The Taking of Jake Livingston was a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages, and was predictable in a sad way. Anyone who has gone to a majority-white school is accutely aware of the indifference and inhumanity shown to non-white students, and Jake's being able to see ghosts felt in many ways as an allegory for the trauma he has had to experience at the hands of his school. Sawyer's character is also very tragic and simultaneously loathesome. Most books with dual POV's leave the reader favoring one or the other, but I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself enjoying the chapters from Sawyer's perspective as much as I enjoyed that of Jake's. The horror elements in this story are excellent, as well as how Jake's power against Sawyer increases as he makes deeper bonds with his culture, family, and friends.
My minor criticisms would be: The romance was a foregone conclusion and I don't think the author devoted much time to it, which is good because it means he focused on the thriller more, but also makes it somewhat lackluster; a good amount of the characters had little thought put into them in the ways of motivations, opinions, and actions (Fiona, Benji, Grady, etc.); and finally, I found it a little unrealistic that Jake didn't have to deal with any of the fallout or suspicion from the murder he committed while possessed by Sawyer. Arson doesn't necessarily mean police are unable to track culprits down in a whodunnit scenario.
Overall though, the book was great and I loved reading a Black horror story.
My minor criticisms would be: The romance was a foregone conclusion and I don't think the author devoted much time to it, which is good because it means he focused on the thriller more, but also makes it somewhat lackluster; a good amount of the characters had little thought put into them in the ways of motivations, opinions, and actions (Fiona, Benji, Grady, etc.); and finally, I found it a little unrealistic that Jake didn't have to deal with any of the fallout or suspicion from the murder he committed while possessed by Sawyer. Arson doesn't necessarily mean police are unable to track culprits down in a whodunnit scenario.
Overall though, the book was great and I loved reading a Black horror story.