Black Beach

by Glynis Guevara

Sixteen-year-old Tamera lives in La Cresta, a rural fishing community on a Caribbean island. Despite having the support of relatives, including her dad, Earl, her elder sister, Mary and her best friend and first cousin, Jan, she struggles to deal with her mom's mental health issues and the absence of her boyfriend, Dalton who moves out of the village to work. Tamera's life is further complicated after one of her classmates disappears, and weeks turn to months without any word of the missing girl's whereabouts. Life gets even more challenging after Tamera suffers a personal loss. This difficulty draws her and Dalton closer, but his long absences remain a test the young couple must contend with. Tamera doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, but she feels as if her closest friends are moving ahead and leaving her behind. After an environmental disaster wreaks havoc in Tamera's hometown, she longs to help, but doesn't have any of the required skills to make an impact. With time on her hands to soul search, she makes a life changing decision that leads her in the path of potential danger. Tamera finds herself at the centre of the mystery of her classmate's disappearance, the resolution of which shocks the people of La Cresta.

Genres: Mental Health, Young Adult, Fiction, Mental Illness

180 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2018

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book reminded me of a section of Kimberly Drew's Black Futures that pointed out the connection between ocean health and marginalized communities. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson speaks about ocean justice and brings the receipts with fact after fact. Guevara puts a face on this global issue and tugs at our heart strings through the residents of La Cresta, Jamaica.

Besides addressing this issue Guevara also incorporates mental illness, child abuse and the treatment of women into her novel. Tamera is a young girl coming of age who endures all of these obstacles through her life and those of her family and friends. Through her eyes we get to see island life through someone who has lived it and not through the eyes of a tourist as most books set in the Caribbean are wont to do.

I feel that this is a perfect book for teens because it gives insight without preaching. Life just is "what it is". But we get to experience Tamera's growth emotionally as she makes her way through these travails and at the end we see that there is hope as she decides her future.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit, I only picked this book up, because Raven Dauda, whom I like a lot, is narrating the audioversion. And I'm glad to say that it turned out to be a positive surprise for this usually-not-YA reader. The Caribbean atmosphere and feeling sucked me in from the first moment. The problems and topics of a young girl growing up in the West Indies, where a lot of the life is dependent on the environment, were convincingly displayed.
Glynis Guevara tackles subjects of mental illness in the family, trust misuse and environmental catastrophes - which perhaps is a bit much for one book. But keeping in mind that the story is aimed at younger readers I found the handling of so much going on very well done.

The writing style is pleasant, the characters feel authentic. I devoured it in one go.

And Raven did a great job in bringing Glynis Guevara's words to life.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good YA novel from Ms. Guevara. A fine follow up to Under the Zaboca Tree.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe Glynis Guevera’s book “Black Beach” should be inhaled, like the perfume of the island she describes so lovingly. This book is part of Inanna’s Young Feminist Series, and it touches on many issues that concern young adults - identity, family, school, boyfriends, abuse, and the environment. And yet Guevera doesn’t preach. Her main character, Tamera, has to find her way just as all young adults do. “Black Beach” traces the path to Tamera’s discovery of what finally captures her heart, which is the need to protect her island from over-development and environmental disaster.

Readers are given insight into island living, which isn’t as idyllic as a tourist might think. We’re encouraged to acknowledge the existence of that society’s issues, and to understand the potentially destructive impact of tourism on a rich culture and fragile environment. I enjoyed this book very much and feel that Guevera accomplished what she set out to do, which is to raise awareness about Trinidad as a country as valuable as any on the planet.

[Avion Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glynis Guevara always leaves me wanting more. I have grown close to the characters and events in Black Beach and having completed the novel, I miss them dearly. The story line is very intriguing. I look forward to more work from this author.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a La Cresta, Jamaica, Tamera is a 16 year old girl just finishing high school. Her family life is dominated by her mother's mental health issues and she worried constantly about it. Her friends are moving on with their lives although there is danger lurking nearby as some of the local girls are disappearing without a trace. Her boyfriend, Dalton is living out of town and she tries to carry on a long distance relationship, even though he is asking for more photos of her. Her father is a fisherman and is dependant on the health of the ocean which is getting compromised with pollution.
The setting is very well depicted and the descriptions of the local flora and fauna are very strong. The characters speak authentically with colloquialisms that seem perfectly apt. Tamera is a somewhat passive heroine, the novel focuses on her thoughts and feelings and the main events happen around her rather than to her. But the steady pace and hints at danger keep the plot moving forward.
A great novel to include on lists about global issues and recommended for teens.

[Avivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many teenagers the journey into adulthood is strewn with joys and disappointment. Sometimes, enduring and sometimes fleeting. Tamera, the main character faces several challenges- her mother's mental illness, a fading long distance relationship, the disappearance of her close friend and an oil spill that threatens the fishing village's way of life. Despite family tragedy and dangerous missteps with a human chameleon Tamera with the support of family and friends moves on with her life.

With warts and all, Guevara paints a realistic picture of life and people in the a Caribbean fishing village. In addition, she captures the lusciousness of the environment through her choice of descriptive language. Black Beach is a great read— for everyone.

[Gemini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Almost Tapped Out

I wasn’t planning to review this book because I didn’t think I’d have anything nice to say. The mystery of what happened to the missing girl was interesting to me. Then the book lost me. The middle of it didn’t hold my interest. I kept pushing because the book wasn’t very long. I’m glad that I did because things picked up. So many things were happening to Tamera all at once. It was a lot for someone so young to deal with. I didn’t expect the drama with her teacher. I was also surprised when the truth came out about the missing girl. This turned out to be an okay read for me.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Black Beach not just because it is a YA Caribbean story that took me back to the Caribbean, but also because it was so well written. It is a wonderful coming of age story. The author didn't just focus on the main character, sixteen year old Tamera's family, but she also gave vivid descriptions of the neighbourhood where the family lived. The book touches on multiple themes and it is definitely a page turner. I think adults and teenagers alike will enjoy reading this book.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Beach is a beautiful coming of age novel that hits on some of the heavy things that women experience. I absolutely loved the description of La Cresta and could almost smell the beach as throughout the story. This novel was a slice of life, and what a slice it is! I think this book tried to focus on too many heavy topics all at once. I wish it had narrowed them down to focus on a few a dive deeper into those experiences. I felt like we didn't truly get to know how Tamera really felt about all of these events happening in her life. But the thing is, Tamera was dealing with a lot!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this book before its launching and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The contents indicated the way of life in a caribbean island and I received surprises along the way. In my opinion, it was well-written and the storyline was quite interesting. I was so sorry when I came to the end of this book because I felt that I knew the characters and didnt want to leave them behind.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tamera is a young 16 year old girl who lives in La Cresta. Her mother had some mental issues. This one touches on so many things that young girls should learn about. I kinda felt like it had too many big things going on through out the book. I wished it had focused more on one or two issues like more on the mental illness. I did find it interesting and a fast read. Thanks to ECW Press Audio and NetGalley.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Beach tells the story of 17 year old Tamera who lives in a fishing village with her family. The book covers multiple themes including mental health and environmental issues. It is an excellent read and I look forward to reading more books from this author in the future.

[Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Glynis Guevara! Loved the characters, the story line and the ending. Didn’t see it it coming. Wow kept the suspense. Job well done. Will recommend highly!

[MsChris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that looks at life through a teenage girls eyes. Deals with topics such as human trafficking, mental illness, substance abuse, child abuse and the environment.

[Keosha Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a coming to age novel, Black Beach is about a young 16-year-old girl named Tamera who lives in La Cresta. Tamera's mother is faced with some mental issues. This book touches on somany obstacles that young girls faced. I believe that this book focused on way too many heavy subjects which left some in the background with no explanation. I enjoyed this book but I would have liked to focus more on Tamera and how she felt throughout it. Thank you, NetGalley for this advance reader copy of Black Beach.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Tamera, at sixteen years old, has a lot on her plate, a long distance relationship, a missing friend, a mom with mental health issues, and on top of all that, she’s trying to figure out what to do with her life.

First of all, I loved that this is set on a Caribbean Island and it isn’t about someone on vacation, it’s about the people who actually live there, specifically working class people. I liked the cultural aspects of this, whether it was the food, preparing for carnival or the girls discussing what they need to do as far as their education is concerned, I like getting a glimpse of how the everyday world works in places I’m not all that familiar with, seeing how similar or different it may be from my own.

The writing did feel a touch stilted at times, a little repetitive, occasionally re-stating things not long after they’d already been said, but as far as establishing characters, I felt like I had a strong sense of each person, not just Tamera, the secondary characters had distinct personalities, too. I also liked how much Tamera grew from the girl we met at the beginning of the story, a bit judgmental of another girl for what she wears, kind of living for her boyfriend’s visits more than she’s living for herself, and how by the end she has evolved on both those fronts.

As I mentioned there’s a lot going on in this story, Tamera’s romance, missing girls, mental health, environmental issues, it’s maybe too much for a book of this brief length to handle. While there wasn’t enough time or focus given to any topic, I certainly admired the ambitious scope of it all, that the author took on so many difficult subjects, and though the coverage of each was a bit more intermittent than I would have preferred, there were certainly affecting moments sprinkled throughout, like Tamera’s worries and guilt over her mom, and the mother of the missing girl wondering if she’ll ever see her daughter again.


I received this through a giveaway.