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Into White
LaToya Williams lives in Montgomery, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. It seems as if her only friend is her older brother, Alex. Toya doesn’t know where she fits in, but after a run-in with another student, she wonders if life would be different if she were . . . different. And then a higher power answers her prayer: to be “anything but black.”
Toya is suddenly white, blond, and popular. Now what?
Randi Pink’s audacious fiction debut dares to explore a subject that will spark conversations about race, class, and gender.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2016
45 people are currently reading
4307 people want to read
About the author
Randi Pink
6 books237 followersRandi Pink grew up in the South and attended a mostly white high school. She lives with her husband and their two rescue dogs in Birmingham, Alabama, where she works for a branch of National Public Radio. Into White is her fiction debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
September 26, 2016
"Hey, Jesus?" I whispered, looking out of my bedroom window. "I can't take this anymore. This filth. This curse. This... race."
***
"Please Lord, anything but black."
This could have been a very interesting book about race, racism (external and internalized) as well as self-image, but it just didn't work. It was messy, overly-simplistic and, if you'll excuse the pun, very black and white.
I've been counting down the days to this book's release. A story where a black girl prays to be white and has her wish granted sounded unique, brave and the perfect potential for a look at what it's really like to be a black teenage girl in a mostly white high school - and how different things are when she turns white. Toya's disdain for other black people, plus her disgust for her own skin and hair, and her idolization of white traits, is discomfiting, but I assumed it was going to lead into an important lesson about society's very white standards of beauty, etc.
It didn't. I believe the author had good intentions, but the execution of this novel gets the heavy subject matter all wrong.
The first problem is that none of the characters, including Toya, are ever anything more than the colour of their skin. They are black or they are white, they "talk black" or they "talk white" and that's basically their personality. Rather than humanizing different races, it feels offensive to both, especially as almost every single white person is openly racist and just generally unpleasant to everyone. When Toya becomes the white Katarina and befriends two white girls, she sees them call a guy with Down Syndrome a "retard".
They're also ridiculously immature and say stupid things like:
“I’m a size six,” I said slowly, to make sure they understood.
They laughed like I’d made a joke. “Six is fat, Kat,” said Amera. “And we can’t hang with fat people. You want to aim for two or less."
To be honest, the whole book reads very young and comes across in an immature, OTT and simplistic way.
Into White is a strange book in many ways. It's not serious enough to be a harrowing look at the issues, but it's not funny enough to be satirical. I think, maybe, it tries to be. But I personally didn't find it funny when Jesus literally appears in Toya's room and is like "Yo babe, you are special so I granted your wish and made you white". WTF?
The blurb itself asks "Toya is suddenly white, blond and popular. Now what?" and it's very telling. I got the feeling that the author wasn't quite sure how to answer that "Now what?" There obviously needed to be some challenging of the notion that white = better, but instead of taking an in-depth look at race and uncovering the ways our society hurts young black people, girls especially, the book instead opts for the message that hey, white people got problems too. They starve themselves to be skinny and guys want to rape them because they're the hot ones.
I'm not joking about this. The conclusions drawn from this interesting premise of a black girl becoming white is that rich white people's lives suck too. Huh? That's not even what we were talking about, is it? How did a book about how black teenagers view themselves become a lament on #whitepeopleproblems?
Beyond being a very simplistic portrayal of what it means to be black or white, it's also just kind of offensive, right?
Then there's a romance. A highly idealistic and unconvincing romance in which the black boy who bullied Toya before is suddenly sweet and understanding. It's all like this. Everything is too easy; nothing has any depth or complexity to it. A book with such a bold premise should challenge, make waves, make you think.
And it doesn't.
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maybe
September 17, 2015This is either gonna be really good or really bad.
March 8, 2017
I hate to say it, but this was Terrible.
did-not-finish
December 20, 2016I tried. I really did.
I knew going into this that the concept of a black girl's wish to turn white comes true would be a hit or miss. And this totally missed.
Instead of dismantling racial stereotypes this seemed to just reinforce them. No one in this book is seen as anything but their skin color.
The writing also felt very juvenile and seemed better fitting of a middle grade title.
I knew going into this that the concept of a black girl's wish to turn white comes true would be a hit or miss. And this totally missed.
Instead of dismantling racial stereotypes this seemed to just reinforce them. No one in this book is seen as anything but their skin color.
The writing also felt very juvenile and seemed better fitting of a middle grade title.
June 11, 2016
Randi Pink's INTO WHITE is heartfelt, painful, profound, and incredibly important--an exploration into racism, sexism, and classism in modern America, an unflinching look at the bigotry and prejudices that wear people down from the outside and gnaw at them from the inside, but ultimately hopeful--about people, about the world, about the fact that things can get better. It's about faith and family and a loving, gentle look at where strength comes from.
It's also really, really, really funny. I feel like that might be easy to overlook when reading the cover copy and descriptions, because the subject matter is so important and sensitive and the story itself absolutely heart-wrenching, and the observations it makes about the world frequently brutal, but oh my god, people, this book is so damn funny. The narrator's voice is beyond fantastic. I was laughing out loud on every page--even when I was also crying and raging at how bad things could be. I don't know how Randi Pink gets that balance, but she does, and I adore the result.
I want Toya (or, barring that, the author) to come sit next to me and chat FOREVER because I would never get tired of the razor-sharp and hilarious way she has of looking at her world and the people in it, with humor and cleverness even when that world and those people are causing her a great deal of pain, or when she's lashing out to cause pain for others.
One more thing: It also has one of my favorite relationships between a sister and brother that I've read in YA in a long time. There's nothing wrong with my own real life genius older brother, but I'm going to pretend Toya's brother Alex is my *other* real life genius older brother for a while, if nobody minds, because he's just that lovely.
