I really love Slay, I read it as part of a book club that I am in but I really wanted to read it before that it just gave me more of an excuse :P I thought this book was amazingly written and I definitely recommend it to anyone!
Spoilers below!
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Introduction:
Slay is written by Brittany Morris. It is a book that styles itself as being a mix of ready player one meets the hate u give, although I feel like this book is still much more than that. It dives into racism in all forms and for me, this definitely makes it a must-read. I will be coming at this as both as an eye-opening experience in regards to racism and as a reader who enjoys playing video games.
Character Development: Really awesome, I loved the way Kiera grew throughout the story and I loved learning about Claire and Steph! Their relationships with each other were really well written and felt very real to me. I think my two issues was that Malcolm really never grew or learned throughout the book and I also wished we had a bit more of an insight into Wyatt to see how much he grew, I feel like this book focused more on the girl's development instead of it being more balanced which I would have preferred. 4/5
World Development: The world was gorgeously developed and I really loved learning about Slay, about coding, and about the world that the story is set in, regarding France and America. The way that Brittany wrote the world of slay tells me that she has played (and maybe coded?) video games as it was amazing! I loved learning about Black culture as I am trying to educate myself more so it was nice learning about it through this story. I loved the fact that we got representation for trans too 5/5
Pacing: I feel like the pacing of the book was a bit slow at the start but it quickly even out and became consistent throughout. I did feel like it went a bit too fast towards the end though and I wish it has slowed down a bit. 4/5
Language: There were a few things I struggled to understand, mostly due to the references to coding for example. There were times when some of the racist comments I got uncomfortable reading it but I understood its purpose to educate people and its important. Due to some of the language, I struggled to understand (maybe more of an explanation is needed just to make things clearer?) I give it 4/5
Plot Development: Loved it! I thought it was a really fun read and the concept was really well done in this book. 5/5
In conclusion:
I believe that slay is a must-read for anyone not just for the education but also because it’s a really fun read that is really enjoyable. I am really looking forward to reading more from Brittany Morris!
Score: 22/25
=88%
= 5 stars!
(hide spoiler)]
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From the Publisher
Tonight we SLAY
Enter the Black Panther-inspired video game world of SLAY. This is a safe space to celebrate black excellence. To play without discrimination. To play and connect without the fear of not fitting in.
'We are a diaspora'
When a teen is murdered over a dispute in SLAY, the media labels the game as violent and exclusionary. As one of the only black students in her school, Kiera desperately needs this space she has created. But can she fight to save this world where she and its global community can unapologetically be themselves?
Available in Multiple Formats
SLAY is able to be enjoyed in a variety of ways, including in paperback, ebook and audio, so you can bask in the experience of reading in the way that suits you.
About the author
Super good!
“If black gamers want their own space online away from the eyes of the majority, let them have it. Y’all have Mummy and Legacy of Planets. Do you need to have everything?”I adored Slay. It was important and moving, I just couldn't put it down. The author was inspired to write it after watching Black Panther, so I thought it was smart to pick it up just after I watched the movie. I was not disappointed.Keira secretly developed Slay, an online gaming community where black people duel from all over the world. But when someone is shot because of the game, it's all over the news…and Kiera doesn't know what to do.This book was so important on many levels. As a white person, I know this book wasn't written for me. There might have been a few cultural references that I didn't understand. I still loved it so much, of course, and my race didn't affect my personal opinion of the book. I just wanted to give that little disclaimer. As a white person, this book actually taught me some things and I think it could teach others even more.The plot was so engaging, entertaining and impossible to put down - literally, I stayed up until to 2 am to read Slay. It was so immersive and interesting. It was definitely character-driven, but was exciting none the less!I really loved the characters, especially Kiera and her younger sister Steph. They felt like such real people with their struggles and insecurities. Kiera's voice felt real and easy to relate to, I loved reading her thoughts and opinions. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two sisters, it was absolutely beautiful to watch their relationship grow. The side characters, especially Claire aka Cicada, were awesome. I loved to see their lives and views occasionally dotted throughout the book, and from Kiera's perspective too.Slay, the game was so interesting! I don't actually game, but a lot of my friends do and it was fun to see quite a few scenes inside the game and how the rules worked.I think a lot of gaming based books and even gaming, in general, are often very male-dominated so I loved seeing the feminist aspects of this book because, when do I not?Slay was such an amazing, important book that I'd definitely recommend everyone picks up. It discusses race, identity, relationships and more in such an important way at the same time as being impossibly fun to read. What a gem of a book.
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 August 2020
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Top reviews from other countries
- SerwaaReviewed in Canada on 30 July 2022
It’s a very great book awesome please buy this
I liked everything about itSerwaaIt’s a very great book awesome please buy this
Reviewed in Canada on 30 July 2022
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