What do you think?
Rate this book
The Only Black Girls in Town
Award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert's debut middle-grade novel about the only two black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past.
Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta's best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can't understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her.
Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.
When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to figure out exactly who's behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.
Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta's best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can't understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her.
Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.
When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to figure out exactly who's behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2020
130 people are currently reading
8897 people want to read
About the author
Brandy Colbert
26 books1,241 followersBrandy Colbert was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks. She lives and writes in Los Angeles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 623 reviews
June 16, 2020
This book was fantastic. It was my 4th Brandy Colbert book and I think I can now officially declare her a favorite author bc I enjoy every book by her honestly a little more than the last and this one was no exception. I honestly love her her ability to weave so! many! complex things into a single story and this was just SO GOOD. If you haven't read a book by her yet, you absolutely need to.
Read
April 12, 2021- This book follows Alberta, a 12 year old black girl from California. She's such a nice character to read about, and also really good at surfing which is a prominent aspect of this book I loved.
- The plot of this book is based on Alberta meeting the new girl in her town, Edie, who is also the only black kid her age where they live — most people are white. Alberta's and Edie's friendship is so heartwarming and relatable and I was continually rooting for both of them.
- If you read this book, you'll probably end up adoring all the characters (read: N O T Nicolette.) Brandy Colbert is soo good at character development and I found myself even loving the side characters.
- The way this book handles racism is just *chef's kiss*. It's not blatant, which will be great for young black children reading this book, but as this book has a setting where most people are Clueless Whites™, there are a couple of racist microaggressions that are wonderfully tackled!
- Alberta also has two gay dads, and there's no homophobia at all. We love to see it.
- This book is sooo fun to read, and if I hadn't paced myself while reading it, it definitely wouldn't have been hard for me to finish it in a single sitting. All plot points are paced wonderfully (though I do wish the journal entries had more closure at the end) and I loved them equally!
Overall, I think this is such an amazing and enjoyable book black girls will love, and it's one I think should be in everyone's hands. It was a pleasant surprise for me as well! I might not even have requested this book if I didn't know it was middle grade, but thankfully I didn't realize and ended up loving this book. (I cannot believe the publisher had the gall to decline me for Brandy Colbert's upcoming YA release this year!!)
representation: Black main character, gay Black couple
content warnings: racism, parental separation
- The plot of this book is based on Alberta meeting the new girl in her town, Edie, who is also the only black kid her age where they live — most people are white. Alberta's and Edie's friendship is so heartwarming and relatable and I was continually rooting for both of them.
- If you read this book, you'll probably end up adoring all the characters (read: N O T Nicolette.) Brandy Colbert is soo good at character development and I found myself even loving the side characters.
- The way this book handles racism is just *chef's kiss*. It's not blatant, which will be great for young black children reading this book, but as this book has a setting where most people are Clueless Whites™, there are a couple of racist microaggressions that are wonderfully tackled!
- Alberta also has two gay dads, and there's no homophobia at all. We love to see it.
- This book is sooo fun to read, and if I hadn't paced myself while reading it, it definitely wouldn't have been hard for me to finish it in a single sitting. All plot points are paced wonderfully (though I do wish the journal entries had more closure at the end) and I loved them equally!
Overall, I think this is such an amazing and enjoyable book black girls will love, and it's one I think should be in everyone's hands. It was a pleasant surprise for me as well! I might not even have requested this book if I didn't know it was middle grade, but thankfully I didn't realize and ended up loving this book. (I cannot believe the publisher had the gall to decline me for Brandy Colbert's upcoming YA release this year!!)
representation: Black main character, gay Black couple
content warnings: racism, parental separation
October 18, 2020
The Only Black Girls in Town is a middle grade story told from the perspective of Alberta who resides in a beach town in California. She's used to being the only Black girl, but wishes for a Black companion that understands certain aspects of her life that her friends would not be able to understand. Alberta gets her wish when Edie moves into the B&B by her house. Edie is definitely not what Alberta expects. She wears a lot of black clothes and black lipstick and is from Brooklyn, NY. Despite their differences the girls bond when they find a set of old journals and they set out to learn more about the writer.
So I've seen this book in a few different places, but I never go the chance to pick it up. I was finally able to get an audio version from the library and it was definitely worth the wait. The Only Black Girls in Town not only focuses on the relationship between Alberta and Edie as friends, but also topics like colorism and white passing. The two girls are so strikingly different, but that's exactly why they work so well together. They served as support systems to each other when they are both forced to navigate White spaces.
I really enjoyed the historical elements and because this is a middle grade novel there wasn't much detail depicted in terms of consequences for white passing. There was also great representation. Alberta has two dads and actually has a relationship with her birth month. While this relationship isn't necessarily at the forefront of the novel, I thought that it was a great addition to the work as a whole. Colbert also places an emphasis on the importance of exposing children to different cultures, experiences, races, religions, etc. One character (I won't mention because of spoilers) exhibits such a high level of intolerance. It clearly is related to the their lack of exposure to individuals who aren't exactly the same as them. Overall, this book was excellent. I enjoyed Colbert's writing and her ability to incorporate pieces and parts from the past. I am definitely excited to pick up more books by this author.
So I've seen this book in a few different places, but I never go the chance to pick it up. I was finally able to get an audio version from the library and it was definitely worth the wait. The Only Black Girls in Town not only focuses on the relationship between Alberta and Edie as friends, but also topics like colorism and white passing. The two girls are so strikingly different, but that's exactly why they work so well together. They served as support systems to each other when they are both forced to navigate White spaces.
