Disclaimer: I listened to this audiobook as part of my BLM research/effort to read more books by Black authors, so I'm reviewing this from the perspective a white woman trying to learn something. My interpretation might be flawed.

During the first chapter, I was a bit thrown by the high school dynamic. I'm 30 and read a lot of fantasy. But it became quickly apparent that the book would be about Kiera's journey in a world of expectations, and some of those were telling her how to exist in the world as a Black woman. The book really ramped up for me when we hit the inside of the game, SLAY, and got to see the world Kiera had been building. The unique combination of fantasy genre concepts and contemporary was a great match for me, and it was easy to know that the author knows what she's talking about when it comes to video games in general.

Kiera's character arch was sweet and passionate, at times universal, and at times, specific to her experience of the world. She's the kind of person I'd love to have in my life, because that drive can be so contagious. There's lots I could talk about, but hey, no spoilers.

There was a specific thing that, even towards the end of the book, I thought the author might not deal with. I was concerned, and getting my battle axe ready to go to war over it. In the end, I was listening with my jaw open at the resolution of it. GGWP.

And finally, as a white reader, I recommend this to other white readers because it spells out many ways the racism affects individuals, and some of the different ways that manifest inside and outside black culture. The book speaks candidly and pulls no punches. There's a lot here for us to learn.