What do you think?
Rate this book
Jade Is a Twisted Green
For readers of Queenie and Honey Girl , a coming-of-age story about queer Black identity, love, passion, chosen family, and rediscovering life’s pleasures after loss.
Jade Brown, a twenty-four-year-old first-generation Jamaican woman living in Toronto, must find a way to pick up the pieces and discover who she is following the mysterious death of her twin sister.
Grappling with her grief, Jade seeks solace in lovers and friends during an array of hilarious and heartbreaking adventures. As she investigates some of life’s most frustrating paradoxes, she holds tight to old friends and her ex-girlfriend, lifelines between past and present. On the journey to turning twenty-five, she finally sees that she belongs to herself, and goes about the business of reclaiming that self.
Through a series of whirlwind love affairs, parties, and trips abroad, Jade stumbles toward relinquishing the weight of her trauma as she fully comes into her own as a young Black woman and writer.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
Jade Brown, a twenty-four-year-old first-generation Jamaican woman living in Toronto, must find a way to pick up the pieces and discover who she is following the mysterious death of her twin sister.
Grappling with her grief, Jade seeks solace in lovers and friends during an array of hilarious and heartbreaking adventures. As she investigates some of life’s most frustrating paradoxes, she holds tight to old friends and her ex-girlfriend, lifelines between past and present. On the journey to turning twenty-five, she finally sees that she belongs to herself, and goes about the business of reclaiming that self.
Through a series of whirlwind love affairs, parties, and trips abroad, Jade stumbles toward relinquishing the weight of her trauma as she fully comes into her own as a young Black woman and writer.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2022
13 people are currently reading
2876 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
November 10, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!
Yeah, so. The first thing I want to say is that I am Asian-American, raised in a mostly-white environment in the middle of the fucking Midwest.
In other words, I know very little about Black people and Black culture.
Was this book intended for an audience like me? Absolutely not. Did I love it anyway? Yes. Could I still relate to the characters? Probably not as strongly as a Black person could, but yes.
Because this book is about love and grief and struggle, and I understand those things fairly well. This book is about culture and heritage, and while it might not be about my culture and heritage, I still understood the importance. This book is about personality and queerness and acceptance, and as a queer person, I was fucking here for it.
So maybe I couldn’t really understand some of the characters when they spoke patois, and maybe I realized that I really need to educate myself more. But I still loved this book.
The writing style was so personal and deep and eloquent without being flowery - in fact, it kind of had this matter-of-fact vibe to it. But it was gorgeous in a unique way.
The emotions that this book gave me were so??? Much??? I felt so happy and so sad at times and the way things were phrased just made me feel.
And the characters. Oh, the characters. Jade was so relatable to me, as someone who both struggles with grief and wants to be a writer and most of the time doesn’t know what she’s doing. Tayja was beautiful inside and out. Amethyst was incredible and so much fun. Allison only confirmed to me that I am queer.
I could go on, but for the sake of my laptop battery, I can’t.
Basically, I could see so much represented in this book. It was so moving and it told me things that I didn’t realize I needed to know. This book made me happy and proud just to be. Just to exist. It let me know that it’s okay not to have things figured out.
This book might have been about love, grief, struggle, culture, heritage, personality, queerness and acceptance, but it was about so much else that I don’t know how to explain in words. There was a spiritual quality to it.
The main thing this is about is self-discovery. Jade’s journey was so raw, filled with so much pain and hope and pride, and I loved it so much. Maybe it wasn’t meant for me, but I’m glad to have gotten it all the same.
June 11, 2022
i received an advanced reader copy of this book through netgalley and was super excited to read it. what really drew me to it was the unique cover design and the interesting description. the book follows jade, a 24 year old queer black woman grieving from the loss of her twin sister. i really wanted to love this book but i simply could not get into it. i’m disappointed because i have never given a book 1 star before no matter how much i disliked it. i couldn’t look past the terrible writing style. it personally didn’t flow for me and i felt like things moved way too fast without any proper descriptions. to me, the writing didn’t feel mature or well thought out at all.
another thing that prevented me from connecting to jade’s story was the multiple points of view. the book did not focus solely on jade (who was the one who was supposed to be healing - the sole focus of the book according to the description) and reading anecdotes and scenes from other people’s point of view drew me away from her. because of the alternating points of view, i felt like none of the chapters flowed together. nothing really connected and things/events happened with no build up from the previous chapter.
the final cherry on top was the poly plot. there didn’t feel like much build up to it, it was just sprinkled in the beginning of a chapter and developed very badly (i might even say inappropriately). it’s clear that the author didn’t know how to go about this but included it anyway. the author clearly confused cheating with a consensual polyamorous relationship. jade cheated on her partner in the name of discovering herself and exploring polyamory.
this story simply fell flat for me and i was not invested in jade’s healing journey at all. i’m sad to say that i did not like this book at all and was very disappointed by it.
another thing that prevented me from connecting to jade’s story was the multiple points of view. the book did not focus solely on jade (who was the one who was supposed to be healing - the sole focus of the book according to the description) and reading anecdotes and scenes from other people’s point of view drew me away from her. because of the alternating points of view, i felt like none of the chapters flowed together. nothing really connected and things/events happened with no build up from the previous chapter.
the final cherry on top was the poly plot. there didn’t feel like much build up to it, it was just sprinkled in the beginning of a chapter and developed very badly (i might even say inappropriately). it’s clear that the author didn’t know how to go about this but included it anyway. the author clearly confused cheating with a consensual polyamorous relationship. jade cheated on her partner in the name of discovering herself and exploring polyamory.
this story simply fell flat for me and i was not invested in jade’s healing journey at all. i’m sad to say that i did not like this book at all and was very disappointed by it.