I really enjoyed the historical elements and because this is a middle grade novel there wasn't much detail depicted in terms of consequences for white passing. There was also great representation. Alberta has two dads and actually has a relationship with her birth month. While this relationship isn't necessarily at the forefront of the novel, I thought that it was a great addition to the work as a whole. Colbert also places an emphasis on the importance of exposing children to different cultures, experiences, races, religions, etc. One character (I won't mention because of spoilers) exhibits such a high level of intolerance. It clearly is related to the their lack of exposure to individuals who aren't exactly the same as them. Overall, this book was excellent. I enjoyed Colbert's writing and her ability to incorporate pieces and parts from the past. I am definitely excited to pick up more books by this author.
Read
March 4, 2020It should be no surprise Colbert's middle grade debut is FABULOUS.
Read
March 10, 2021ALL ABOARD THE BRANDY COLBERT FAN TRAIN
April 5, 2021
I'm convinced that Brandy Colbert can write anything and it'd be amazing. The Voting Booth was one of my favourite YA reads last year, and now Brandy demonstrates that she's an incredible writer with her MG debut, The Only Black Girls in Town. I loved this.
- Follows Alberta, a Black girl who loves to surf and lives with her two dads in a small coastal town. When another Black girl and her mother move into town, Alberta is excited that she'll finally have a friend who might understand her.
- As well as a friendship story where the characters have to navigate change, toxic friendships, and misunderstandings, there's also this wonderful subplot where the girls find a collection of journals, filled with secrets that also delve into history and race of the time.
- I think this book does a wonderful job of exploring and portraying racism and its different forms, and how racism of today is very different of the past (as they learn through the journals).
- It's also a story about how people place expectations on Black girls and try and fit them into stereotypes. I loved how both girls show that being Black can mean so many things and that the girls were given room to be who they were, unapologetically.
- This is just such a wonderful middle-grade; the perfect 'slice of life' story that explores some great themes as well.
Trigger/content warning: instances of racism and microaggression (challenged), parental divorce
- Follows Alberta, a Black girl who loves to surf and lives with her two dads in a small coastal town. When another Black girl and her mother move into town, Alberta is excited that she'll finally have a friend who might understand her.
- As well as a friendship story where the characters have to navigate change, toxic friendships, and misunderstandings, there's also this wonderful subplot where the girls find a collection of journals, filled with secrets that also delve into history and race of the time.
- I think this book does a wonderful job of exploring and portraying racism and its different forms, and how racism of today is very different of the past (as they learn through the journals).
- It's also a story about how people place expectations on Black girls and try and fit them into stereotypes. I loved how both girls show that being Black can mean so many things and that the girls were given room to be who they were, unapologetically.
- This is just such a wonderful middle-grade; the perfect 'slice of life' story that explores some great themes as well.
Trigger/content warning: instances of racism and microaggression (challenged), parental divorce
July 26, 2020
Excellent.
June 24, 2020
4.5 - This was such a lovely Middle Grade story about two young Black girls living in a predominately white town and how that impacts them. Through Alberta and Edie the readers get to see the microaggressions that they face from their peers and also teachers. The story covers friendship, family, modern day prejudices, and learning about the history of racism in the US.
There were so many wonderful things about this book. I appreciated that it was casually queer as Alberta has two dads. And Alberta and Edie were both fully fleshed out, unique characters. I also love how Brandy Colbert incorporated some complex topics, especially when it gets to the history that Alberta and Edie uncover through reading a box of old journals.
I think this is a book that people who aren’t typically Middle Grade readers could totally enjoy.
There were so many wonderful things about this book. I appreciated that it was casually queer as Alberta has two dads. And Alberta and Edie were both fully fleshed out, unique characters. I also love how Brandy Colbert incorporated some complex topics, especially when it gets to the history that Alberta and Edie uncover through reading a box of old journals.
I think this is a book that people who aren’t typically Middle Grade readers could totally enjoy.
January 23, 2021
Such a unique and touching story about fitting in, middle school, family and friendship with a strong focus on being Black in America both from a present day and historical perspective.
Main characters are in 7th grade but totally fine for elementary as well. Some brief mentions of crushes but not a strong focus on dating or romantic relationships.
Main characters are in 7th grade but totally fine for elementary as well. Some brief mentions of crushes but not a strong focus on dating or romantic relationships.
September 2, 2020
Alberta has been the only Black girl in her beach town for years, so she is thrilled to learn that a Black family with a 12-year-old daughter, Edie, is moving into the bed and breakfast across the street from her. In the midst of navigating their budding friendship, Alberta and Edie discover some old journals in the attic of the bed and breakfast and set out on a journey to uncover the journals’ history and origin.
What I Liked:
* Alberta is Black and has two Black dads who had her through surrogacy... diversity!!!
* Addresses the fact that not all racism is overt but that it still exists and affects one just the same
* Realistic look into navigating friendships in middle school (i.e., drama with “the mean girl,” crushes, etc.)
* Ice cream is mentioned and consumed several times, of which I approve🍦
What I Didn’t Quite Like:
* Not really a criticism, but I wanted to see more surfing in the book (Alberta is a surfer, and it’s part of her identity, so I wanted to see it play an even larger role)
Recommended If: I really enjoyed this book! It’s a great middle grade book that tackles some heavy topics. I love that it included LGBTQ characters, mystery, middle school drama, and strong friendships. I feel like this book is slept on and highly recommend it for you or those middle schoolers in your life.
What I Liked:
* Alberta is Black and has two Black dads who had her through surrogacy... diversity!!!
* Addresses the fact that not all racism is overt but that it still exists and affects one just the same
* Realistic look into navigating friendships in middle school (i.e., drama with “the mean girl,” crushes, etc.)