It's also really, really, really funny. I feel like that might be easy to overlook when reading the cover copy and descriptions, because the subject matter is so important and sensitive and the story itself absolutely heart-wrenching, and the observations it makes about the world frequently brutal, but oh my god, people, this book is so damn funny. The narrator's voice is beyond fantastic. I was laughing out loud on every page--even when I was also crying and raging at how bad things could be. I don't know how Randi Pink gets that balance, but she does, and I adore the result.
I want Toya (or, barring that, the author) to come sit next to me and chat FOREVER because I would never get tired of the razor-sharp and hilarious way she has of looking at her world and the people in it, with humor and cleverness even when that world and those people are causing her a great deal of pain, or when she's lashing out to cause pain for others.
One more thing: It also has one of my favorite relationships between a sister and brother that I've read in YA in a long time. There's nothing wrong with my own real life genius older brother, but I'm going to pretend Toya's brother Alex is my *other* real life genius older brother for a while, if nobody minds, because he's just that lovely.
Read
December 7, 2016Into White was one of my highly anticipated releases of 2016 but sadly I was a little disappointed.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style but for me, the main thing that I didn't enjoy was that I felt as though it perpetuated and reinforced some harmful stereotypes and stigmas surrounding topics such as eating disorders and sexual harassment. Once I read these aspects, amongst other things I didn't love too much, I found it hard to enjoy the reading experience!
I did think certain aspects of it were really interesting to read and I think a lot of people will take a lot of different things away from this book, both positive and negative, as there are many levels to it, but unfortunately it wasn't really for me. That being said, I'm extremely interested and intrigued to read/hear what others think of it, more so than what I thought of it myself, as I do think the premise of it was very interesting and something I think a lot of people will have varying opinions on! As of right now, I'm still undecided on how to rate this, as I don't want to influence anyone not to buy it, since I do think it there are elements to it that could be something a lot of people might be able to relate to and find very interesting and enlightening to read!
I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style but for me, the main thing that I didn't enjoy was that I felt as though it perpetuated and reinforced some harmful stereotypes and stigmas surrounding topics such as eating disorders and sexual harassment. Once I read these aspects, amongst other things I didn't love too much, I found it hard to enjoy the reading experience!
I did think certain aspects of it were really interesting to read and I think a lot of people will take a lot of different things away from this book, both positive and negative, as there are many levels to it, but unfortunately it wasn't really for me. That being said, I'm extremely interested and intrigued to read/hear what others think of it, more so than what I thought of it myself, as I do think the premise of it was very interesting and something I think a lot of people will have varying opinions on! As of right now, I'm still undecided on how to rate this, as I don't want to influence anyone not to buy it, since I do think it there are elements to it that could be something a lot of people might be able to relate to and find very interesting and enlightening to read!
November 28, 2016
This book was enjoyable, the concept was super interesting, but there are two problems I've had with this book! I feel as though Toya's exploration into loving her blackness was based more off of missing the LIFE she had while she was Black, not her actual blackness. On the contrary, I feel like the only thing keeping Toya from not liking being White was her personal White experience. There wasn't a clear moment, to me, where Toya thought she was beautiful because of her Blackness, not in spite of it.
I did love the exploration of Black Colleges/Fraternities + Sororities and would maybe like to see a sequel where she goes to college or something!
I did love the exploration of Black Colleges/Fraternities + Sororities and would maybe like to see a sequel where she goes to college or something!
May 25, 2017
NO JUST NO! I'm not even going to finish this.
June 20, 2017
It took me a day to finish this, but I needed time to collect my thoughts. I'm still trying to process it all, so this review is going to be totally raw. I'm going to have a LOT to say.
Into White is a novel in which white supremacy is not centered in the ways we're used to. White people are not the default heroes here. There are no #notallWhitepeople characters having their V-8 moments. Yes, most of the main white characters are caricatures (with a dash of truth), which to me was the point. After all, Black people have spent ages being caricatured in the media. Asking for complexity in regards to our lives is like pulling teeth or dismissed as more SJW-dom. Or publishers insisting that complex Black characters that aren't slaves child soldiers, survivors of famine, or drug dealers/gangbangers "don't sell".
It's also a novel that decided the most important issue is racism, not rape culture or eating disorders (which some reviewers were not happy about). It's not just white racism, but intra-racism which is a tragic byproduct of a supremacist society. It's also a novel about whiteness being so over the top, yet how many YA and NA novels are guilty of glamorizing whiteness, glamorizing slut shaming, and normalizing rape culture? A lot. In fact, our entire media normalizes and glamorizes white supremacy. It always has. Think about it: a superhero movie with predominantly White casts as leads (including at least one Chris) is just another day at the office. A superhero film with a predominantly Black cast has some folks screaming "reverse racism". A film featuring a ton of aliens in a galaxy far, far away is fine. A Black stormtrooper had fanboys losing their little minds.
This normalization and glamorization of white supremacy has real effects on Black people. Look up the famous Kenneth and Mamie Clark doll experiment. Or the recent video of the White mother who thought filming the reactions of her daughters after given Black dolls was funny (one cried, the other looked disgusted). Black girls are being suspended and Black women are being discriminated against for wearing natural and/or protective hair styles like afros and braids. Dark-skinned Black people are thought of and often depicted as "dangerous", with dark-skinned Black women viewed as "ugly". Remember what happened with comedian Leslie Jones.
This is far from just an American problem, not with the popularity of bleaching creams in Asia, India and Africa.
That's why Into White, as over the top as it may be, is also an unflinching look at what white supremacy does to impressionable young minds. Latoya Williams hates her skin. She hates her name. She hates the burden her dark skin has unfairly placed upon her. She hates the fact that she doesn't fit anywhere - too Black for White people and not Black enough for Black people. Her pain is real. She sees nothing but whiteness as respect and the epitome of beauty and goodness. Is it any wonder she says this:
"Hey Jesus?" I whispered, looking out of my bedroom window. "I can't take this anymore. This filth. This curse. This...race."
Then does this:
"You said that if I seek you first, the rest shall be added to me. Well, my rest is the power to wake up any race I want. Please, Lord, make me anything but Black."