October 19, 2022
Jade is twenty-four years old, lives in Toronto, and is still suffering deep grief over the death of her twin sister years earlier near the end of high school. Jade broke up with her girlfriend afterwards the incident, her parents split up, and Jade has never really been able to get back to living, working small inconsequential jobs, holding no significant relationships except for a few friendships.
After reconnecting with her former high school girlfriend, Jade has a number of experiences that help her confront her complicated feelings for her sister and those around her.
The writing is a little difficult to follow at times, and the author switches point of view (PoV) several times, but at the same time, I got a much better picture of Jade, her family and her community because of all the PoV changes. I loved that this book was set primarily in Toronto and loved the author's sensitive handling of grief.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Dundurn Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
After reconnecting with her former high school girlfriend, Jade has a number of experiences that help her confront her complicated feelings for her sister and those around her.
The writing is a little difficult to follow at times, and the author switches point of view (PoV) several times, but at the same time, I got a much better picture of Jade, her family and her community because of all the PoV changes. I loved that this book was set primarily in Toronto and loved the author's sensitive handling of grief.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Dundurn Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
May 30, 2022
* Received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Dundurn Press in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read a story about a queer Black woman in Toronto trying to discover herself after her twin sister's passing. However, much of the "plot", if there was a coherent one, didn't amount to anything significant. I feel really sorry, because I did want to like this so much but found nothing much to enjoy about it so please skip this if you would not like to read a negative review.
The beginning chapters have some of the characters' names as their titles, and were even in the titular characters' POVs. However, some of these characters turned out to be unimportant to the plot. Turton also keeps alternating between POVs before finally deciding to stick with Jade but wait, she switches POVs again. You never know if a chapter is supposed to be in Jade's POV, another character's POV, or the omniscient narrator. Really confusing even if you're paying attention.
I couldn't see a greater meaning behind this story at all. We barely got anything about Roze, Jade's twin sister. Also, I find it weird to have a POV chapter of a character that's established to be dead right from the beginning. It doesn't make a lot of sense logically.
I personally do not subscribe to polyamory but I really didn't like the way polyamory is portrayed here as the character was clearly cheating under the guise of "finding things out." As if there weren't enough stories that exploit the cheating trope. This does a disservice to poly people out there.
Overall, despite it's intriguing premise, this book didn't live up. The execution and it writing were average at best. The editing is also not amazing, as better editing would have weeded out a lot of structural issues like chapter titles, excessive cliches, and inconsistency in narration style. I hope Turton's next book, if any, will be better.
Side note: The number of four and five star reviews is actually surprising to me given the clear issues with storytelling and structure, but I suppose this is usually the case with ARCs until the book is officially published and we have a more objective audience who isn't beholden to publishers and authors in any way. However, power to the people who enjoyed it — I'm really not here to police that! 😅
I was excited to read a story about a queer Black woman in Toronto trying to discover herself after her twin sister's passing. However, much of the "plot", if there was a coherent one, didn't amount to anything significant. I feel really sorry, because I did want to like this so much but found nothing much to enjoy about it so please skip this if you would not like to read a negative review.
The beginning chapters have some of the characters' names as their titles, and were even in the titular characters' POVs. However, some of these characters turned out to be unimportant to the plot. Turton also keeps alternating between POVs before finally deciding to stick with Jade but wait, she switches POVs again. You never know if a chapter is supposed to be in Jade's POV, another character's POV, or the omniscient narrator. Really confusing even if you're paying attention.
I couldn't see a greater meaning behind this story at all. We barely got anything about Roze, Jade's twin sister. Also, I find it weird to have a POV chapter of a character that's established to be dead right from the beginning. It doesn't make a lot of sense logically.
I personally do not subscribe to polyamory but I really didn't like the way polyamory is portrayed here as the character was clearly cheating under the guise of "finding things out." As if there weren't enough stories that exploit the cheating trope. This does a disservice to poly people out there.
Overall, despite it's intriguing premise, this book didn't live up. The execution and it writing were average at best. The editing is also not amazing, as better editing would have weeded out a lot of structural issues like chapter titles, excessive cliches, and inconsistency in narration style. I hope Turton's next book, if any, will be better.
Side note: The number of four and five star reviews is actually surprising to me given the clear issues with storytelling and structure, but I suppose this is usually the case with ARCs until the book is officially published and we have a more objective audience who isn't beholden to publishers and authors in any way. However, power to the people who enjoyed it — I'm really not here to police that! 😅
August 1, 2022
This is a coming of age story that is so beautifully written. I sympathize with jade so much, not knowing who you are and trying to figure it all out. Not only that but also trying to live with grief and not being able to cope with it at first.