* Ice cream is mentioned and consumed several times, of which I approve🍦
What I Didn’t Quite Like:
* Not really a criticism, but I wanted to see more surfing in the book (Alberta is a surfer, and it’s part of her identity, so I wanted to see it play an even larger role)
Recommended If: I really enjoyed this book! It’s a great middle grade book that tackles some heavy topics. I love that it included LGBTQ characters, mystery, middle school drama, and strong friendships. I feel like this book is slept on and highly recommend it for you or those middle schoolers in your life.
Read
November 19, 2021Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years until the bed and breakfast across the street gets new owners that turn out to have a 12-year-old daughter who is black just like her. Enjoy this one now by checking out a copy on Mymcpl.org or searching for it on Overdrive! - Reviewed by Stephanie at MCPL Reading Rocket
April 6, 2020
I absolutely loved this debut middle-grade novel about Alberta and Edie -- the only black girls in town. Edie is new to town after her mother purchased a bed and breakfast. When Edie decides to make her bedroom in the attic of her new home, she and Alberta find a whole pile of journals left behind by someone who passed years ago. Simultaneously, they are experiencing racism in their community and coming to terms with who they can count on. This was such a pleasant surprise! I would classify it as a historical fiction novel because of the focus on black history, including specific mentions of Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, etc. It also had a Parker Inheritance feel because of the dual stories occurring between the past and the present. Highly recommend for the upper middle grade reader in your life!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
March 31, 2021
4 stars
Middle-grade books about kids uncovering local histories and mysteries!!! More of them pls!! Okay but seriously, I have read some Brandy Colbert stuff before, but this one is definitely my favorite work of hers so far. The characters and friendships in this are just!! Next level!! And I love the historical mystery aspect of it and the hidden journals ahhhh!! The entire thing was just so much fun to follow?? And I like how at its heart this is a book about family and friendship and community and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy whenever I was reading it and I just!! Cannot recommend it enough!!
trigger warnings: racist comments and microagressions, bullying
rep: Black MC and SCs, gay SCs, Latinx SCs
---------------------------------------
what is the best sub-category of middle grade and why is it "kids discover old diary in a dusty attic and go on a journey of self-discovery as they attempt to uncover the life story of the person who wrote it"
Middle-grade books about kids uncovering local histories and mysteries!!! More of them pls!! Okay but seriously, I have read some Brandy Colbert stuff before, but this one is definitely my favorite work of hers so far. The characters and friendships in this are just!! Next level!! And I love the historical mystery aspect of it and the hidden journals ahhhh!! The entire thing was just so much fun to follow?? And I like how at its heart this is a book about family and friendship and community and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy whenever I was reading it and I just!! Cannot recommend it enough!!
trigger warnings: racist comments and microagressions, bullying
rep: Black MC and SCs, gay SCs, Latinx SCs
---------------------------------------
what is the best sub-category of middle grade and why is it "kids discover old diary in a dusty attic and go on a journey of self-discovery as they attempt to uncover the life story of the person who wrote it"
June 13, 2020
This book deserves more ratings.
I don't read a lot of middle grade, and I wouldn't have checked this book out if I had known that's what it was. But I'm glad I did. This is a gentle realistic contemporary about friendship, family history, and self identity. It also deals with race and microaggressions in such a way that will be very subtly eye-opening to young white readers. The characters are all endearing and fun and the book is never boring. Would recommend this book for all middle grade readers, regardless of race or gender.
I don't read a lot of middle grade, and I wouldn't have checked this book out if I had known that's what it was. But I'm glad I did. This is a gentle realistic contemporary about friendship, family history, and self identity. It also deals with race and microaggressions in such a way that will be very subtly eye-opening to young white readers. The characters are all endearing and fun and the book is never boring. Would recommend this book for all middle grade readers, regardless of race or gender.
March 15, 2021
Middle Grade March!
August 6, 2020
I have SO MUCH TO say about this awesome book and I don't know exactly where to begin. I had to re-read this again - SLOWLY - because I wanted to savor every moment of a book that I couldn't stop loving.
Firstly though, a book about Black girls who surf and who dress goth. How could I NOT like this? This is one of those books I wish existed when I was younger. Even now it's like I feel SEEN! And that's important. There's a reason why the hashtag #representationmatters exists. Alberta and Edie are the Black girls I was and the Black girls I would have loved to have been friends with. They are the Black girls who EXIST now yet too many ignore or adultify to the detriment of Black girls.
I'm going out on a limb and guess that author Brandy Colbert set Ewing Beach in Cambria, CA (Moonstone Beach, my favorite place). If it had been Morro Bay, she'd have mentioned "the rock".
There was so much to love about this book - girl friendships, gay parenting treated as boringly normal, surfer girls, smart girls, goth girls, a mystery, emotional and physical growing pains - in short, a slice of life that isn't centered around Black pain and struggle.
Wow, who'da thunk it, lol.
Alberta is your typical carefree Black girl (what, you didn't know we existed? Shame on you, lol) who loves surfing and butter pecan ice cream. She and her dads live in a small California beach town where there aren't a lot of Black people. They're vegetarians too. Hence the title (I'll have some thoughts on this). She's going through some big changes - like going into seventh grade, spending time with her birth mother, and best friend Laramie seems to be growing up faster and leaving her behind. And while her surfing buddy Oliver is Latino, Alberta is one of the few Black kids in town and the only one her age. Of course, her across the street nemesis Nicolette McKee's (aka future Karen) constant microaggressions sometimes has Alberta wondering if she's being hypersensitive. As cool as Laramie is, she doesn't think Nicolette's behavior is that big of a deal.
