Some Places More Than Others by Reneé Watson

⭐️⭐️⭐️

***MY REVIEW IS BASED OFF OF AN ARC COPY***

Synopsis

All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father's family in New York City – Harlem. She can't wait to finally meet her Grandpa Earl and cousins in person, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. Maybe this will help her understand her family – and herself – in a new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be. It's noisy, crowded, confusing, and her cousins can be mean. Plus her father is too busy working to spend time with her and too angry to fix his relationship with Grandpa Earl. Amara can't help wondering, even if she does discover more about where she came from, will it help her know where she belongs?

My First Reneé Watson Book

I must say that I do enjoy Watson’s writing. She keeps things sweet and short. I like that this book is classified as a young reader’s book and a young reader’s book is exactly what she delivers. It’s simple and wholesome. Capturing the essence of what it means to be a child in exploration. I have already ordered another one of the author's books. 

A Great Message

Amara is a great character. She is kind and smart and very considerate. Who says 12 year olds can’t be that? I know plenty! This book captivates the power in family, unity, forgiveness and identity. 

I love the chapter in the book where Amara realizes just how loved she is. She looks at all the sweet gestures that have been done to her. Like her mother rubbing coconut in her scalp, her friend standing in the Nike line for her and grabbing her size before they run out. 

I also love that her father and grandfather had their own story. Even her cousins Ava and Nina were a factor in the story. 

Why 3 Stars? 

Honestly, the book didn’t have my undivided attention the entire time. Sometimes I felt things were a bit slow. But that may be because I’m an adult and I’m biased lol. I DO like young reader books though. I just felt that perhaps more emotion could have been conveyed. Like, Amara’s internal thoughts could have been expounded on. Her feelings on everything. 

I also feel that the ending was a bit rushed. A few more chapters would have been a great idea. A little more detail and elaboration on the conversations between Amara and her cousins, like the hair topic for one example; or her and Titus. 

Overall, it was a light read and totally worth picking up.