Like I said this story is beautiful, is it life changing? No but still worth a read
Like I said this story is beautiful, is it life changing? No but still worth a read
January 12, 2023
2.5
Jade Is a Twisted Green follows Jade, a black queer woman from Toronto, as she deals with grief in the wake of her twin sister's death. Jade is trying to find herself again while processing this grief after she put her entire life on pause. We see her through an array of situations, reconnecting with friends, old lovers, and most importantly herself.
I really enjoyed some aspects of Jade's story. It was very interesting in the beginning, the setting was interesting and the writing flowed beautifully. Jade's grief was also very well written initially, the numbness that follows a loved one's passing was written very well. The first third of the book had me convinced this book would be something I would love. As Jade reconnects with her high school girlfriend, I thought I knew where the story was going, in terms of Jade healing and processing her sorrow.
However, what didn't really work for me was the switching POVs. As I said I thought the beginning was great, but as soon as multiple points of view were added, the story became somewhat choppy. The additional POVs did provide some insight but also were to the detriment of the overall story as the story was supposed to follow Jade's grief and healing and the different POVs didn't add much to it. It also messed a bit with the overall flow of the story, there were too many pauses and switches for it to be seamless. It made Jade's journey a bit detached, a bit distant as the story went on.
Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the way polyamory was handled here. I feel like good communication and mutual consent is the key to a good poly relationship, but I feel both were lacking here. What Jade does was cheating in the name of finding herself, and her partner was obviously not into that which was talked about briefly, but mostly brushed off. And it didn't really get more developed by the end of the book, it stayed pretty surface-level.
Overall, I think I expected something different from this book, but I still think there were some good moments of Jade's journey to healing and finding herself.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Jade Is a Twisted Green follows Jade, a black queer woman from Toronto, as she deals with grief in the wake of her twin sister's death. Jade is trying to find herself again while processing this grief after she put her entire life on pause. We see her through an array of situations, reconnecting with friends, old lovers, and most importantly herself.
I really enjoyed some aspects of Jade's story. It was very interesting in the beginning, the setting was interesting and the writing flowed beautifully. Jade's grief was also very well written initially, the numbness that follows a loved one's passing was written very well. The first third of the book had me convinced this book would be something I would love. As Jade reconnects with her high school girlfriend, I thought I knew where the story was going, in terms of Jade healing and processing her sorrow.
However, what didn't really work for me was the switching POVs. As I said I thought the beginning was great, but as soon as multiple points of view were added, the story became somewhat choppy. The additional POVs did provide some insight but also were to the detriment of the overall story as the story was supposed to follow Jade's grief and healing and the different POVs didn't add much to it. It also messed a bit with the overall flow of the story, there were too many pauses and switches for it to be seamless. It made Jade's journey a bit detached, a bit distant as the story went on.
Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the way polyamory was handled here. I feel like good communication and mutual consent is the key to a good poly relationship, but I feel both were lacking here. What Jade does was cheating in the name of finding herself, and her partner was obviously not into that which was talked about briefly, but mostly brushed off. And it didn't really get more developed by the end of the book, it stayed pretty surface-level.
Overall, I think I expected something different from this book, but I still think there were some good moments of Jade's journey to healing and finding herself.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
March 21, 2022
I REALLY REALLY wanted to love this book. I was really looking forward to the premise as a Black queer woman. Jade is a Black queer Torontonian woman overcoming the lose of her sister while tryna navigate life and love.
However, much of the story seems to take a different course and seems inconsequential to the premise. I struggled with some of the grammar and writing style took away from the story. The multiple POVs takes a long time to get into and could’ve used some streamlining. There was poor characterization which made it harder to connect with the characters. The author did make some good points about grief but much it was lost due the aforementioned issues.
My biggest issue was with the way polyamory was portrayed. Exploring and being free can be apart of polyamory as long as there is informed consent from both parties with consistent communication when things arise. The story was more centered around polyamory than I expected. I wish the author took a different approach to a poly Black character and let this cheating trope go.
To this end, I think the book was advertised poorly and poorly aimed, clumsily executed.
*Arc provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
However, much of the story seems to take a different course and seems inconsequential to the premise. I struggled with some of the grammar and writing style took away from the story. The multiple POVs takes a long time to get into and could’ve used some streamlining. There was poor characterization which made it harder to connect with the characters. The author did make some good points about grief but much it was lost due the aforementioned issues.
My biggest issue was with the way polyamory was portrayed. Exploring and being free can be apart of polyamory as long as there is informed consent from both parties with consistent communication when things arise. The story was more centered around polyamory than I expected. I wish the author took a different approach to a poly Black character and let this cheating trope go.
To this end, I think the book was advertised poorly and poorly aimed, clumsily executed.
