I loved the reinforced idea that everyone has different paths, and for some people, that doesn’t include college. Another well-handled (and important) angle is Essence’s relationship with her alcoholic mother and her final decision regarding college. I’d be remiss not to mention how much I love Tony’s character in this novel as well as the mature, realistic way he and Maya deal with their relationship. But I loved that as the story progressed, the overall message was one of objectivity and seeing both sides of the coin. Of course, this is upsetting, and she boycotts these places in solidarity.
Many of the new stores and food places also seem targeted toward a white audience. Maya is keenly aware of the way their neighborhood is changing and how it’s suddenly more suited for well-to-do white families. The story is narrated from Maya’s POV and essentially covers the twins’ senior year in high school. The girls’ Portland neighborhood is vibrant as they visit food places and shop for clothes. The high point of this book for me is Watson’s approach to racial prejudice and the idea that gentrification is not all-bad. I love Renée Watson’s writing and enjoyed her book, Piecing Me Together, so when I heard she had another YA novel, I hopped onboard. This is one of those books whose blurbs doesn’t tell you even half of the story - and I liked it! So much more happens in this book, although it ultimately follows the growth of both sisters.
To onlookers, Maya is the “Black” sister who wears her hair in braids, while her sister Nikki who perms her hair and likes vegan food is an “oreo.” Other changes, such as the girls’ new neighbors - a white family - and their new school principal will test the girls’ identities and relationship. Still, it’s the girls’ new differences that makes the story interesting. The novel opens with Essence having to move from her childhood home right across the street from the girls to a neighborhood forty-five minutes away. But now, their neighborhood is gentrifying. They’ve always had the same friends, the boys they both date are friends with each other, and they even go on triple dates with their best friend, Essence and her boyfriend. Twins Nikki and Maya (named after the poets) are watching things change both in their lives and in their neighborhood.
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