Enter Edie (yes, named after famed Youth Quaker Edie Sedgwick). She and her mother moved into the bed and breakfast across the street. Edie wears all black, including lipstick, and loves Victorian literature. Being from New York, it takes a little time for her to adjust to life in a small town - even one as quaint as Ewing Beach. However, Alberta and Edie instantly gravitate towards each other, both being the same age and both having non-traditional families (Edie's mother is divorced). They also find themselves solving a mystery surrounding a woman named Constance, whose journals Edie finds in her attic bedroom.
Having often been the only Black person in predominantly non-Black spaces, I could relate to Alberta feeling both invisible yet also visible. It's especially hard when there's at least one racist idiot who needs to show their asses. And sometimes even a close friend may not always catch the snide racial asides, say they're not that big of a deal, or act as if it was a joke. I actually hate the term "microagression" because there's nothing small about purposeful ignorance wielded as a weapon. What makes this worse is the endless self gaslighting that happens, and the choices are either to not make a scene (which then becomes another stereotype) or to speak out then have people blame you for blowing it all out of proportion.
This has become one of my new comfort books. Alberta and Edie are not characters, but friends. I want more books about alt Black girls just being themselves, making friends and growing up. Let them have fun and fall in love.
Firstly though, a book about Black girls who surf and who dress goth. How could I NOT like this? This is one of those books I wish existed when I was younger. Even now it's like I feel SEEN! And that's important. There's a reason why the hashtag #representationmatters exists. Alberta and Edie are the Black girls I was and the Black girls I would have loved to have been friends with. They are the Black girls who EXIST now yet too many ignore or adultify to the detriment of Black girls.
I'm going out on a limb and guess that author Brandy Colbert set Ewing Beach in Cambria, CA (Moonstone Beach, my favorite place). If it had been Morro Bay, she'd have mentioned "the rock".
There was so much to love about this book - girl friendships, gay parenting treated as boringly normal, surfer girls, smart girls, goth girls, a mystery, emotional and physical growing pains - in short, a slice of life that isn't centered around Black pain and struggle.
Wow, who'da thunk it, lol.
Alberta is your typical carefree Black girl (what, you didn't know we existed? Shame on you, lol) who loves surfing and butter pecan ice cream. She and her dads live in a small California beach town where there aren't a lot of Black people. They're vegetarians too. Hence the title (I'll have some thoughts on this). She's going through some big changes - like going into seventh grade, spending time with her birth mother, and best friend Laramie seems to be growing up faster and leaving her behind. And while her surfing buddy Oliver is Latino, Alberta is one of the few Black kids in town and the only one her age. Of course, her across the street nemesis Nicolette McKee's (aka future Karen) constant microaggressions sometimes has Alberta wondering if she's being hypersensitive. As cool as Laramie is, she doesn't think Nicolette's behavior is that big of a deal.
Enter Edie (yes, named after famed Youth Quaker Edie Sedgwick). She and her mother moved into the bed and breakfast across the street. Edie wears all black, including lipstick, and loves Victorian literature. Being from New York, it takes a little time for her to adjust to life in a small town - even one as quaint as Ewing Beach. However, Alberta and Edie instantly gravitate towards each other, both being the same age and both having non-traditional families (Edie's mother is divorced). They also find themselves solving a mystery surrounding a woman named Constance, whose journals Edie finds in her attic bedroom.
Having often been the only Black person in predominantly non-Black spaces, I could relate to Alberta feeling both invisible yet also visible. It's especially hard when there's at least one racist idiot who needs to show their asses. And sometimes even a close friend may not always catch the snide racial asides, say they're not that big of a deal, or act as if it was a joke. I actually hate the term "microagression" because there's nothing small about purposeful ignorance wielded as a weapon. What makes this worse is the endless self gaslighting that happens, and the choices are either to not make a scene (which then becomes another stereotype) or to speak out then have people blame you for blowing it all out of proportion.
This has become one of my new comfort books. Alberta and Edie are not characters, but friends. I want more books about alt Black girls just being themselves, making friends and growing up. Let them have fun and fall in love.
September 13, 2021
This was a really lovely book. I breezed through it as it felt so smooth to read. The characters all felt warmly represented. I enjoyed the sprinkling of historical mystery on top of a contemporary story.
Side note - I loved that the MC has been vegetarian her whole life, like me!
Side note - I loved that the MC has been vegetarian her whole life, like me!
January 16, 2022
Like many books I read, this book started out strong only to derail about halfway through.
The central premise is that Alberta is one of the few Black kids in her California beach town. There are more Black people around, but they’re all older - either by a few years or a few decades, no in-between. This makes the arrival of Edie and her newly divorced mother a huge deal.
I'll start with the positives.
I love how generally upbeat and supportive the whole book is. Alberta has two wonderful fathers who are abundantly warm and understanding. I wish I could experience a sliver of the unconditional love they express to Alberta. This book has slight allusions to homophobic remarks if you squint, but I loved that the book totally shied away from that overall. Alberta mentioned that people sometimes reacted weirdly hearing about how her family works especially since she calls one of her fathers by their first name (his preference), yet other than that it's not even a blip on the radar. I loved that this book allowed me to unabashedly revel in how healthy their family dynamic was. It did not add that extra layer of prejudice to the book for 'realism' when it wasn't actually essential to the narrative. While blatant homophobia certainly could have slotted neatly into the framework of the story, I found it refreshing to not have that to worry about.