*Arc provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
June 14, 2022
i went into this book with the understanding that it was a story of becoming and in particular, a story that follows a queer black woman as she lives through her stages of becoming after the loss of her sister. i was drawn to it instantly because of this and thanks to the arc i received from netgalley and dundurn press, i was able to read it before the publication date. unfortunately, i found myself to be disappointed by what i discovered it to be.
yes it is a story of becoming, but it is one that lost me several chapters in. i finished the book with one main question - were the different points of view necessary? due to the rather excessive points of view to keep up with, even though this was jade’s story, i did not engage with this as much as i would have liked nor did i feel that the plot was executed as it could have been. the vision was there! it was screaming at me between pages! but it just did not match up to what i was reading. this then meant that my interest in jade’s journey decreased pretty quickly.
overall, i found this to be just okay rather than something to rave and write home about. the narrative style did not work for me, which is disappointing from something i was so looking forward to, but i remain hopeful for the future of tanya turton and her work.
yes it is a story of becoming, but it is one that lost me several chapters in. i finished the book with one main question - were the different points of view necessary? due to the rather excessive points of view to keep up with, even though this was jade’s story, i did not engage with this as much as i would have liked nor did i feel that the plot was executed as it could have been. the vision was there! it was screaming at me between pages! but it just did not match up to what i was reading. this then meant that my interest in jade’s journey decreased pretty quickly.
overall, i found this to be just okay rather than something to rave and write home about. the narrative style did not work for me, which is disappointing from something i was so looking forward to, but i remain hopeful for the future of tanya turton and her work.
March 17, 2022
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing this arc!
"The spine of a book keeps the pages together, tells you the title and what to expect. Like a book, if you could ever get close enough to Jade, her spine would tell you what you needed to know"
This book follows the main character Jade as she navigates grief after tragically losing her twin sister whilst discussing sexuality and race.
This is a book I have often found myself thinking about often since after reading. Tanya Turton has a beautiful writing style and I particular liked the different perspectives from the characters. This is a hard hitting book but you will come away learning something from this! An empowering and eye opening read!
4/5 stars- if you are in to character development lead books, this is one for you!
"The spine of a book keeps the pages together, tells you the title and what to expect. Like a book, if you could ever get close enough to Jade, her spine would tell you what you needed to know"
This book follows the main character Jade as she navigates grief after tragically losing her twin sister whilst discussing sexuality and race.
This is a book I have often found myself thinking about often since after reading. Tanya Turton has a beautiful writing style and I particular liked the different perspectives from the characters. This is a hard hitting book but you will come away learning something from this! An empowering and eye opening read!
4/5 stars- if you are in to character development lead books, this is one for you!
April 16, 2023
A heartfelt and moving queer coming of age story featuring a young Jamaican Canadian woman who is grieving the death of her sister. Told with flashbacks and through multiple POVs, this was great on audio and recommended for fans of books like Queenie or You made a fool of death with your beauty. I really loved the Canadian (Toronto) setting and the great bisexual rep and look forward to reading more by this author!
June 1, 2022
Big thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this beautiful piece of literature. I was going to start off by categorizing this as a love letter to so and so, but then I thought: this is a love letter. Period. Wow, what an amazing and relevant story! I loved this and everything it had to offer. Every character was so flawed yet whole. They each brought something fresh and ominous yet recognizable to every chapter. It really tugged at my little heart strings. The author spoke about a lot of important topics that opened my eyes to new perspectives. It was refreshing and new, and it being set in Toronto made visualization easier then usual! Tanya Turton is so descriptive in her writing about the city, that you genuinely feel like you are apart of the conversation, train rides and late night walks with the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it a fortifying read.
April 19, 2022
**I received an ARC of this novel through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review**
Jade is a Twisted Green is a twisty-turny narrative of a young woman’s struggle with grief and relationships in the wake of losing her twin sister.
Turton’s writing is beautiful, and that she lets each character share their perspective on the events leading up to and following Roze’s passing and how intertwined their lives are with Roze and with Jade whom she leaves behind, is what held my attention throughout the book. Sometimes you need that outside perspective to shed light on the protagonist that the protagonist would not think to touch on.
Not only does the book touch on grief and loss, but also on the experiences of first and second generation immigrant families and Black women in Toronto and Turton really captures the vibrancy and liveliness of Little Jamaica and Toronto more broadly in her writing.
While I think it started off a bit slow, you really grow to understand and love Jade and by the end of the book I was really rooting for her and ultimately thrilled with the growth she has seen throughout it. Overall, the book leaves Jade in such a good place and I’m really satisfied with how Turton ties things off at the end.
4.5/5 Would recommend!
Jade is a Twisted Green is a twisty-turny narrative of a young woman’s struggle with grief and relationships in the wake of losing her twin sister.
Turton’s writing is beautiful, and that she lets each character share their perspective on the events leading up to and following Roze’s passing and how intertwined their lives are with Roze and with Jade whom she leaves behind, is what held my attention throughout the book. Sometimes you need that outside perspective to shed light on the protagonist that the protagonist would not think to touch on.
Not only does the book touch on grief and loss, but also on the experiences of first and second generation immigrant families and Black women in Toronto and Turton really captures the vibrancy and liveliness of Little Jamaica and Toronto more broadly in her writing.
While I think it started off a bit slow, you really grow to understand and love Jade and by the end of the book I was really rooting for her and ultimately thrilled with the growth she has seen throughout it. Overall, the book leaves Jade in such a good place and I’m really satisfied with how Turton ties things off at the end.
4.5/5 Would recommend!
March 20, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Jade lost her twin sister in their senior year of high school, and she has been feeling that loss for years. Now in her mid twenties, she's starting to realize that everyone around her has changed, but she hasn't. She's trying to fill the spaces in her life, but how can she do that if the one she lost can never be replaced?
This is a story of love, grief, acceptance, adventure, and growing into who you are. It's hard to truly put into words, but this book was hard to put down. As I got closer to the end, I realized that it wouldn't be enough - no matter how it ended, I would want more. I don't know what more could possibly be added, but I feel like I'm not done with Jade.
