  | Black girl unlimited : the remarkable story of a teenage wizard Author: Brown, Echo | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
From age six through her high school valedictory speech, believing she and her mother are wizards helps young Echo cope with poverty, hunger, her mother's drug abuse, and much more.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 6.10 Points: 13.0 Quiz: 510112 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/19)
School Library Journal (+) (00/01/20)
Booklist (12/15/19)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/02/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 12/15/2019 Blending autobiography and magic realism, Brown steps into her own debut novel as a teen and the only girl in her immediate family, which is characterized by parents struggling with addiction and brothers who have fallen victim to street life. Accompanying these harsh realities is the unexpected fact that Echo’s mom is a wizard, whose magic (now sadly enmeshed with her addiction) has been passed down to her daughter. When Echo transfers to an affluent white school, new portals between worlds begin to open. As Echo explores the portals each day, she realizes that the pain, trauma, and struggles of everyone around her may have a sinister, magical source. She must learn to find hope and happiness amidst the pain or it will destroy her. Brown’s novel deals with some very heavy themes including sexual violence, drug addiction, depression, and racism. However, it treats these themes and readers with care while uplifting both its main character and readers who may share Echo’s struggles. A treasure of a story that’s poignant, soulful, and inspiring. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 Gr 9 Up—Echo Brown is a dark-skinned African American girl who comes from an impoverished and dysfunctional family on the East Side of Cleveland. Her mother, April (Aprah), is addicted to crack, stemming from childhood sexual abuse and an accidental tragedy. Her stepfather, Ed, is addicted to alcohol. Her brothers, Rone and Dre, are addicted to the streets. To cope with intergenerational pain and trauma, Echo believes she and her mother are wizards. With the help of other female wizards, she transfers from one portal to another in a rich, white school on the West Side to finally heal and break generational curses. Debut author Brown crafts this empowering autobiographical novel fused with magical realism and allegory. She provides lessons of wizard training in every chapter. Readers, especially sci-fi/fantasy fans, will be mesmerized by the intersections in her parallel universes. Brown brilliantly charts her journey from a victim of her circumstances to a freshman at Dartmouth College. She succeeds against the odds of racism, colorism, poverty, sexual abuse, addiction, depression, sexism, and misogyny as an African American girl. Readers will appreciate the power of literature as a healing tool with the nods to Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, and Alice Walker. VERDICT This revelatory YA book deserves space on bookstore and library shelves for its healing power for all readers to break the chains of intergenerational pain and trauma.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
