Sixteen-year-old
Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots especially
growing up in an affluent neighborhood of New York. Until her parents
split up and her mother relocates to her family's home in Harlem. For
the first time, Nevaeh is forced to confront her identity.
Neveah tries to get to know her extended family, but her cousin Jordan is annoyed that Nevaeh passes as a white woman. Jordan feels that Nevaeh is privileged, selfish,
and pampered to able to relate to the struggles African American people
face on a daily basis. Nevaeh's dad tries to blend the two families by
insisting
she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of her sweet sixteen.
Nevaeh is convinced this will cause her to be more of a social outcast
than she already is. Unsure how to proceed with the chaos in her life,
Nevaeh chooses to stay silent. However, after a series of events, Neveah
realizes she can no longer stay silent and let her life pass her by.
I thought the novel was an interesting read especially since
the author took inspiration from her own life and weaved it into the
story. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the poetry but, that's more of a
personal choice. Overall, I felt that the novel was interesting and thought-provoking read.
**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**
About the Book:
Title: COLOR ME IN
Author: Natasha Diaz
Pub. Date: August 20, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384
Debut YA author Natasha Diaz pulls from her personal experience to inform this powerful coming-of-age novel about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.
Who is Nevaeh Levitz?
Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.
Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can't stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently passes as white, is too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices they face on a daily basis as African Americans. In the midst of attempting to blend their families, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. Even with the push and pull of her two cultures, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.
It's only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has a voice. And she has choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she find power in herself and decide once and for all who and where she is meant to be?
About Natasha:
Natasha Díaz is a born and raised New Yorker, currently residing in Brooklyn, NY with her tall husband. She spends most of her days writing with no pants on and alternating between E.R. and Grey’s Anatomy binges. Formerly a reality TV producer, Natasha is both an author and screenwriter. Her scripts have placed as a quarterfinalist in the Austin Film Festival and a finalist for both the NALIP Diverse Women in Media Fellowship and the Sundance Episodic Story Lab. Her essays can be found in The Establishment and Huffington Post. Raised by a first generation half-Liberian/half-Brazilian mother and a Jewish-American father, Natasha writes stories about people who don’t fit into the boxes society imposes, and instead, create their own as they search for their places in the world. Her first novel, Color Me In, will be published by Delacorte Press/Random House August, 20 2019.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of COLOR ME IN, US Only.
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