When I read that last line, I heard the pain of so many Black people. I saw the reason why lighter-skinned Black people were willing to risk potential exposure in order to "pass" for White. I was reminded of Toni Morrison's heartbreaking The Bluest Eye. That even as a little girl, I wanted to have "good hair" so that I could go swimming and that it wouldn't be so 'hard' to comb. Like many, I'd learned early on that my natural hair was "bad".
More thoughts to come....
Into White is a novel in which white supremacy is not centered in the ways we're used to. White people are not the default heroes here. There are no #notallWhitepeople characters having their V-8 moments. Yes, most of the main white characters are caricatures (with a dash of truth), which to me was the point. After all, Black people have spent ages being caricatured in the media. Asking for complexity in regards to our lives is like pulling teeth or dismissed as more SJW-dom. Or publishers insisting that complex Black characters that aren't slaves child soldiers, survivors of famine, or drug dealers/gangbangers "don't sell".
It's also a novel that decided the most important issue is racism, not rape culture or eating disorders (which some reviewers were not happy about). It's not just white racism, but intra-racism which is a tragic byproduct of a supremacist society. It's also a novel about whiteness being so over the top, yet how many YA and NA novels are guilty of glamorizing whiteness, glamorizing slut shaming, and normalizing rape culture? A lot. In fact, our entire media normalizes and glamorizes white supremacy. It always has. Think about it: a superhero movie with predominantly White casts as leads (including at least one Chris) is just another day at the office. A superhero film with a predominantly Black cast has some folks screaming "reverse racism". A film featuring a ton of aliens in a galaxy far, far away is fine. A Black stormtrooper had fanboys losing their little minds.
This normalization and glamorization of white supremacy has real effects on Black people. Look up the famous Kenneth and Mamie Clark doll experiment. Or the recent video of the White mother who thought filming the reactions of her daughters after given Black dolls was funny (one cried, the other looked disgusted). Black girls are being suspended and Black women are being discriminated against for wearing natural and/or protective hair styles like afros and braids. Dark-skinned Black people are thought of and often depicted as "dangerous", with dark-skinned Black women viewed as "ugly". Remember what happened with comedian Leslie Jones.
This is far from just an American problem, not with the popularity of bleaching creams in Asia, India and Africa.
That's why Into White, as over the top as it may be, is also an unflinching look at what white supremacy does to impressionable young minds. Latoya Williams hates her skin. She hates her name. She hates the burden her dark skin has unfairly placed upon her. She hates the fact that she doesn't fit anywhere - too Black for White people and not Black enough for Black people. Her pain is real. She sees nothing but whiteness as respect and the epitome of beauty and goodness. Is it any wonder she says this:
"Hey Jesus?" I whispered, looking out of my bedroom window. "I can't take this anymore. This filth. This curse. This...race."
Then does this:
"You said that if I seek you first, the rest shall be added to me. Well, my rest is the power to wake up any race I want. Please, Lord, make me anything but Black."
When I read that last line, I heard the pain of so many Black people. I saw the reason why lighter-skinned Black people were willing to risk potential exposure in order to "pass" for White. I was reminded of Toni Morrison's heartbreaking The Bluest Eye. That even as a little girl, I wanted to have "good hair" so that I could go swimming and that it wouldn't be so 'hard' to comb. Like many, I'd learned early on that my natural hair was "bad".
More thoughts to come....
January 30, 2018
"I'd never been so sure of anything in my life: White would be better. Now, I wasn't so sure."
I marked this book it as to read as soon as it showed up on Goodreads because a) the cover just caught my eye and didn't let go and b) I had just added Blackass to my list, which has a very similar premise, but being Into White a young adult I thought it would have been closer to me.
What I was expecting from this story was a deeper look into racial differences and racism in general, seen from the point of view of a young black girl who experiences the full spectrum of these differences by waking up one morning suddenly white. Now, our main character is LaToya Williams, a young girl who is bullied and ostracized on a daily basis at school, she has serious issues of low self esteem and a deep hatred for who she is and how she looks. On this particular day she goes to sleep, but not before having prayed with all her heart to just be white, she's so certain that by not being a black girl anymore she'll finally find happiness. Her prayer is granted, Jesus ascends from the Heavens and talks to her (which I genuinely found weird and parodical). He tells her that she was so sincere and hurt in her prayer that of all people he's decided to help her. She chooses the name Katarina and begins her new life as a white girl. Here I think that all the focus of the story gets lost. Toya/Katarina seems more concerned with boys, parties and the questionable companionship of the popular girls. She starts receiving so much attention now that she's white even though I believe that her looking like the stereotype of a Swedish girl, blonde, beautiful and blue-eyed helped her cause quite a lot. This attention though quite soon morphs into something sinister, Toya sees that from the other side of the looking-glass things look better but in reality are not. White girls starve themselves in order to maintain unattainable beauty standards and will speak ill of anyone who they find unworthy. White boys will try and rape you at every given occasion and treat you like dirt once they have not obtained what they wanted. And that's it. That's what I got from this story. Later on LaToya finds value in who she, and makes actually good points:
But I think that the overall message that could have been explored in much more depth was just merely scratched, the writing felt amateurish and most of the time the plot kept running in circles without making any actual point. Pity.
I marked this book it as to read as soon as it showed up on Goodreads because a) the cover just caught my eye and didn't let go and b) I had just added Blackass to my list, which has a very similar premise, but being Into White a young adult I thought it would have been closer to me.