Jade lost her twin sister in their senior year of high school, and she has been feeling that loss for years. Now in her mid twenties, she's starting to realize that everyone around her has changed, but she hasn't. She's trying to fill the spaces in her life, but how can she do that if the one she lost can never be replaced?
This is a story of love, grief, acceptance, adventure, and growing into who you are. It's hard to truly put into words, but this book was hard to put down. As I got closer to the end, I realized that it wouldn't be enough - no matter how it ended, I would want more. I don't know what more could possibly be added, but I feel like I'm not done with Jade.
August 31, 2022
I enjoyed this book especially the setting. It felt like I was back home navigating the streets of Toronto. Despite Jade being a queer black woman of Jamaican decent I found her character relatable.
The only thing I struggled with was the organization of the book. The jumping around of characters and timelines had me a bit frazzled but the overall writing made up for the disorganization.
Thank you Dundurn for this complimentary copy.
The only thing I struggled with was the organization of the book. The jumping around of characters and timelines had me a bit frazzled but the overall writing made up for the disorganization.
Thank you Dundurn for this complimentary copy.
August 13, 2022
I just don't think this one was for me.
March 9, 2022
It took me a while to get into this book as the narrative style is a lot of us being in the characters' heads and at the beginning it was hard for me to stay focused on that with characters I didn't know. As I got to know the characters, however, the story really pulled me in and I enjoyed experiencing different characters' thought processes and perspectives (the narrator shifts from chapter to chapter, as well as the time period so some chapters are in the present and some are in the past).
I also loved that Toronto is the setting as it's not a city I know a lot about (other than visiting as a child) and it was fun to learn about the vibe of Little Jamaica. Also, the descriptions of outfits and food were really fun and felt vital to setting the scene instead of just being additional details. I also appreciated the nuances described about code switching and when to speak patois and general identity fluidity (on multiple levels) and what makes different people comfortable in or drawn to certain spaces. Many times, identity markers become a character's main trait or entire story, but that was not the case here at all. So beautifully done!
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I also loved that Toronto is the setting as it's not a city I know a lot about (other than visiting as a child) and it was fun to learn about the vibe of Little Jamaica. Also, the descriptions of outfits and food were really fun and felt vital to setting the scene instead of just being additional details. I also appreciated the nuances described about code switching and when to speak patois and general identity fluidity (on multiple levels) and what makes different people comfortable in or drawn to certain spaces. Many times, identity markers become a character's main trait or entire story, but that was not the case here at all. So beautifully done!
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2022
This follows a young black women in Toronto, navigating love, loss and sexuality. It tugged at the heart strings particularly about the loss of her twin sister as I am a twin myself. Some chapters and POVS flowed a lot more than others but I enjoyed Jade's journey to self discovery and the cultural representation in this. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.
May 22, 2022
This book hit some pretty hard feels I’m not going to lie. Our MC is a young woman called Jade, who has lost the other half of her heart, her twin sister. Jade tries drowning her sorrows in all manner of things, and of course it doesn’t go the way she hopes it does. Only by working through the pain do things start to look up for her. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the life of someone who had such a vastly different upbringing to me, I must admit, I know very little about Toronto or Little Jamaica and how Jamaicans find they fit into a predominantly white society, but I always wish to learn and gain more insight, and while this book is fiction, it gives some excellent perspective and insight. I loved the diversity and representation, of POC, LGBTQI+ and mental health issues. This book hit hard in so many ways, but ‘watching’ Jade stumble and fall only to keep getting back up again was a way to show not every superhero deed is one that shouts out loud, sometimes it’s just getting up in the morning and trying again and again was truly admirable. Her grief was palpable throughout the story so some may find that part of the story quite confronting or triggering, while my heart hurt for her, I also appreciated the rawness and vulnerability the author was able to convey. This was quite a fast read but I feel like it’s a story that’s now going to stick with me for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2022
I was asked to review this book as part of a ARC Netgalley read.
⭐⭐⭐ / 5
So well written and definitely a recommended read!
I loved this book, Jade is a fabulous character, this is a is a wonderful book about grief and healing.
This is also about finding your sexuality, yourself and life. It's about Black culture and Jamaican culture.
Beckie x💛x
@readwith_rjm1988xx
⭐⭐⭐ / 5
So well written and definitely a recommended read!
I loved this book, Jade is a fabulous character, this is a is a wonderful book about grief and healing.
This is also about finding your sexuality, yourself and life. It's about Black culture and Jamaican culture.
Beckie x💛x
@readwith_rjm1988xx
May 23, 2022
Let me start by saying, I had high expectations for this book because the concept sounds amazing- a black queer woman named Jade in Toronto dealing with her grief over her sister Roze passing while still trying to love and live life. However, this summary of what the “main plot” consists of is actually very misleading because these things that the story revolve around seem to be inconsequential to the central plot line.
Besides the actual storyline lacking heavily compared to the description, Jade is inconsistent and doesn’t know what she wants. Sure, you could say this is purposeful but she was written like her motives in the previous chapter were completely forgotten. Speaking of chapters being inconsistent, the use of alternating point of views is completely inefficient. The point of multiple POVs is to make you care about all the characters and connect with them but because of poor placement (and honestly, poor characterization) you don’t connect with anyone and just want more. Additionally, this book has a lot of great points about grief, but a story can’t be built around a few good lines and that is what this book seemed like to me.
