Literally Leander discussion

This month we're reading The Black Queen by Jumata Emill. Please be aware that there will be spoilers for the book in this thread.

The Black Queen is a mystery/thriller that follows two girls after the death of Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen. The book was published in January of this year and has a 4-star rating from Goodreads reviewers.

The discussion prompts this month were written by a staff member.

1. The publisher’s description of the book ends with the claim that: “Everybody loved Nova. And sometimes love is exactly what gets you killed.” What do you think about this claim? Do you believe that love ultimately caused Nova’s demise?

2. The novel is told in a dual POV between two classmates: Duchess Simmons and Tinsley McArthur. Which character’s perspective did you prefer reading, and why?

3. Describe how the relationship between Duchess and Tinsley changed over the course of the novel.

4. Discuss how the themes of systemic racism and bias are explored in the novel.

5. How did you feel about the novel’s ending? Were you surprised when Nova’s murderer was revealed

1. The publisher’s description of the book ends with the claim that: “Everybody loved Nova. And sometimes love is exactly what gets you killed.” What do you think about this claim? Do you believe that love ultimately caused Nova’s demise?
I do not agree with this claim that love ultimately caused Nova's demise. Pride caused Nova's demise. "So this was about [my mother's] pride. Her fragile status in the world she married into."

2. The novel is told in a dual POV between two classmates: Duchess Simmons and Tinsley McArthur. Which character’s perspective did you prefer reading, and why?
I preferred Duchess's POV. I did not find Tinsley to be a likeable character, I also thought that her POV was too focused on systemic racism and white privilege, and felt didactic. These are important issues to discuss, but they seemed to overshadow the mystery around who killed Nova.