and put it in her room without anyone noticing?
Like how??
It's impossible! Essentially the fact the game supposed to be huge with nice ass graphics and a lot of people play it??
Really??
Don't get me start with Malcolm.. Kiera's boyfriend that she's so in love with that she's pretty much planning her whole damn future around. Since she's planning on going to an HBCU in Atlanta (Spelman) cause he's going to one as well. ( Morehouse He doesn't deserve to go to the same school MLK Jr. went to) Who she says that he "gets her" and she can be herself around but doesn't even know about Slay since he doesn't like video games. Since he says video games oppressed black people. ( eye roll since video games is apart of black culture as well cough NBA Live, Madden, Call of Duty,Mario, Fortnite and etc cough) Who feels like a wannabe Killmonger from Black Panther wannabe since he wants to be a woke black man but is so damn sleep. That has strong opinions about the black culture but doesn't understand at all . Who transfer to the same school Kiera cause he got expelled from school but somehow are parents are ok with him. Even more ok with the fact they are actively having sex in their home. ( Yes Both of her parents are black. Shocker I know.) ( I read a spoiler about him and I'm glad I decided to dip out early.
Also you have her younger sister named Steph which seem like was going to be the best character in the book. Besides Claire aka Cicada A black girl who live in Paris, France who is pretty much Keira's partner in crime/ second in command in Slay.
Then you got Harper and her brother who seems like a bitch since she want to do Culture appropriation things (like having Dreads and maybe wear a Native American Headdress) and asking Kiera ( who besides her sister and couple other blacks) are the only black kid in the school is ok for her to do so. Since Kiera's black , Harper thinks she should know all things black and give her permission to do it. She's pretty much Haley from T.H.U.G but with no bite. ( Cause I wanted Starr to punch her ass again in that book)
Which leads me to a problem I'm beginning to see in Black " Own Voices" Books.
I don't know why " Black Main character and her siblings transferred to a majority white school" trope that I'm seeing popping up in Black Own Voices" books is bothering me. I understand why it's there to show that public schools ( especially predominantly Black and PoC schools in predominantly Black and Poc Neighborhoods )are failing since the social economic status of most of the neighborhood is low while the majority white schools have the resources to succeed and are in good neighborhoods.
Being black girl born and raised in Selma, Alabama I absolutely get it for real.
But here's the thing.
It's starting to feel like a fantasy to me because me and I know countless other black kids, we didn't have luxury. We had to make due with the education that we got going to a poor public school with poverty stricken neighborhoods.
Would I have loved to transfer to other school to get a better education? Yes But living in a small town where in the city had one high school you went to unless you live in the country where you had two options, you make due with what you have. Even if resources where very limited. I'm glad now that my town is trying to make strides in order for the black kids to have better opportunities than the ones before. That STEAM is finally being incorporated into the schools which actually having a positive impact in the School System. I understand how it's portrayed in the books with the previous school the MC went to being ganged infected and not qualified teachers who doesn't prepared the students for college. I understand that but some of us we just had to work our butts off a little harder even tho we was already behind.
Can I please have one black book where the MC stays in her school where she's working her asss off to make it even tho the odds are against her? Please!
Which this book felt like it was trying to be something that it's not and I'm glad I decided to drop it before I got farther.
When I first read the summary of this book I was like " Oooo A book almost like Warcross by Marie Lu but with a black PoC! A Black Gamer Girl! How Cool"
But now I felt like I have been cheated of that experience with rushed writing and a MC that could be great if she dumps her BF, tell everyone about the Game she created, and follow her own path rather it's choosing a HBCU or going to fucking M.I.T. and becoming a billionaire.
Now that would have Slayed.
Tanya