This may be more of a personal pet peeve, but polyamory is not cheating and never will be. It wasn’t cute that Jade consistently cheated on her partner under the pretense of ‘exploring’ and ‘being free’; polyamory involves consent on both sides and even if they both eventually consented… it was awful to read. Also, this book seemed more centralized around ‘polyamory’ than what it was advertised to be. I’d like to explicitly state, I do think Jade should be polyamorous- I just wish the author had more of an understanding on what non-toxic polyamory is.
In the end, this isn’t the worst book I’ve ever read- instead, it was just horribly advertised and clumsily written. I’m not mad, just disappointed. I wanted much more.
For context: this was an ARC from Netgalley
Besides the actual storyline lacking heavily compared to the description, Jade is inconsistent and doesn’t know what she wants. Sure, you could say this is purposeful but she was written like her motives in the previous chapter were completely forgotten. Speaking of chapters being inconsistent, the use of alternating point of views is completely inefficient. The point of multiple POVs is to make you care about all the characters and connect with them but because of poor placement (and honestly, poor characterization) you don’t connect with anyone and just want more. Additionally, this book has a lot of great points about grief, but a story can’t be built around a few good lines and that is what this book seemed like to me.
This may be more of a personal pet peeve, but polyamory is not cheating and never will be. It wasn’t cute that Jade consistently cheated on her partner under the pretense of ‘exploring’ and ‘being free’; polyamory involves consent on both sides and even if they both eventually consented… it was awful to read. Also, this book seemed more centralized around ‘polyamory’ than what it was advertised to be. I’d like to explicitly state, I do think Jade should be polyamorous- I just wish the author had more of an understanding on what non-toxic polyamory is.
In the end, this isn’t the worst book I’ve ever read- instead, it was just horribly advertised and clumsily written. I’m not mad, just disappointed. I wanted much more.
For context: this was an ARC from Netgalley
April 9, 2022
GOD i loved this. i loved it so much. i rarely read coming of age novels but im glad i picked this one to try out. i cannot get over the sense of atmosphere this book provided me. it was literally beautiful and i cannot get over it!!!!!!! the narration was beautiful and i loved getting to know all of the characters and hearing about their identities. genuinely just such a beautiful book that i wasnt sure id like at first, but towards the end it definitely bumped to 5 stars. so so grateful i got to read this before its published
April 26, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
It took me a while to get into Jade Is A Twisted Green but I ended up loving it. A really important, passionate and honest story about being a queer black woman in todays society.
It took me a while to get into Jade Is A Twisted Green but I ended up loving it. A really important, passionate and honest story about being a queer black woman in todays society.
August 25, 2022
Jade Is a Twisted Green drew me in with its cover art and description. Being from the west end of Toronto myself, I was excited to read a book set in my city, and it did have so many references to different locations and events that happen here!
Jade is a 24 year old, queer Jamaican woman, dealing with the loss of her twin sister while trying to grow into and find herself. Unfortunately, this book was not it for me.
My first problem with the book was the switching between different POV's, and it not being clear whose POV it was at times. I found myself going back pages, just to figure out who the new character was and what their relevance was to the story. The timeline also shifted randomly, from present day, to 2017, to 2006? to 1984; sometimes without it even making sense why we were shifting. While my understanding was that the story was trying to illustrate a bigger picture of grief, it came off as very inconsistent and left me more confused than aware.
The synopsis made me believe that the "mysterious death" would possibly be figured out in the story, and that Jade would be overcoming her trauma regarding it. I think the story ended up being more about Jade figuring out her sexuality and how to be both with other people and on her own, and the way the story went about this was my second problem. While Jade is 'finding herself', she essentially cheats on the person she is seeing, and only talks about consent for being polygamous after the cheating. Her partner, Tay, asks her if she is trying to have her cake and eat it too. While I don't think this is the case in true polygamy, I agreed with Tay here, as Jade was doing this throughout the novel. Instead of sympathizing with her, I ended up considering the main character to be the villain.
While these points brought my rating for this novel down, there were a couple of aspects I enjoyed. The cultural references and characters speaking patois was one thing that helped me feel more connected to the characters and story. In Toronto, almost everyone is either an immigrant or children of immigrants, and it was fun reading about a culture different from my own but so close to home.
I also enjoyed Jade's final trip on her own. It being dangerous for black women to travel alone is a terrible reality, but I did feel that the trip wrapped up nicely how Jade had grown as a person. While usually dependent on being with someone, I think this shows that she had finally started seeing herself as her own, liberated woman.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC in exchange for a review!
Jade is a 24 year old, queer Jamaican woman, dealing with the loss of her twin sister while trying to grow into and find herself. Unfortunately, this book was not it for me.
My first problem with the book was the switching between different POV's, and it not being clear whose POV it was at times. I found myself going back pages, just to figure out who the new character was and what their relevance was to the story. The timeline also shifted randomly, from present day, to 2017, to 2006? to 1984; sometimes without it even making sense why we were shifting. While my understanding was that the story was trying to illustrate a bigger picture of grief, it came off as very inconsistent and left me more confused than aware.