What I was expecting from this story was a deeper look into racial differences and racism in general, seen from the point of view of a young black girl who experiences the full spectrum of these differences by waking up one morning suddenly white. Now, our main character is LaToya Williams, a young girl who is bullied and ostracized on a daily basis at school, she has serious issues of low self esteem and a deep hatred for who she is and how she looks. On this particular day she goes to sleep, but not before having prayed with all her heart to just be white, she's so certain that by not being a black girl anymore she'll finally find happiness. Her prayer is granted, Jesus ascends from the Heavens and talks to her (which I genuinely found weird and parodical). He tells her that she was so sincere and hurt in her prayer that of all people he's decided to help her. She chooses the name Katarina and begins her new life as a white girl. Here I think that all the focus of the story gets lost. Toya/Katarina seems more concerned with boys, parties and the questionable companionship of the popular girls. She starts receiving so much attention now that she's white even though I believe that her looking like the stereotype of a Swedish girl, blonde, beautiful and blue-eyed helped her cause quite a lot. This attention though quite soon morphs into something sinister, Toya sees that from the other side of the looking-glass things look better but in reality are not. White girls starve themselves in order to maintain unattainable beauty standards and will speak ill of anyone who they find unworthy. White boys will try and rape you at every given occasion and treat you like dirt once they have not obtained what they wanted. And that's it. That's what I got from this story. Later on LaToya finds value in who she, and makes actually good points:
"They possessed power because we gave them power, not because they were worthy of it. The realization sent shock waves through me, lifting some of the burden that had been weighing me down."
But I think that the overall message that could have been explored in much more depth was just merely scratched, the writing felt amateurish and most of the time the plot kept running in circles without making any actual point. Pity.
May 29, 2016
This is a touching and heartfelt book, filled with humor and hope and some very important lessons about identity and learning to love yourself. INTO WHITE is a modern fairy tale by way of The Twilight Zone - a Cinderella story in which Cinderella discovers, only by having her most fervent wish granted, that she's been wishing for the wrong thing all along. It's a brilliant premise, and a novel that will speak to countless young people who are trapped in the ugly echo chamber of self-loathing.
Randi Pink brings a sense of fearlessness to this amazing debut - an unflinching portrait of racism (internal, external, institutional,) insecurity, and a desperation to fit in - but the book brims with humor as well. You'll find yourself laughing, even when your heart aches for Toya, a complex and believable heroine who makes terrible (and utterly relatable) choices, and then learns from the consequences. Her journey to self-acceptance, to seeing herself the way she should, is going to be so very valuable to young people of color.
For anyone who is interested in educating themselves about race and white privilege - regardless of ethnic background - this is a pretty great place to start. I would pair it with Karen Hattrup's thoughtful FRANNIE & TRU for a correlating perspective, to open a long-overdue dialogue about racial sensitivity. This is a tremendous novel, and I am so lucky to have had a chance to read it before it hits the shelves.
Randi Pink brings a sense of fearlessness to this amazing debut - an unflinching portrait of racism (internal, external, institutional,) insecurity, and a desperation to fit in - but the book brims with humor as well. You'll find yourself laughing, even when your heart aches for Toya, a complex and believable heroine who makes terrible (and utterly relatable) choices, and then learns from the consequences. Her journey to self-acceptance, to seeing herself the way she should, is going to be so very valuable to young people of color.
For anyone who is interested in educating themselves about race and white privilege - regardless of ethnic background - this is a pretty great place to start. I would pair it with Karen Hattrup's thoughtful FRANNIE & TRU for a correlating perspective, to open a long-overdue dialogue about racial sensitivity. This is a tremendous novel, and I am so lucky to have had a chance to read it before it hits the shelves.
August 22, 2016
Latoya and her older brother, Alex, are social outcasts at their Montgomery, Alabama high school. Not ghetto enough for the black kids and not white, they're shunned and humiliated on a daily basis. Toya prays every day that she could've been white instead of black, until one day, Jesus shows up in her room and tells her He'll grant her prayer. The next day, Toya wakes up as Katarina, the physical embodiment of Barbie. But is the grass really greener on the other side?
What could have been an insightful and poignant look into racism and stereotypes was actually just offensive to blacks and whites. Poorly written, with plot holes aplenty, this was hard to take seriously, but it wasn't funny enough to be satire. What a disappointment!
What could have been an insightful and poignant look into racism and stereotypes was actually just offensive to blacks and whites. Poorly written, with plot holes aplenty, this was hard to take seriously, but it wasn't funny enough to be satire. What a disappointment!
February 10, 2017
“Hey, Jesus?” I whispered, looking out of my bedroom window. “I can't take this anymore. This filth. This curse. This ... race.”
***
The next part came out as a whimper. “You said that if I seek you first, the rest shall be added to me. Well, my rest is the power to wake up any race I want.
Please, Lord, anything but black.”
The premise of this book intrigued me, but it turned out to be a big disappointment.
April 8, 2017
I heard that when people read the synopsis for this novel, it made them feel apprehensive and anxious. I hope, with this review, I may help in trying to dispel some apprehensions that you may have.
Into White presents a fascinating premise and also asks a very compelling what if - what if a black girl magically became white overnight? What would be the effects and consequences? Into White is either a book that you can take at face-value, a decision that will lead you to not fully appreciate what this book is trying to say, or you can read deeply and find thoughtful, positive messages about self-image and discovering what matters the most. Leave your expectations and ideas of 'what it ought to be' at the door - this book is great on its own.
Into White is subtly subversive and very cleverly so. Not only is the narrative not afraid to openly address and discuss racism and prejudice that black people experience, but it also subverts a handful of character tropes of white and black people. I strongly disagree with reviewers who said that the characters in Into White are 'nothing more than the colours of their skin'. The portrayal of white characters in this novel is, indeed, very exaggerated with stereotypical characterizations, but I think there was a point. Hear me out: in contrast, all the black characters were rounded and interesting, and had fantastic character developments.
This book is not about white people. It is not about humanising white racists or humanising the ghosts of the people who have hurt people of colour with their prejudiced and racist words. Into White is a book that is entirely about and rightfully centers on its black characters, specifically Toya's emotional and personal journey. It is a celebration of blackness, black beauty, and self-love.
