May: Novel 1 of The Green Ivy Series

by Kelli Green

Marianna spent a lot of time doing her own thing on her own time, but when she turned 16, her parents gave her a surprise that would change the course of her life forever. Refusing to let her parents choose her destiny, she launched herself into the real world. Young, opinionated, naive, and strong-willed, Mariana makes friends, enemies, and quick decisions that set the stage for her life. One thing is certain. When Marianna chose to step out of her parents’ home, she stepped into her role as a woman; ready or not.

This fictional story is the first full-length novel in the Green Ivy Series, a series of short stories and novels written by, Kelli Green. If you've read, Elizabeth: A Short Story by Kelli Green, then you already know a few of the characters. This story takes place around the same timeline of, Elizabeth; but not to worry, reading Elizabeth only gave you a small peek into the world.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2020

About the author

Kelli Green was born in Chicago, but moved to Pensacola, Florida when she was 8 years old. She's always been fascinated with movies, music, television, stories and just people in general.

She has been writing for most of her life. She is currently working on her novel, "May."

Reviews

[Beena Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is by far one of my favorite indie reads this year. I can't believe we never discovered this piece of gem before. It definitely deserves more recognition! Books that make me a cry are an automatic favorite of mine.

We meet a character name Mariana, a young, white teenager living in a time where white and blacks are segregated. I think it's great that the author, a person of color chose to show a perspective of a white female. This was an extremely powerful read that touches on important issues of privilege and racism. Mariana is a teenage who's parents want her to marry Peter but she runs away from her family and into a town of strangers where she becomes one with the community. Here, in this town racism is real. We see how some white people have hatred against blacks yet they don't hesitate to use them for their sexual gravitation. I also loved the romance between Mariana and Jon, it was super sweet and very pure, something I haven't seen done in many novels. Elizabeth was another favorite character of mine. I loved that child. Her story was where I teared up.

There are grammar and formatting issues, it is distracting, but I still loved this book. That's how great it was. I look forward to reading more of the authors book, definitely a new favorite of 2020.

[Ami J. J. Sanghvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read novels, but Green's short story "Elizabeth" reeled me in, and I knew I'd be buying May once it came out. I was actually super nervous about reading a novel since I usually read and write in other genres, but I felt comfortable in the pages of May before I even reached the second chapter; I think that's a special talent of Green's, among many others. Every page, place, character, chapter, etc. is written with love, care, intention, and detail. May quickly went from "this awesome book I'm reading" to my main source of escapism and the thing I looked forward to every morning. It singlehandedly pulled me through a few tough weeks. There was laughter, there were tears, there were life lessons, and there were characters you'll take with you even once the book is over. May has something for everyone and, only six months into the year, I am altogether certain that it is one of the best new releases of 2020. 11/10 would recommend.

[Samyra Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating Story

This story is enjoyable because the writer draws the reader into a world long gone. I enjoyed how the author tackled this coming of age story along with racism, poverty, and the plight of women. The bond between the M.C and Elizabeth was pure and fun, and the M.C.'s innocence and love made the story a page turner. At times my pace was slowed due to mixing up characters with the same first initial. And after Elizabeth's transition, things moved along at a slower pace.

[Savannah Worman (Sav’s Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

May is a tender and heartbreaking novel that won my heart. This is a story about perseverance and love, it’s one I won’t be forgetting for a long time.

May is a coming of age story about a 16 year old girl who runs away from home and starts a new life in a new town. She’s hardheaded and soft hearted and she’s lives a somewhat sheltered life , but all of that is about to change. 

First, I’d like to say that May is a very impactful novel that touches on a lot of hard topics, racism, abuse, and rape. It is a hard novel to get through but it handles those subjects in a way that felt earnest and careful. Green was successful in writing about sensitive subjects and keeping them sensitive, while exploring a time when these issues were prevalent.

You really get a feeling for the characters in May. Each character has depth and they contain something within themselves that is either all together good or bad. I like how none of the characters are perfect, they all have some kind of flaw, but it adds to who they are, and some characters are even too flawed.

This novel tackles racism hard, and I’d like to point that out specifically, because oftentimes newer authors will make major mistakes or sound insincere when mapping this subject out. Authors tend to turn their main character into an anti-racism superhero, and it comes off as unreal. Green does not do that, Green creates events that lead to changes being made, the story does not rely on the main character to fix everything. I like to call that mistake the deus ex syndrome, but Green does not commit that crime.

Marianna (May), is an excellent main character. She is extremely well written and I like how she is written to deal with her issues. She feels like a real person, she’s very flawed but she’s also a genuinely kind person. She does all that she can to help those around her even though her future is a mystery. Green wrote her with a lot of depth, she makes May’s fears and desires a point of contention, while also using them as defining characteristics.

This book made me cry, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had that happen. It is such an emotional ride that I actually shed real tears. The sadness wrapped up in this relatively short book is astounding. The raw feeling in this novel is real, it’s heartbreaking because stuff like this really happened, these are real hardships. These issues are brought to the forefront and become driving factors for the characters. Very well written.

This novel is saying a lot and it brings up many of the problems people still face today. May has a very important message and it deserves to be heard.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.

I give May a 5/5 stars. Pick this one up when you’ve got the chance. A huge thank you to Kelli Green for reaching out to me about this novel, it’s one of a kind.
Https://savsreview.home.blog/2020/05/...