Alberta and Edie's instant connection was a highlight. As a Black woman it really resonated with me because that kind of immediate kinship is something I'm extremely familiar with. You can't imagine the comfort that can come from having another Black person in a white space. While I'm obviously not going to always connect with people just because they're Black - we're not a monolith after all - there can undoubtedly be a sense of safety depending on the circumstances. Before meeting Edie, her parents also make a point of making sure Alberta is aware of the possibility the two won't be close for that very reason which I appreciated. I had to figure that out the hard way.
Alberta is a great protagonist. She's emblematic of early adolescence for a lot of Black people, Black girls in particular. The beginning realization of what it truly means to be Black in the society we live in can be quite disarming. Despite the book not diving super deep into it - which was fine given its intended purpose - I felt it captured a lot of that initial awareness and confusion very well. I really felt Alberta's evolving consciousness throughout the events of the book. She was constantly thinking and recalibrating based on new information and her experiences. It was like looking back on my own teen years through mature eyes.
Now let's get to what dropped the rating.
I already talked about how this book was anchored in Alberta’s burgeoning racial consciousness. For a while I felt that the book was building well on this theme. Then we get to the execution of Alberta’s conflict with her best friend Laramie.
Laramie is originally presented as Alberta’s white best friend who has recently been growing apart from Alberta mostly because of Laramie’s ignorance in regards to Alberta’s situation as a Black person. She spends most of the book sucking up to Nicolette; the popular, racist bully that lives across the street from Alberta. Nicolette is an indisputably nasty, spoiled girl. Laramie decides to align herself with Nicolette anyways because Nicolette has never specifically been rude to Laramie. Even if you ignore Laramie not picking up on the racist undertones of Nicolette’s words when she speaks to Alberta, Laramie still would be an awful friend for choosing her best friends’ sworn enemy over her best friend.
At first this was fine. Friends don’t always stay friends for a variety of reasons. The point of this direction in the story seemed to be for Alberta to have to face the brutal reality that even someone who you’ve known a long time, cares about you, and otherwise seems like a good person can also be racist.
Instead Laramie is completely absolved of all her mistakes without her complicity ever being addressed at all.
The big fallout between the two is because Nicolette says some racist things about Edie that Laramie relays to Alberta whilst implicitly agreeing with her. Alberta is obviously upset. However, after this Colbert then completely pivots away from the racial aspect and reframes the conflict as if the source of the issue is Laramie's jealousy of Alberta and Edie's relationship as well as Laramie’s anxiety about being an early bloomer in regards to puberty hitting her hard.
This doesn’t fly for two reasons. One, it is established before Edie even is introduced as a character that Laramie was being problematic. While her jealousy can still exist, it cannot be a source of Laramie’s distance when her distance predates Edie.
Two, by ignoring Laramie’s racism it forces Alberta to sublimate her own feelings to be the pursuer of the relationship regardless of the fact that Alberta is the wronged party. Not only did I dislike this because it felt like the story abruptly shifted its trajectory in order to redeem Laramie when she didn’t deserve it, it also left a bad taste in my mouth that the white girl was being narratively shielded from the full weight of her actions; it was too close to real life where white tears are often valued over Black pain.
Laramie was perfectly willing to ignore the bullying when it was focused on Alberta. She only cared once she was personally affected by Nicolette's awful behavior. It was not enough to just believe her best friend when she told her something was off. What’s worse, Laramaie was even willing to ignore the instances in the past where Nicolette was terrible to Alberta in her presence .
I wouldn’t have a problem with this if Laramie’s actions were called out. I don’t think Laramie is beyond help. She’s a young girl who is still figuring out who she is as a person, same as Alberta. That means making mistakes. And given her circumstances, that may involve messing up in regards to race. No one is perfect, and it’s not like the kid was using slurs or anything. I could give her choices in the book a pass as long as Laramie demonstrably learns from it.
The issue is that Laramie doesn’t learn because she is spared the consequences of her decisions. Laramie might not be racist, but she definitely was engaging in racist rhetoric. And I absolutely wanted as well as expected her to get taken to task for it. The book gets very close to it by having Alberta have a discussion with her biological mother about Laramie. In this discussion, her bio mom’s advice to Alberta is very pointedly dancing around outright calling Laramie racist - which is fair. She’s trying to let Alberta come to her own conclusions about the situation. Except Alberta goes on to never confront Laramie about this further highlighting the hard pivot away from holding Laramie accountable. The reconciliation is focused around Laramie’s feelings that caused her to push Alberta away while Alberta is gracious about it. The specifics of how messed up it is that Laramie would choose to hang out with a racist or how that makes Laramie an enabler is never mentioned at all.
It’s ironic that Colbert includes a line early on about how being called racist is worse than the act of being racist only to refuse to label Laramie’s racism thereby embodying the very same mannerism she is disparaging in text. Laramie being racist does not have to be a permanent state therefore I don’t see the hesitancy in labeling her so.
This single aspect undermines the entire book in my eyes.
The book is deeply tied to a Black persons’ first steps in comprehending certain parts of Black life. The events that lead up to this comprehension are different for every Black person and not all Black people will have to encounter the same difficulties in life, however, in general it’s safe to say that the majority of Black people will come across this sudden cognizance at some point.
By being unwilling to either drop Laramie or at the very least have a conversation where her indiscretions are laid out plainly I felt this book not only undercut the realism it establishes in the first half it also tacitly encourages going easy on the white girl essentially because she didn’t mean to be racist.
Being silent when racism is happening makes you guilty by association. Laramie is culpable even if she was not maliciously ignorant. I’m not saying she had to be punished. All I’m saying is there needed to be a moment where she is explicitly educated. Whether that be by Alberta, one of Alberta’s dads, Edie or heck, even some random character I don’t really care. Anybody would be better than no one.