Underneath its light narrative is a thoughtful and subtle discourse on how people with marginalized identities can internalize the hate for who we are, the invisible but visceral hurt we feel, and how racism intersects with classism. The narrative of Into White is largely character-driven and follows Toya, a deeply flawed teenager who blindly and desperately wants to be loved and accepted by her peers and society. Her desperation leads her to pray to Jesus and wishes to be white (thus the story has religious elements), only to find that her wish is granted. The what if's start to follow, and what follows is a series of sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking moments that exhibit a profound awareness of the contradictions, double-standards and hypocrisy of institutions and people that privilege whiteness.
Toya was a wonderful protagonist. Although she makes silly decisions and consequently hurts the people around her, I couldn't help but empathize with her - empathize with her gnawing need to feel loved, accepted, and beautiful. Her growth in the book was phenomenal, and my favourite part was when she was shown that she could be beautiful and celebrated; that part resonated with me so much. With the fantastical elements of the narrative, Toya gradually develops self-awareness, courage to stand up for herself, and, later, finally sees what matters most to her. Toya's family were also wonderful. What I loved is that although they, initially, appear to be stereotypical characters, as Toya's self-awareness and perspective changes, so do the portrayal of her parents and her fantastic brother. Indeed, they become developed characters with quirks and flaws and by the end we see a family that is imperfect but will stick together in the worst of times.
Though I enjoyed Into White, it does have some problems which need to be addressed. Eating disorders are mentioned in this novel and the way it was portrayed trivialized it in a harmful way. There is also an attempted sexual assault in this novel, and how it was handled and treated missed its mark and had disconcerting implications. The portrayal and inclusion of the eating disorders references were irrelevant and unnecessary to the overarching story, and it's disappointing that sexual assault was used as character development (for a character that was not the victim, or perpetrator, no less). Writers need to move past this trope.
Taking into consideration the criticisms and problematic elements above, Into White still presents a meaningful and heartfelt coming of age. More so, Into White excellently demonstrates that self-love and celebration of black beauty, in a society with white standards of beauty, can be a form of resistance (which, for Toya, it was). It is flawed, and far far far from perfect, but it was nonetheless a wonderful debut that was brimming with raw emotion and sincerity.
Rating: 4/5
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This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
Into White presents a fascinating premise and also asks a very compelling what if - what if a black girl magically became white overnight? What would be the effects and consequences? Into White is either a book that you can take at face-value, a decision that will lead you to not fully appreciate what this book is trying to say, or you can read deeply and find thoughtful, positive messages about self-image and discovering what matters the most. Leave your expectations and ideas of 'what it ought to be' at the door - this book is great on its own.
Into White is subtly subversive and very cleverly so. Not only is the narrative not afraid to openly address and discuss racism and prejudice that black people experience, but it also subverts a handful of character tropes of white and black people. I strongly disagree with reviewers who said that the characters in Into White are 'nothing more than the colours of their skin'. The portrayal of white characters in this novel is, indeed, very exaggerated with stereotypical characterizations, but I think there was a point. Hear me out: in contrast, all the black characters were rounded and interesting, and had fantastic character developments.
This book is not about white people. It is not about humanising white racists or humanising the ghosts of the people who have hurt people of colour with their prejudiced and racist words. Into White is a book that is entirely about and rightfully centers on its black characters, specifically Toya's emotional and personal journey. It is a celebration of blackness, black beauty, and self-love.
Black skin was filled with so many barriers, so many restrictions, so many.
Underneath its light narrative is a thoughtful and subtle discourse on how people with marginalized identities can internalize the hate for who we are, the invisible but visceral hurt we feel, and how racism intersects with classism. The narrative of Into White is largely character-driven and follows Toya, a deeply flawed teenager who blindly and desperately wants to be loved and accepted by her peers and society. Her desperation leads her to pray to Jesus and wishes to be white (thus the story has religious elements), only to find that her wish is granted. The what if's start to follow, and what follows is a series of sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking moments that exhibit a profound awareness of the contradictions, double-standards and hypocrisy of institutions and people that privilege whiteness.
MTV casting directors made black kids ... want to be white without even realizing it.
Toya was a wonderful protagonist. Although she makes silly decisions and consequently hurts the people around her, I couldn't help but empathize with her - empathize with her gnawing need to feel loved, accepted, and beautiful. Her growth in the book was phenomenal, and my favourite part was when she was shown that she could be beautiful and celebrated; that part resonated with me so much. With the fantastical elements of the narrative, Toya gradually develops self-awareness, courage to stand up for herself, and, later, finally sees what matters most to her. Toya's family were also wonderful. What I loved is that although they, initially, appear to be stereotypical characters, as Toya's self-awareness and perspective changes, so do the portrayal of her parents and her fantastic brother. Indeed, they become developed characters with quirks and flaws and by the end we see a family that is imperfect but will stick together in the worst of times.
Though I enjoyed Into White, it does have some problems which need to be addressed. Eating disorders are mentioned in this novel and the way it was portrayed trivialized it in a harmful way. There is also an attempted sexual assault in this novel, and how it was handled and treated missed its mark and had disconcerting implications. The portrayal and inclusion of the eating disorders references were irrelevant and unnecessary to the overarching story, and it's disappointing that sexual assault was used as character development (for a character that was not the victim, or perpetrator, no less). Writers need to move past this trope.
Taking into consideration the criticisms and problematic elements above, Into White still presents a meaningful and heartfelt coming of age. More so, Into White excellently demonstrates that self-love and celebration of black beauty, in a society with white standards of beauty, can be a form of resistance (which, for Toya, it was). It is flawed, and far far far from perfect, but it was nonetheless a wonderful debut that was brimming with raw emotion and sincerity.
Rating: 4/5
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This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
dnf
July 2, 2018This is definitely written to the extremes, but the execution is just too out there for me. She literally gets her wish by chapter 2. TWO. And her family's reaction was "Oh, well that happened."
Nope, nope, nope, nope. I appreciate the messages it's trying to tackle, but the rushed beginning and the satirical writing isn't doing it for me.