[Sahreth Bowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting 7 months for this book to come out and it is everything I had hoped for! While the story does contain some sensitive content (which the author forewarns of and which is not graphically detailed), 'May' is generally a very wholesome read. Set in a post-slavery, pre-equal rights era, it follows the story of a young white woman (Marianna) as she ventures from her home to find her own freedom away from controlling parents who see her independent nature as nothing more than absolute disrespect and selfishness. From the beginning, Marianna sees through the veil that the society she lives in has tried to cover her with. Even as a child, she not only notices the racist and sexist ideologies of those around her, she actively voices her views by calling others out on their flawed thoughts. She most easily makes friends/family with the Black people around her, never comprehending why they are treated so poorly simply for the fact of their skin color. This of course only further alienates her from the rest of her white peers and society overall, and even though she later attempts to fit in better for the sake of her loved ones, she is never willing to compromise with injustice. I clung to every word of the book, hopeful of a better life for all the characters as well as afraid of the plethora of ways things could go wrong. Every single character is distinctly different and extremely believable. The author has done an amazing job at crafting hero, villain, and those in between. I was really impressed that despite Marianna's clearly advantageously wise mind, there were even situations from which she grew more understanding and mature. 'May' is filled with simple (and not so simple) moments of pure endearment in addition to scenarios of heartbreak and injustice that had me tearing up. I wasn't really sure towards the end how the story could conclude without a feeling of becoming bland for lack of conflict, but Kelli Green somehow managed to bring it all together in a perfect balance of real, continuing issues and a sense of inspiring peace. It is the way she makes the reader attach to every character that kept me in suspense of what would happen instead of being able to guess how it would all play out. The fight and pure humanity of the characters and plot is nothing short of inspiring.

[Rebecca Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to see what's next

I read this book in one sitting, and I'm hungry for more. It's a quiet book, but that kind of quiet that is full of something important. There are many ups and downs. My favorite parts are the moments of tiny everyday details. Braiding hair. Playing with children. It's self-published, so there are a few typos, but I've seen at least as many typos in traditionally published novels, and the intention is clear. I'm not a grammar snob, and I don't think you should be either, but I'm putting it out there so you can't say you didn't get what you expected. Regardless, the book is beautiful and heartbreaking and upsetting and inspiring and hopeful and ... just moving.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

May is the story of 16 year old Marianna. Marianna is expected to do as she's told and just be happy with the life she's been given. However, as a strong-willed girl who knows what she doesn't want she is not going to lay down and accept anything. Marianna is not afraid work, she's not afraid of her parents and she's not afraid of the future she is struggling to create.

I absolutely adored this book! I simply couldn't get enough and was reading it every chance I got. It took me less than 48 hours to go from start to finish. During this book I laughed, I cried and I cheered. Green managed to break my heart and then slowly out it back together again. The characters were all extremely well done, even though they are not all likeable.

While there are a couple minor editing issues, I still can't help but give this book 5 stars. The story was simply wonderful, and had Green of added another 100 pages just to continue with Marianna's story I would of happily read until the end. Kelli Green is a story teller and I can't wait to read her next work.

[Mildred T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading, May and it kept my interest. The main character was interesting, the way she maneuvered her life was unusual but intriguing . Her life started chaotic but ended more normal. I think the writer did a good job for their first book.

[Author Raven Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! Wonderful plot, excellent painful, and the protagonist is literally my hero; she doesn’t take shit from anyone! The ONLY reason I’m not giving 5 stars is for the grammatical errors and a few formatting things that can be improved upon. Well done to the author!

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌸 May by Kelli Green is the first book in the Green Ivy Series. The protagonist of the story is a sixteen years old young girl Marianna. She was not the go with the flow kind of girl. She wannabe something by herself instead of following whatever her parents had decided.

🌸 The way she ran away from home and start everything on her own at a new place is not easy at all but she did well. Green has inspired me a lot by the inspiring character of May.

🌸 Reading this was a roller coaster ride for me as the book involves topics like sexual assault, racism and violence. The cover page of the book is nice and the title is suitable. The editing of the book could improve more. It was a long read but totally worth my time.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started to read "May" one rainy morning, I ended up breezing through the book that same day. I adore stories that suck you into their world and allow you to feel the emotions of the characters. Experiencing that feeling is getting more rare, but "May" still managed to do just that! Having strong characters, especially a strong main character, is definitely a big factor. The characters are believable and REAL; it was easy to imagine all of them and even easier to root for some and despise others.

I love the roller coaster of emotions that this story gave me, and it has easily become one that I wish I could forget so I could read it for the first time again! I would 100% recommend anyone to check it out for themselves!

[Marie Johnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to say Kelli is a phenomenal writer. I was drawn in from page one of May and now Elizabeth. The character's personal stories of their daily life in the 1930s are inspiring and emotional. Thank you for sharing them with us!

[Jawaher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I rarely read but when I started to read this book I could not put it down! The book had so much going one which was actually made me want to finish it.

[Jheryca Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with so many relatable and heartwarming characters. You will fall in love with strong willed Marianna.Dont walk ...run to experience this book.

[Kamryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!! This book is by far the BEST book I have read all year!! The plot took me through so many different emotions, and yes I May (get it?) Have cried a little bit during the character deaths, but there were so many happy moments!! This is such an underrated book and DESERVES more attention! I love love LOVE Elizabeth she is (was now) my favorite character! This book goes into so much detail, I used this book for my school project, and let me say, this was so much more than a regular school book. It was just so detailed and took me through so many emotions! I definitely recommend. I will be buying Cool very soon! Good job Author!! ❤️

[Susanne Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

An impressive debut novel involving the difficult choices of a privileged young white woman defying societal expectations in the Jim Crow south. Thoughtful, honest characters and a quick-paced plot make for a good read. Kudos to Green.