Synopsis from Goodreads :. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voicesโand those of other young womenโto be heard.
First of all, massive props to this book for its commitment to diversity and representation, because this is more true to life than books that focus on predominantly white casts. I also really appreciate its dedication to female friendship and the way that Jasmine and Chelsea constantly support and raise each other up throughout the story.
Sometimes this would be a set-up for them to have a falling out, followed by a period of bitterness before the reconciliation, but thankfully Watch Us Rise was more interested in the girls being there for each other, which was fantastic. Plus it was great to see Isaac as a feminist ally instead of excluding boys from the narrative altogether, and that he had interactions with both the main girls, instead of just his crush, which made the friendship dynamics more real and lived-in.
However I wish that Nadine had a stronger presence in the book as she is basically a background figure, and Isaac really only features more prominently due to his role as a love interest. When she quits her poetry club out of frustration with their focus on the classics, ie. But instead of leaving it at that, Chelsea lashes out at the other students:. I wanna write poems that matter, that fight for something. Her progressive attitudes seem performative rather than genuine โ when her sister comments about their family celebrating Christmas Eve, Chelsea notes that:.
Jasmine, on the other hand, was a wonderfully compelling lead. I listen to his breathing and tell myself, Hold onto this, you will want to remember this one day. How it is never quiet, never a chuckle, always coming from a deep well of joy.
