I found Sugar Town Queens to be a quick and engaging read. It follows fifteen year old Amandla, who finds a mysterious address in her mother's handbag and some cash, and is determined to find answers about her family. It features messy and complex characters, with ugly secrets, family drama, regrets, love, and a tragic backstory.This book covers so many important themes, including racism, colorism, identity, community love, pride, poverty/classism, and I found it really well done. I also found the writing to be engaging and captivating, and overall a really fascinating story. I love how much friendship is an important theme in Sugar Town Queens, especially with Lil Bit and Amandla — I loved how they supported one another, and how much they cared for each other.
CW: Racism, homophobia, forced institutionalization, chronic illness, emotional abuse, misogyny, gun violence, violence, death of a parent, death of a child, sexual harassment, mental illness, descriptions of blood
CW: Racism, homophobia, forced institutionalization, chronic illness, emotional abuse, misogyny, gun violence, violence, death of a parent, death of a child, sexual harassment, mental illness, descriptions of blood