A big point of contention between the two is that Laramie as a white person does not always understand Alberta. Rather than unite the two facets of Alberta’s life the book compartmentalizes them.
The whole mystery plot is Edie-centric; Alberta basks in her Blackness. Then the almost friendship breakup plot is Laramie centric; Alberta must smother her Blackness in order to not rock the boat. I cannot emphasize enough how tonally off the Laramie aspect is given the implicit function of the two storylines. I didn’t necessarily need Laramie to be left behind as a friend, but I was certainly anticipating it as the story was so clearly setting it up.
And not to play oppression olympics here, but Edie was going through something way more emotionally disquieting than Laramie was yet Alberta didn’t give her half as much leeway when Edie acted out one time versus Laramie’s continuous mistreatment. I understood that she and Laramie had more history, but the friendship between Alberta and Edie was so secure I was caught off guard by how inflexible Alberta was in regards to a relatively minor infraction. It honestly put me off Laramie even more because it felt as if Alberta was compromising her boundaries for the relationship which is massively unhealthy.
Now to be fair, sometimes you will let a friend treat you poorly while they’re having a rough time because you care about them and you know that it won’t last. However, this goes back to my original point: Laramie is unchecked on the total sum of her misconduct. As a result, I did not feel as if this was an example of cutting your friend some slack. To me it was more proof that Laramie was getting off way too easy.
Basically, any way you slice it this particular plot point was mishandled and it had broader implications that negatively impacted everything.
The mystery was not as significant as time went on and it really didn’t amount to much because of how certain story beats were not allowed to cross over. Looking back it could have been taken out entirely or changed completely and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I’m not arguing that should have happened, I’m just saying don’t expect a lot out of it.
I did enjoy this book a lot. It was super cute, had some great character dynamics, and overall a great message. The amount of love oozing from this book made me physically ill at times, it was so sweet. Despite my complaints, I’d still recommend it. I’m just saying that it, unfortunately, does feel like better storytelling was sacrificed for a tidy ending.
The central premise is that Alberta is one of the few Black kids in her California beach town. There are more Black people around, but they’re all older - either by a few years or a few decades, no in-between. This makes the arrival of Edie and her newly divorced mother a huge deal.
I'll start with the positives.
I love how generally upbeat and supportive the whole book is. Alberta has two wonderful fathers who are abundantly warm and understanding. I wish I could experience a sliver of the unconditional love they express to Alberta. This book has slight allusions to homophobic remarks if you squint, but I loved that the book totally shied away from that overall. Alberta mentioned that people sometimes reacted weirdly hearing about how her family works especially since she calls one of her fathers by their first name (his preference), yet other than that it's not even a blip on the radar. I loved that this book allowed me to unabashedly revel in how healthy their family dynamic was. It did not add that extra layer of prejudice to the book for 'realism' when it wasn't actually essential to the narrative. While blatant homophobia certainly could have slotted neatly into the framework of the story, I found it refreshing to not have that to worry about.
Alberta and Edie's instant connection was a highlight. As a Black woman it really resonated with me because that kind of immediate kinship is something I'm extremely familiar with. You can't imagine the comfort that can come from having another Black person in a white space. While I'm obviously not going to always connect with people just because they're Black - we're not a monolith after all - there can undoubtedly be a sense of safety depending on the circumstances. Before meeting Edie, her parents also make a point of making sure Alberta is aware of the possibility the two won't be close for that very reason which I appreciated. I had to figure that out the hard way.
Alberta is a great protagonist. She's emblematic of early adolescence for a lot of Black people, Black girls in particular. The beginning realization of what it truly means to be Black in the society we live in can be quite disarming. Despite the book not diving super deep into it - which was fine given its intended purpose - I felt it captured a lot of that initial awareness and confusion very well. I really felt Alberta's evolving consciousness throughout the events of the book. She was constantly thinking and recalibrating based on new information and her experiences. It was like looking back on my own teen years through mature eyes.
Now let's get to what dropped the rating.
I already talked about how this book was anchored in Alberta’s burgeoning racial consciousness. For a while I felt that the book was building well on this theme. Then we get to the execution of Alberta’s conflict with her best friend Laramie.
Laramie is originally presented as Alberta’s white best friend who has recently been growing apart from Alberta mostly because of Laramie’s ignorance in regards to Alberta’s situation as a Black person. She spends most of the book sucking up to Nicolette; the popular, racist bully that lives across the street from Alberta. Nicolette is an indisputably nasty, spoiled girl. Laramie decides to align herself with Nicolette anyways because Nicolette has never specifically been rude to Laramie. Even if you ignore Laramie not picking up on the racist undertones of Nicolette’s words when she speaks to Alberta, Laramie still would be an awful friend for choosing her best friends’ sworn enemy over her best friend.
At first this was fine. Friends don’t always stay friends for a variety of reasons. The point of this direction in the story seemed to be for Alberta to have to face the brutal reality that even someone who you’ve known a long time, cares about you, and otherwise seems like a good person can also be racist.
Instead Laramie is completely absolved of all her mistakes without her complicity ever being addressed at all.
The big fallout between the two is because Nicolette says some racist things about Edie that Laramie relays to Alberta whilst implicitly agreeing with her. Alberta is obviously upset. However, after this Colbert then completely pivots away from the racial aspect and reframes the conflict as if the source of the issue is Laramie's jealousy of Alberta and Edie's relationship as well as Laramie’s anxiety about being an early bloomer in regards to puberty hitting her hard.
This doesn’t fly for two reasons. One, it is established before Edie even is introduced as a character that Laramie was being problematic. While her jealousy can still exist, it cannot be a source of Laramie’s distance when her distance predates Edie.