The synopsis made me believe that the "mysterious death" would possibly be figured out in the story, and that Jade would be overcoming her trauma regarding it. I think the story ended up being more about Jade figuring out her sexuality and how to be both with other people and on her own, and the way the story went about this was my second problem. While Jade is 'finding herself', she essentially cheats on the person she is seeing, and only talks about consent for being polygamous after the cheating. Her partner, Tay, asks her if she is trying to have her cake and eat it too. While I don't think this is the case in true polygamy, I agreed with Tay here, as Jade was doing this throughout the novel. Instead of sympathizing with her, I ended up considering the main character to be the villain.
While these points brought my rating for this novel down, there were a couple of aspects I enjoyed. The cultural references and characters speaking patois was one thing that helped me feel more connected to the characters and story. In Toronto, almost everyone is either an immigrant or children of immigrants, and it was fun reading about a culture different from my own but so close to home.
I also enjoyed Jade's final trip on her own. It being dangerous for black women to travel alone is a terrible reality, but I did feel that the trip wrapped up nicely how Jade had grown as a person. While usually dependent on being with someone, I think this shows that she had finally started seeing herself as her own, liberated woman.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC in exchange for a review!
June 19, 2022
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley.
This book is a masterpiece and I cannot wait to grab a copy when it's going to be published.
I love love love the writing style!! And I knew it from page 1, which is extremely rare for me.
I cannot believe how many quotes I highlighted from the very beginning to the very end. It's like I was hypnotized by the writing in this book. I fell in love with the characters, the atmosphere, and their (very complicated at times) relationships. And it was so hard to put down! Every time I had to do something I could not wait to go back to reading.
This was exactly what I needed for this summer: lots of descriptions of drinks and food to make your mouth water, complicated relationships, old friendships, existential crises when you turn 25 and you have no idea what you're doing with your life but everyone else seems to do and is already successful, grief and still dealing with the loss of a loved one many years later... and trauma (all of those extremely well handled and written).
I am beyond amazed and I need to keep an eye out for future releases from this author.
Some stunning passages to enjoy while waiting for the release day:
This book is a masterpiece and I cannot wait to grab a copy when it's going to be published.
I love love love the writing style!! And I knew it from page 1, which is extremely rare for me.
I cannot believe how many quotes I highlighted from the very beginning to the very end. It's like I was hypnotized by the writing in this book. I fell in love with the characters, the atmosphere, and their (very complicated at times) relationships. And it was so hard to put down! Every time I had to do something I could not wait to go back to reading.
This was exactly what I needed for this summer: lots of descriptions of drinks and food to make your mouth water, complicated relationships, old friendships, existential crises when you turn 25 and you have no idea what you're doing with your life but everyone else seems to do and is already successful, grief and still dealing with the loss of a loved one many years later... and trauma (all of those extremely well handled and written).
I am beyond amazed and I need to keep an eye out for future releases from this author.
Some stunning passages to enjoy while waiting for the release day:
"What is new, however, is sharing my body with another. I feel like someone else has taken me over as if I am still moving and living in this body but something or someone else is always in here with me. It feels crowded in my mind, actually in my heart. Maybe both. These considerations I am making for this other version of me feel foreign. I don’t know her, yet I am her and I am not always sure I want what she wants. I am not sure I want to consider her. She is expanding in my being, requiring that I make space for her. She is exhausting. I want my heart and mind back. I hate her."
"She had never realized before how much of her personal rhythm was not her own, had always been a negotiation. Since birth she had shared her time and next steps with her sister, or with friends or lovers. She had been away for only three days but she began to sense her own desires. She embraced herself wanting things, rejecting previous plans and flowing into new ones. She had craved this sense of self, accountability without guilt, but had known alone time only through grief or self-isolation. This was not that. It was not isolation. It was intentional solitude. It was an openness to company that prioritized noticing her own desires first and acting on them without shame."
October 9, 2022
Read this if you like: LGBTQ representation, found family, coming of age, Toronto settings
This is a coming of age story about a queer Black woman in Toronto dealing with the grief of losing her sister. Jade Brown is a twenty-four-year-old first-generation Jamaican woman. She must find a way to pick up the pieces and discover who she is following the mysterious death of her twin sister. Jade seeks solace in lovers and friends while dealing with her grief.
As she investigates some of life’s most frustrating paradoxes, she holds tight to old friends and her ex-girlfriend, lifelines between past and present. On the journey to turning twenty-five, she finally sees that she belongs to herself, and goes about the business of reclaiming that self.
I wanted to love this book. The writing style was a bit tough to get used to. It's very odd. It's a bit all over the place. There are different points of view added in that have no real need in the story. I enjoyed most of the cast. I love books with found family. I don't think it showcased her grief enough as much as it is the synopsis. You may love this book. I liked it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Dundurn Press for the gifted e-book!
This is a coming of age story about a queer Black woman in Toronto dealing with the grief of losing her sister. Jade Brown is a twenty-four-year-old first-generation Jamaican woman. She must find a way to pick up the pieces and discover who she is following the mysterious death of her twin sister. Jade seeks solace in lovers and friends while dealing with her grief.
As she investigates some of life’s most frustrating paradoxes, she holds tight to old friends and her ex-girlfriend, lifelines between past and present. On the journey to turning twenty-five, she finally sees that she belongs to herself, and goes about the business of reclaiming that self.
