Spin by Lamar Giles

I hope you are all safe and well.  Both of my sisters are nurses, and my husband is an essential MTA subcontractor.  It has been a stressful time for our family.  Please remember I am here if you need to talk to someone.

I heard Ellen Oh speak at the American Association of School Librarians conference last November.  She is the founder of We Need Diverse Books.  Lamar Giles is is also a founding member.  So when I saw this pop up as a recommendation from Amazon, of course I ordered it.

First, the characters and premise are phenomenal.  Three strong Black female lead characters in a city much like our own: one high school serving the entire city, meaning the wealthiest kids are in classes with the poorest.  Music is central to the plot.

At first, I loved this.  DJ ParSec (Paris Secord) is an up and coming musician, raised by her grandmother (after her father took off and her mother died of cancer) in the poorest of housing projects.  She spins on third-hand tables and has an ancient laptop rescued from a thrift shop.  Her best friend Kya (no father in the picture although he sends birthday cards; Mom, a former singer, in a minimum wage job) is a tech wizard and helps her repair and keep the tables spinning.  As Paris's local fame starts to grow, she is befriended by Fuse (Fatima), from the rich side of town with strict parents.

Eventually Paris's fame grows exponentially, and she has her ticket out after signing with a marketing team.  Fame goes to her head, and she loses Kya and Fuse as friends.  On her last night in her home city, she asks Fuse and Kya to meet to say goodbye before a free rave Paris is throwing. They never get the chance.  Paris is murdered before the show, to be found by her former friends, now suspects.

The book is told in alternating viewpoints of Kya and Fuse in the present; Paris is told in the past.  I was guessing until the last "day of" flashback of Paris's.

Then I wanted to throw the book.  I hated the way she died and who killed her.  I'm actually mad at it.

*pouty face*

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.