We all have things we don’t like about ourselves. Our nose, hair, bodies, voices—if you’re like me, your list is longer than you’d like.
13-year old Genesis keeps a list of all the things she hates about herself.
Her list has grown to 96 things—and one of them is the colour of her skin.
As one of the only black girls in her school, Genesis faces racism and deals with prejudice within her own African American community.
Lighter-skinned black girls are treated differently than she is.
If that wasn’t heart-breaking enough, Genesis is always the “new girl” at school because her father’s drinking problem means they keep moving.
This new school is different. Genesis gets to start over as she meets friends she can trust and a teacher who helps her recognize her unique talents and strengths.
Alicia Williams’ debut novel takes a close look at internalized racism, mean girls in middle school, and how a teen deals with poverty and addiction. Genesis’ story is raw and heart wrenching. The relationships are complicated and the characters are complex. I cringed, braced myself, cried, and cheered Genesis on as she struggled to find herself.
You will love Genesis, feel her insecurities, and root for her as she fights her way toward self-acceptance.
Young black girls know this struggle too well. We need everyone else reading books like this to understand the issues we can’t see.
Anyone young or old who’s ever struggled with feelings of low self-worth will relate to this story. I learned so much in this book and it’s my dream to get it into the hands of every age 11–14 year old girl I know.
Helps with: self-acceptance, bullying, self-expression, understanding racism, middle grade relationships, awareness of internalized racism and colorism, understanding poverty, dealing with parental addiction, friendship, understanding the impact of family history and verbal abuse.
Author: Alicia D. Williams
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019