I wanted to love this book. The writing style was a bit tough to get used to. It's very odd. It's a bit all over the place. There are different points of view added in that have no real need in the story. I enjoyed most of the cast. I love books with found family. I don't think it showcased her grief enough as much as it is the synopsis. You may love this book. I liked it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Dundurn Press for the gifted e-book!
July 13, 2022
I can’t recall what specifically it was about the description for Tanya Turton’s upcoming novel, Jade Is a Twisted Green that first caught my attention but I’m always drawn to novels that explore the ways that grief and trauma change our understanding of ourselves and the journey of discovering just how many ways we’ve changed. What Turton’s novel demonstrates beautifully is how we may focus on our personal trauma but everyone in the world around us is navigating griefs and traumas all their own. Everyone is in a different place in their processing and distance from their trauma and it leaves us all living our lives at different paces, drifting apart and then catching up and growing back together but in new and unexpected ways. And coming to terms with that reality can be difficult but also freeing.
Jade knows that she’s struggling, even several years after her twin sister Roze’s death. She needs to change and most of the time she wants to change, but she isn’t sure how to start or if it’s even possible. Even those who understand aren’t sure what might help Jade to feel less stuck and move on. But when an old flame, Tayja (the girl Jade was dating in high school when Roze died) shows up in her life again, Jade finds herself thinking more and more about Roze and who she is without her sister there to define herself against. In addition to Tayja, Jade’s best friend Amethyst introduces Jade to other new friends who help her confront her past and discover what she wants her life to be.
For the rest of my review, please visit my blog: https://wp.me/pUEx4-1co
Jade knows that she’s struggling, even several years after her twin sister Roze’s death. She needs to change and most of the time she wants to change, but she isn’t sure how to start or if it’s even possible. Even those who understand aren’t sure what might help Jade to feel less stuck and move on. But when an old flame, Tayja (the girl Jade was dating in high school when Roze died) shows up in her life again, Jade finds herself thinking more and more about Roze and who she is without her sister there to define herself against. In addition to Tayja, Jade’s best friend Amethyst introduces Jade to other new friends who help her confront her past and discover what she wants her life to be.
For the rest of my review, please visit my blog: https://wp.me/pUEx4-1co
January 24, 2024
Jade is a twenty year old just trying to figure it all out (aren’t we all)!
Towards the end, Jade goes on a solo trip for her 25th birthday. She’s finally coming to terms with the loss of her twin sister and she’s figuring out how to move on with her personal life and relationships (of which she has many potential options). This whole reflective scene felt so relatable to my personal life, which would cause me to go with a 3.5 rating!
While there’s some really compelling moments of grief, self love, and exploration of life goals, the writing style wasn’t my favorite and there was a LOT going on.
Towards the end, Jade goes on a solo trip for her 25th birthday. She’s finally coming to terms with the loss of her twin sister and she’s figuring out how to move on with her personal life and relationships (of which she has many potential options). This whole reflective scene felt so relatable to my personal life, which would cause me to go with a 3.5 rating!
While there’s some really compelling moments of grief, self love, and exploration of life goals, the writing style wasn’t my favorite and there was a LOT going on.
May 27, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up
A very Canadian book about grief. Love that there’s lots of Black and LGBTQ+ representation with complex characters who are neither bad nor good, but complicated people who need to heal.
Felt that parts of the book were a bit unoriganized and imo and the changes of perspective were off putting.
However rounded up due to the Torontonian representation ‘cause I’m Canadian.
A very Canadian book about grief. Love that there’s lots of Black and LGBTQ+ representation with complex characters who are neither bad nor good, but complicated people who need to heal.
Felt that parts of the book were a bit unoriganized and imo and the changes of perspective were off putting.
However rounded up due to the Torontonian representation ‘cause I’m Canadian.
July 26, 2022
i received an arc from netgalley and i will say this wasn’t what i expected. i thought it was going to be solely about jade and her journey through grief as a black queer woman, but there were multiple povs. the language wasn’t the most mature and the plot fell short of what the description painted. overall, great representation but it wasn’t my favorite read.
April 15, 2022
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Jade is a Twisted Green is a beautiful story about grief, identity, and the different forms love can take. It switches perspective between multiple characters and time periods, which can make it a little confusing at first, but the reader is quickly launched into the world of Little Jamaica (in Toronto) and its inhabitants.
The use of dialects throughout the book (and thus the code switching of characters) is a love letter in and of itself to anyone who grew up speaking a nonstandard version of a language. It is celebrated, normalized, and not explained within the novel’s pages. While at times, the narrative felt stunted and we were told about the characters’ feelings rather than shown in some way, the overarching themes held the book up well.
Jade is a Twisted Green is a beautiful story about grief, identity, and the different forms love can take. It switches perspective between multiple characters and time periods, which can make it a little confusing at first, but the reader is quickly launched into the world of Little Jamaica (in Toronto) and its inhabitants.
The use of dialects throughout the book (and thus the code switching of characters) is a love letter in and of itself to anyone who grew up speaking a nonstandard version of a language. It is celebrated, normalized, and not explained within the novel’s pages. While at times, the narrative felt stunted and we were told about the characters’ feelings rather than shown in some way, the overarching themes held the book up well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews