Claribel Ortega

Representation: Dominican-American biracial main character, side Black characters
Trigger warnings: Racism, internalised racism, death of a father, grief and loss depiction, bullying, sexism
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

Let me tell you something before I go into this, about a year ago I requested one of the two libraries I go to to get this and it took them so long but now I have it so I cracked it open and in terms of how good this novel is it rivals The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and most of all it leaves me wondering, how do these characters seem so human? Where do I begin? Oh and I have a confession, I have straight hair so I can't relate to Marlene's hair struggles, that doesn't stop me from thinking she's a likable character. Not to mention complex and realistic... It starts with the main character Marlene whose last name I don't know and it was emphasised that she has curly hair yet her mother takes her to the salon to get it straightened much to her disapproval and she recalls that back then that wasn't an issue until now. There's that I suppose. Just a side note but I noticed Marlene's family is Dominican and possibly Christian based on the crucifixes and pictures but maybe it's just me, she has a journey to develop herself and initially she experiences racism and bullying from certain students, did I mention that they're not over-the-top for once (I'm looking at you, certain novel...)

As I said before Marlene finds it tedious to visit the salon but she's worried about disappointing her mother so she keeps it to herself much to her detriment, I guess it's a parental expectation for her however the reason(s) were unexpected. A few pages later, someone mentioned Marlene's father died somehow and she recalled the times she spent with her father but after that, her life changed entirely and toward the latter half she met Tía Ruby who told her and me about anti-Blackness (long story short it's racism.) The final few pages revolve around a significant moment, the other reason was finally going to be revealed and here's the thing, Marlene's mother straightens her hair because one, previous generations did it and two, curly hair reminded her of something she wants to hide, it doesn't have to be this way. The ending is just, wow, read it to find out but I promise you it is a high note.… (mais)

On est d’accord, c’est une bd pour adolescents (voire adolescentes). Mais une bd tellement intelligente ! Une petite demoiselle en a assez de se faire traîner par sa mère tous les week-ends chez le coiffeur pour se faire lisser les cheveux. Mais sa mère lui explique à quel point cela la rend plus belle et à quel point cela lui permettra d’être plus prise au sérieux. Du racisme ordinaire dans toute sa splendeur, et intégré par ceux qui le subissent, rien que de très familier hélas. Il faudra beaucoup de courage à la jolie Marlène pour s’accepter et se faire accepter telle qu’elle est et comprendre à quel point c’est important.
Les adolescentes pourront se retrouver facilement dans ce livre, qui parle à toutes celles qui n’ont pas la bonne couleur de peau ou les bons cheveux et plus largement à toutes celles qui subissent les diktats d’une mode univoque alors que la beauté est tellement plurielle. La révélation sur pourquoi la mère de Marlène aime tant les cheveux lisses est le seul bémol de ce livre, j’aurais préféré qu’on reste sur l’idée d’un racisme qu’elle a intégré, quitte à ce qu’elle le déconstruise, cela aurait donné encore plus de force au propos. Mais ce n’est vraiment qu’un bémol, dans un livre que je recommande chaudement à toutes les adolescentes un peu complexées par leur physique et à leurs parents. Les couleurs toutes girly (désolée pour cet anglicisme, mais il est tout à fait de mise ici !) rendront le livre attirant et la lecture facile, sans en atténuer la force. Une très très bonne surprise au rayon bd de ma petite bibliothèque de village !… (mais)

Twelve-year-old Seven is completely psyched for her town's ceremony when the young witches are placed into their covens, magically bound together and gaining in their strengths as a result. Will Seven end up in the same coven house as her parents, or her best friend? But one thing Seven never considered ... becoming a Spare, a witch without a coven!

This fantasy middle-grade novel featuring a trio of friends who must unwrap a mystery in order to battle evil using magical spells and potions is the perfect book for readers looking for a more inclusive Harry Potter-style story. I did find the beginning a little slow and hard to get into, but after that I was more invested and was surprised by the many twists and turns the book took, even if sometimes it seemed to get a little too bogged down in minor details. However, for folks who really like fantasy more than I do, all that world building will be a bonus, not a distraction.… (mais)