Two, by ignoring Laramie’s racism it forces Alberta to sublimate her own feelings to be the pursuer of the relationship regardless of the fact that Alberta is the wronged party. Not only did I dislike this because it felt like the story abruptly shifted its trajectory in order to redeem Laramie when she didn’t deserve it, it also left a bad taste in my mouth that the white girl was being narratively shielded from the full weight of her actions; it was too close to real life where white tears are often valued over Black pain.
Laramie was perfectly willing to ignore the bullying when it was focused on Alberta. She only cared once she was personally affected by Nicolette's awful behavior. It was not enough to just believe her best friend when she told her something was off. What’s worse, Laramaie was even willing to ignore the instances in the past where Nicolette was terrible to Alberta in her presence .
I wouldn’t have a problem with this if Laramie’s actions were called out. I don’t think Laramie is beyond help. She’s a young girl who is still figuring out who she is as a person, same as Alberta. That means making mistakes. And given her circumstances, that may involve messing up in regards to race. No one is perfect, and it’s not like the kid was using slurs or anything. I could give her choices in the book a pass as long as Laramie demonstrably learns from it.
The issue is that Laramie doesn’t learn because she is spared the consequences of her decisions. Laramie might not be racist, but she definitely was engaging in racist rhetoric. And I absolutely wanted as well as expected her to get taken to task for it. The book gets very close to it by having Alberta have a discussion with her biological mother about Laramie. In this discussion, her bio mom’s advice to Alberta is very pointedly dancing around outright calling Laramie racist - which is fair. She’s trying to let Alberta come to her own conclusions about the situation. Except Alberta goes on to never confront Laramie about this further highlighting the hard pivot away from holding Laramie accountable. The reconciliation is focused around Laramie’s feelings that caused her to push Alberta away while Alberta is gracious about it. The specifics of how messed up it is that Laramie would choose to hang out with a racist or how that makes Laramie an enabler is never mentioned at all.
It’s ironic that Colbert includes a line early on about how being called racist is worse than the act of being racist only to refuse to label Laramie’s racism thereby embodying the very same mannerism she is disparaging in text. Laramie being racist does not have to be a permanent state therefore I don’t see the hesitancy in labeling her so.
This single aspect undermines the entire book in my eyes.
The book is deeply tied to a Black persons’ first steps in comprehending certain parts of Black life. The events that lead up to this comprehension are different for every Black person and not all Black people will have to encounter the same difficulties in life, however, in general it’s safe to say that the majority of Black people will come across this sudden cognizance at some point.
By being unwilling to either drop Laramie or at the very least have a conversation where her indiscretions are laid out plainly I felt this book not only undercut the realism it establishes in the first half it also tacitly encourages going easy on the white girl essentially because she didn’t mean to be racist.
Being silent when racism is happening makes you guilty by association. Laramie is culpable even if she was not maliciously ignorant. I’m not saying she had to be punished. All I’m saying is there needed to be a moment where she is explicitly educated. Whether that be by Alberta, one of Alberta’s dads, Edie or heck, even some random character I don’t really care. Anybody would be better than no one.
A big point of contention between the two is that Laramie as a white person does not always understand Alberta. Rather than unite the two facets of Alberta’s life the book compartmentalizes them.
The whole mystery plot is Edie-centric; Alberta basks in her Blackness. Then the almost friendship breakup plot is Laramie centric; Alberta must smother her Blackness in order to not rock the boat. I cannot emphasize enough how tonally off the Laramie aspect is given the implicit function of the two storylines. I didn’t necessarily need Laramie to be left behind as a friend, but I was certainly anticipating it as the story was so clearly setting it up.
And not to play oppression olympics here, but Edie was going through something way more emotionally disquieting than Laramie was yet Alberta didn’t give her half as much leeway when Edie acted out one time versus Laramie’s continuous mistreatment. I understood that she and Laramie had more history, but the friendship between Alberta and Edie was so secure I was caught off guard by how inflexible Alberta was in regards to a relatively minor infraction. It honestly put me off Laramie even more because it felt as if Alberta was compromising her boundaries for the relationship which is massively unhealthy.
Now to be fair, sometimes you will let a friend treat you poorly while they’re having a rough time because you care about them and you know that it won’t last. However, this goes back to my original point: Laramie is unchecked on the total sum of her misconduct. As a result, I did not feel as if this was an example of cutting your friend some slack. To me it was more proof that Laramie was getting off way too easy.
Basically, any way you slice it this particular plot point was mishandled and it had broader implications that negatively impacted everything.
The mystery was not as significant as time went on and it really didn’t amount to much because of how certain story beats were not allowed to cross over. Looking back it could have been taken out entirely or changed completely and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I’m not arguing that should have happened, I’m just saying don’t expect a lot out of it.
I did enjoy this book a lot. It was super cute, had some great character dynamics, and overall a great message. The amount of love oozing from this book made me physically ill at times, it was so sweet. Despite my complaints, I’d still recommend it. I’m just saying that it, unfortunately, does feel like better storytelling was sacrificed for a tidy ending.
August 7, 2020
This is a really special book, and I have no idea how to properly review it. I think this will be a very important read for young Black readers, because it deals with race in so many different ways and in such a layered way. It deals with Black history, it deals with growing up Black in a predominantly white small town, it deals with microaggressions and how there are many different ways to be Black. And that's not even all of it.
It's honestly amazing to see how many themes this book dealt with without it ever feeling too much. This was my third Brandy Colbert book and she's for sure one of my favourite authors now. I really loved Alberta as a main character, and I found this a very wholesome read.