Nope, nope, nope, nope. I appreciate the messages it's trying to tackle, but the rushed beginning and the satirical writing isn't doing it for me.
someday-maybe
January 2, 2016I can already sense someone or the other getting offended over this book... ಠ_ಠ *fingers crossed she pulls it off*
January 18, 2017
Updated 1-18-17
After discussing this with a friend, I find that the way Randi Pink approaches this topic is too superficial. This is potentially dangerous because eating disorders are discussed casually as a villainous/heinous attribute and one of the major subjects this book focuses on - race - is sophomorically simplified to physical appearance and attire that goes best with one's complexion. After dwelling on this for awhile even though some elements of the story were good, I don't think it'd be wise to give Into White a favorable review.
12-18-16
This was delightfully peculiar. I loved the family dynamic the most. I think this is Pink's first novel. It felt like she was relating her own experiences because the protagonist is so... specific. It's not a bad thing. I thought it was a good, unique perspective to show. It probably stood out to me because I'm so used to authors writing bland protagonists with vague features so everyone (or the majority) can imagine themselves in the story. On the surface it sounds good to be "all inclusive", but I think even with those attempts people are still left out and since there are so many books out there, finding a protagonist with the same specific hobby or passion or love or lifestyle that you have is one of the greatest feelings. I think this makes it okay that I can't specifically see myself in every book. It's still fun and edifying to submerge myself in someone else's world. I digress, but I really liked that I could relate to some of Toya's specific conundrums.
This novel could have been a lot longer since a variety of conflicts are introduced in the beginning. Pink touches on themes such as staying true to yourself in spite of what's accepted or mainstream, racism, internalized racism, some specific plights of females, slut shaming, double standards for males and females with regard to slut shaming, bullying, dysfunctional families and so much more. I believe one conflict is a bit open ended; but the other conflicts are solved neatly which is not always how things always are but in the big picture the tidy solutions contribute to the novel's overall uplifting message. (<--- I could have worded that way better but it's 4 am so I'm just going to leave that there.)
I think this is worth the read. Although I had some problems with Into White - I didn't agree with a few bits, felt the "plot twists" or surprises were far too conspicuous and Toya, at times, was too dumbed down (conveniently to suit the plot) - I think this is a fairly good novel with a positive message overall. It's definitely a good first novel. I'm excited to see what Pink comes up with next.
After discussing this with a friend, I find that the way Randi Pink approaches this topic is too superficial. This is potentially dangerous because eating disorders are discussed casually as a villainous/heinous attribute and one of the major subjects this book focuses on - race - is sophomorically simplified to physical appearance and attire that goes best with one's complexion. After dwelling on this for awhile even though some elements of the story were good, I don't think it'd be wise to give Into White a favorable review.
12-18-16
This was delightfully peculiar. I loved the family dynamic the most. I think this is Pink's first novel. It felt like she was relating her own experiences because the protagonist is so... specific. It's not a bad thing. I thought it was a good, unique perspective to show. It probably stood out to me because I'm so used to authors writing bland protagonists with vague features so everyone (or the majority) can imagine themselves in the story. On the surface it sounds good to be "all inclusive", but I think even with those attempts people are still left out and since there are so many books out there, finding a protagonist with the same specific hobby or passion or love or lifestyle that you have is one of the greatest feelings. I think this makes it okay that I can't specifically see myself in every book. It's still fun and edifying to submerge myself in someone else's world. I digress, but I really liked that I could relate to some of Toya's specific conundrums.
This novel could have been a lot longer since a variety of conflicts are introduced in the beginning. Pink touches on themes such as staying true to yourself in spite of what's accepted or mainstream, racism, internalized racism, some specific plights of females, slut shaming, double standards for males and females with regard to slut shaming, bullying, dysfunctional families and so much more. I believe one conflict is a bit open ended; but the other conflicts are solved neatly which is not always how things always are but in the big picture the tidy solutions contribute to the novel's overall uplifting message. (<--- I could have worded that way better but it's 4 am so I'm just going to leave that there.)
I think this is worth the read. Although I had some problems with Into White - I didn't agree with a few bits, felt the "plot twists" or surprises were far too conspicuous and Toya, at times, was too dumbed down (conveniently to suit the plot) - I think this is a fairly good novel with a positive message overall. It's definitely a good first novel. I'm excited to see what Pink comes up with next.
September 25, 2024
I've read all of Randi Pink's books and I will say that she's definitely improved since 2016 with this one. As a resident of Alabama, I always get that "I know this or I recall that" moments when reading and it's so easy to relate.
This book did a lot of stereotyping the Black and white of the world for Toya and Alex. Being from Alabama and going to a diverse school where the politics, culture, and society catered to the white students and their parents. So, when Diante talks about being an Oreo, then I can definitely understand that PULL and PUSH of finding an identity that makes you comfortable, safe, and likable even when it changes who you are. Peer pressure and society's association of centering whiteness all the time makes it harder for an individual to just be seen for who they are.
The book is very predictable in some places and it reads as exaggerated and overly dramatic. It seems like Pink wanted to throw all of the horrible insults and scenarios between white and Black people to make sure her narrative had a relatable connection to her Southern readers. When it's too heavy, it just bogs down the scene. However, when you realize the character(s) are changing and transforming, then it takes you a bit of time to process their actions.
Nonetheless, it was not great but it wasn't bad either. There were both funny and sad scenes throughout the book, but if you're a young boy or girl and grew up in the South, then this may be just the right book for you.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Thanks, @libby.app, for the free ALC.
This book did a lot of stereotyping the Black and white of the world for Toya and Alex. Being from Alabama and going to a diverse school where the politics, culture, and society catered to the white students and their parents. So, when Diante talks about being an Oreo, then I can definitely understand that PULL and PUSH of finding an identity that makes you comfortable, safe, and likable even when it changes who you are. Peer pressure and society's association of centering whiteness all the time makes it harder for an individual to just be seen for who they are.
The book is very predictable in some places and it reads as exaggerated and overly dramatic. It seems like Pink wanted to throw all of the horrible insults and scenarios between white and Black people to make sure her narrative had a relatable connection to her Southern readers. When it's too heavy, it just bogs down the scene. However, when you realize the character(s) are changing and transforming, then it takes you a bit of time to process their actions.
Nonetheless, it was not great but it wasn't bad either. There were both funny and sad scenes throughout the book, but if you're a young boy or girl and grew up in the South, then this may be just the right book for you.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Thanks, @libby.app, for the free ALC.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 22, 2016
LaToya Williams wants nothing more than to be anything other than black. Bullied by other black students, hating her "chuckabug" hair, big butt and dark skin, and living in an "empty castle" with her parents and brother, she just wants to escape. After being particularly humiliated at school, she prays to God that she be "anything but black." And BAM Jesus appears and makes her white—with the caveat that her parents and brother see her as normal.
As Kansas City—Missouri or Kansas?—exchange student Katarina, Toya is a complete Mary Sue. Revealing in her blonde hair, pert nose, skinny legs, flat butt and blue eyes, Toya quickly makes friends with the most popular girls in school and the high school quarterback. But soon she realizes that while being white isn't as easy as she thought, and has to make a choice—black, or white?
Wow. I honestly didn't think I would make it after the first chapter. I'm not terribly religious and Toya's reaction to her bullying in the first chapter made me want to puke for quite a few reasons. And Toya's actions as pretty Katarina gets annoying and into the realm of soft-core porn. But what Toya finds out . . . that's the four stars.
Dealing with racism, sexism, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, religion, wealth and what it means to be black and successful, this book has it all. A high school trifecta. Normally not my cup of tea but I'm glad I branched out.
I received this ARC for an honest review from NetGalley.
As Kansas City—Missouri or Kansas?—exchange student Katarina, Toya is a complete Mary Sue. Revealing in her blonde hair, pert nose, skinny legs, flat butt and blue eyes, Toya quickly makes friends with the most popular girls in school and the high school quarterback. But soon she realizes that while being white isn't as easy as she thought, and has to make a choice—black, or white?
Wow. I honestly didn't think I would make it after the first chapter. I'm not terribly religious and Toya's reaction to her bullying in the first chapter made me want to puke for quite a few reasons. And Toya's actions as pretty Katarina gets annoying and into the realm of soft-core porn. But what Toya finds out . . . that's the four stars.
Dealing with racism, sexism, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, religion, wealth and what it means to be black and successful, this book has it all. A high school trifecta. Normally not my cup of tea but I'm glad I branched out.
I received this ARC for an honest review from NetGalley.
September 13, 2019
DNF @ 1hrs / 1 Stars / 0 Steam Fans
I tried, I really tried to listen and let this play out. An hour into the story about 30% of the story told and I just could not take any more of the religious overtones and Latoya's whining. So Latoya is a bullied black girl in a small town in Alabama. She prays one night to God to make her white, God grants her prayers, makes her white and everyone except for her family now sees her as white. I got past the part where she tests out this transformation with her brother while skipping school one day but then when they return to school to register for classes I had had enough with the "God appeared to me to help me answer a geography question" UGH!! Maybe I am wrong but I can just see this storyline moving towards Latoya seeing the transformation as a blessing until it’s not and God's love is the reason for accepting the skin you are born into. I also didn't like how the family dynamic was explained at all!!!
This specific video review will be included in the September 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
I tried, I really tried to listen and let this play out. An hour into the story about 30% of the story told and I just could not take any more of the religious overtones and Latoya's whining. So Latoya is a bullied black girl in a small town in Alabama. She prays one night to God to make her white, God grants her prayers, makes her white and everyone except for her family now sees her as white. I got past the part where she tests out this transformation with her brother while skipping school one day but then when they return to school to register for classes I had had enough with the "God appeared to me to help me answer a geography question" UGH!! Maybe I am wrong but I can just see this storyline moving towards Latoya seeing the transformation as a blessing until it’s not and God's love is the reason for accepting the skin you are born into. I also didn't like how the family dynamic was explained at all!!!
This specific video review will be included in the September 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
October 4, 2018
'While I was asking God to change me, he was utilising what he was born with to conquer all things'
Into White is the story of Latoya, Toya Williams as she finds her footing in life and conquers herself by learning how to be confortable in her own skin.
A good book, a strong and important message, good humour (in places), enjoyable. But could have been better. I think that the character's emotions were not well-potrayed, like the easy way Toya reacts when Jesus visits her in her room. The ending should have been a little more impactful. But overall, it was a nice story. Light, funny, and not fussy. I loved the message it carried, and the writer's truthfulness about it, as well as the way she fitted each character into their own imperfectly perfect roles.
Tanning. Another thing I never understood about white people. They go on about how disgusting black people are and then roast like Conecuh sausages in tanning beds.
Age rating: 12+
Into White is the story of Latoya, Toya Williams as she finds her footing in life and conquers herself by learning how to be confortable in her own skin.
A good book, a strong and important message, good humour (in places), enjoyable. But could have been better. I think that the character's emotions were not well-potrayed, like the easy way Toya reacts when Jesus visits her in her room. The ending should have been a little more impactful. But overall, it was a nice story. Light, funny, and not fussy. I loved the message it carried, and the writer's truthfulness about it, as well as the way she fitted each character into their own imperfectly perfect roles.
Tanning. Another thing I never understood about white people. They go on about how disgusting black people are and then roast like Conecuh sausages in tanning beds.
Age rating: 12+
October 26, 2016
This book is disturbing on so many levels. I truly want to believe that in 2016 the type of racist, sexist, elitist, and self-loathing behavior that is portrayed in this book doesn't exist, but I'm not quite that naive. I seriously disliked 80% of the characters in this book but that is, after all, the author's intention. This book is just so many things- a cautionary tale(be careful what you wish for), a blatant look at race elations, and a serious view of issues that teens face everyday(regardless of their race).