It's honestly amazing to see how many themes this book dealt with without it ever feeling too much. This was my third Brandy Colbert book and she's for sure one of my favourite authors now. I really loved Alberta as a main character, and I found this a very wholesome read.
August 17, 2020
Okay I loved this one, and I really didn't think I would. But what a pleasure it was to read a MG book where the voice felt genuinely middle grade, and where it touched upon delicate issues in an age appropriate way. This was also a book that did a great job of talking about race, of talking about Black people, in a way that didn't feel steeped in trauma. Alberta was met with challenges as one of the only Black girls in town, but she was also met with the challenges of being a middle schooler and all the drama that entails (gosh, I don't miss middle school). I don't think I've read anything else by Brandy Colbert, but I'm certainly going to make it a point to moving forward!
May 23, 2020
It’s not often I read a middle grade novel that has it all, but I can definitively say that this one did. Alberta struggles with puberty, growing up, bullying, race, family and friend changes, following her passion and so much more in this coming-of-age novel that also includes historical fiction elements, a mystery and just a great middle grade novel in general. I’ll be recommending this one a lot in the fall.
June 25, 2020
4.5 stars. I am not exaggerating when I say that Brandy Colbert writes some of the best literature I know for children and young adults. What a wonderful read, touching on shifting friendships, growing up, and what it means to be Black in a predominantly white town -- all with a hint of mystery too! I so enjoyed it.
June 29, 2020
If this had been a YA, I'm sure it would be 5* for me but being middle grade fiction... it fell short in a few areas namely the end bit with Nicolette... However, I really enjoyed this.
The mystery aspect was captivating. Plus, both Edie and Alberta were great kids. The representation is this book is amazing, as Alberta is a surrogate baby to two gay men.
It all felt very realistic to a middle school experience and I hope a lot of younger kids read this. Standing up to bullying and understanding how pervasive racism is can be taught at any age.
This is a really good review of the book if you want to learn more:
https://thepagesleftunread.wordpress....
The mystery aspect was captivating. Plus, both Edie and Alberta were great kids. The representation is this book is amazing, as Alberta is a surrogate baby to two gay men.
It all felt very realistic to a middle school experience and I hope a lot of younger kids read this. Standing up to bullying and understanding how pervasive racism is can be taught at any age.
This is a really good review of the book if you want to learn more:
https://thepagesleftunread.wordpress....
March 21, 2022
4.5 stars
This is a sweet (and bittersweet), kind of quiet story of friendship, identity, race, and family. There is a mystery element, but it’s not really a mystery. I also like the variety of family set-ups it portrays, without being necessarily about that.
I think this will be meaningful to black kids dealing with being the only ones, and also I hope that white or non-black kids will read this and have a little more empathy/understanding for the experience of some of their classmates/neighbors.
This is a sweet (and bittersweet), kind of quiet story of friendship, identity, race, and family. There is a mystery element, but it’s not really a mystery. I also like the variety of family set-ups it portrays, without being necessarily about that.
I think this will be meaningful to black kids dealing with being the only ones, and also I hope that white or non-black kids will read this and have a little more empathy/understanding for the experience of some of their classmates/neighbors.
Read
April 23, 2023rtc
March 14, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! The synopsis is a little misleading, because it definitely deals more with Alberta and her relationships (with her dads and with her two good friends, Edie and Laramie). The journals are definitely important, but it's not the most vital piece of the story. (Also, I was pretty sure I knew what the "shocking and painful" secret was, and I'm really happy I was wrong. It never would've occurred to me. I would still call it a painful secret.)
I think a lot of people could relate to Alberta. She's in middle school (seventh grade) and it feels like all of a sudden, her friends are just...older than she is. Their priorities are different and they act differently, and it's disconcerting for her in a lot of ways. Middle school is the worst, anyway, and it's even harder when your best friend has started ditching you for the popular girl who's awful to you all the time. (REALLY, LARAMIE? #TeamAlberta)
This is just a really good and fun read. It's exactly what we need right now. Highly recommended.
I think a lot of people could relate to Alberta. She's in middle school (seventh grade) and it feels like all of a sudden, her friends are just...older than she is. Their priorities are different and they act differently, and it's disconcerting for her in a lot of ways. Middle school is the worst, anyway, and it's even harder when your best friend has started ditching you for the popular girl who's awful to you all the time. (REALLY, LARAMIE? #TeamAlberta)
This is just a really good and fun read. It's exactly what we need right now. Highly recommended.
July 5, 2021
How I wish this author was writing when I was a middle grades child. Could have saved me a lot of confusion as a middle grader reading Donald Goines and Terry McMillan. Im so happy this book exists for today’s little Black girls! This was a great book with an amazing plot, excellent story telling/writing, great, authentic language, and excellent characters. As a teacher, I’d recommend this for grades 4-8 as a study in character development, how to develop, build up, and extend and conclude a plot, and also recommend to students that are interested in history, anthropology, African American history, and friendships. Excellent read and I highly recommend. I read another book by her and she has quickly become my favorite middle grades author! I highly recommend checking out her other works!
February 2, 2020
All kinds of families. The main character, Alberta, an African American 7th grader is the daughter of two dads. Her neighbor and new friend, Edie, is living in a newly broken family. In addition to the focus on family, including a surprising family secret, this book accurately captures seventh grade issues: mean girls, the overwhelming desire to be popular, and first crushes.
March 9, 2020
Listened to this advanced listening copy on libro.fm and loved it! On one level this is a story about middle school friendships. On another, it is about a family navigating mostly white spaces. And there is a third story, a mystery that our main character Alberta and her new friend Edie slowly unravel. It is this third story that really kept me hooked!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 623 reviews