I almost wish that the author had left out the supernatural element because it might distract some readers from the real messages that are told in this story. Either way, this is a powerful read.
I almost wish that the author had left out the supernatural element because it might distract some readers from the real messages that are told in this story. Either way, this is a powerful read.
May 29, 2017
This could've been a very thought provoking book. Instead, it's riddled with stereotypical characters and not much happens. So disappointing! #OwnVoices my a$$. Review to come!!
June 20, 2020
This was a quick and easy read, with an interesting idea--Toya, a black girl, wishes to be white, and in Freaky Friday fashion, Jesus visits her and makes it happen. Through Toya's perspective, the reader sees how hard it is for her to be one of the only black kids at her high school in Alabama. Even though Toya is very close to her brother, Alex, they are treated as outcasts simply because they are black. We see just how differently she is treated when she becomes "Katrina", the white exchange student from Kansas City. Even though there is a lot of humor in this book, and I think young readers will enjoy reading it through Toya's perspective, it revealed a lot about the realities of being black in suburban or "privileged" communities. There is the smaller, yet very real stuff, like what it means to have to go swimming and mess up your hair, to fitting in with fashion trends that always seem to favor and glamorize being white. This book showed me how peer pressure and the need to feel like part of the "in crowd: drives so much of the racism and inequality we see in our society, and how much they can get away with. It was not just about race, but about classism and sexism as well. For a fairly light book, it deftly revealed the many ways that bias exists in our world and how we can do better.
July 7, 2016
This was a DNF for me. I got about halfway through, and just didn't want to continue. I was excited about reading it, and was pleased when I got my hands on an ARC. But I could tell from the very beginning that I wasn't going to love it. It read young, even though it is supposed to be about a junior in high school. I had major problems with the story and with the predictability of the plot, but I'll leave those alone until publication. A disappointment from a needed topic.
May 26, 2016
Hilarious, deliciously weird, and utterly distinct. I loved it. Toya's voice, her family, her home life are so specific and true. This is a book you want to gulp down like cold water.
dnf
June 30, 2016Nnoooooooo! I really wanted to love this!!! The writing was just not working and the religion was just a bit much to swallow. It might have been a me, not you issue.
DNF: 50 pages
:(
DNF: 50 pages
:(
October 12, 2021
I loved this book. It was suspenseful and thoughtful. Of course it is a theoretical story, I enjoyed it. The best part was that it was clean.
January 27, 2018
You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it
3.5 stars
This is no Mockingbird (though set like it, in Alabama), LaToya no Atticus Finch, but in this Freaky Friday-esque high-school tale, a black student angry and frustrated with her lot in life prays to God to give her white skin. And she gets to climb into white skin and see both 'sides'.
Bullied and treated as a second class citizen because of her skin colour, Toya does have much to complain of legitimately, though she doesn't come across as a mature adolescent. We have to set aside the 'God did it' of her skin colour change, and that her family are the only ones who cannot see her new hue, and accept the story.
The usual ensues - different treatment in her new guise, Toya feeling elation, and later realisation that all is not sunshine, roses and greener on the other side of the fence.
There is an unusual aspect to the school swap story - a close-call rape scene and scenario, with Toya (in her 'white girl' persona) lied about and subject to name-calling. The scene itself does not become graphic but the meaning of it is clear.
Toya's brother and friend are minor characters in her story but I found myself intrigued by them more than the protagonist, they have interesting plot arcs and developments. One thing I enjoyed - Jesus showing up for little chats with Toya, very irreverent and funny, though completely off-the-wall.
An unusual idea, with a lot of potential, but I don't think it lived up to this.
*SPOILER ALERT* Toya, near the end of the story, reports the near-rape to the authorities, giving her name as the victim. This made no sense to me, because the perpetrator and all witnesses would be adamant that a white girl was the one in the bedroom with him, she had a different name and that 'girl' no longer exists - so how exactly would this case proceed? It couldn't go anywhere.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT*
Suitable for teen readers aged 13 and above, raises some fascinating issues worthy of discussion.
I accessed the text via the Audible audiobook. The narrator portrayed the resentful teenage voice of Toya well, and the story was easy to follow in this format.
3.5 stars
This is no Mockingbird (though set like it, in Alabama), LaToya no Atticus Finch, but in this Freaky Friday-esque high-school tale, a black student angry and frustrated with her lot in life prays to God to give her white skin. And she gets to climb into white skin and see both 'sides'.
Bullied and treated as a second class citizen because of her skin colour, Toya does have much to complain of legitimately, though she doesn't come across as a mature adolescent. We have to set aside the 'God did it' of her skin colour change, and that her family are the only ones who cannot see her new hue, and accept the story.
The usual ensues - different treatment in her new guise, Toya feeling elation, and later realisation that all is not sunshine, roses and greener on the other side of the fence.
There is an unusual aspect to the school swap story - a close-call rape scene and scenario, with Toya (in her 'white girl' persona) lied about and subject to name-calling. The scene itself does not become graphic but the meaning of it is clear.
Toya's brother and friend are minor characters in her story but I found myself intrigued by them more than the protagonist, they have interesting plot arcs and developments. One thing I enjoyed - Jesus showing up for little chats with Toya, very irreverent and funny, though completely off-the-wall.
An unusual idea, with a lot of potential, but I don't think it lived up to this.
*SPOILER ALERT* Toya, near the end of the story, reports the near-rape to the authorities, giving her name as the victim. This made no sense to me, because the perpetrator and all witnesses would be adamant that a white girl was the one in the bedroom with him, she had a different name and that 'girl' no longer exists - so how exactly would this case proceed? It couldn't go anywhere.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT*
Suitable for teen readers aged 13 and above, raises some fascinating issues worthy of discussion.
I accessed the text via the Audible audiobook. The narrator portrayed the resentful teenage voice of Toya well, and the story was easy to follow in this format.
June 27, 2017
This book had an exceptional premise but unfortunately the execution was less than satisfactory. A nice read but definitely not anything spectacular.
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