A beautiful book that I couldn't put down!

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I listened to the audio version of We Deserve Monuments (Thanks to NetGalley & RB Media for an advanced copy). I was mesmerized by the narrator's voice--smooth, calming, expressive as the main character, Avery, a biracial teen entering her senior year at a new high school due to moving to her mother's hometown so her family can assist her grandmother, Mama Letty, during her cancer journey. The author's descriptive language places the reader directly into the Georgia heat and humidity, into the midst of Mama Letty's deteriorating neighborhood, the contrasting Spa and Mansions/Plantations, the special places in nature--the rivers and trees, as Avery becomes best friends with Jade (white and from a wealthy, prominent family) and Simone (black and the girl next door). The narrator voices all of the characters expertly, giving each their own unique voice, especially Mama Letty whose soft and salty southern drawl oozes sarcasm and her crusty emotional exterior protects a broken heart that Avery is determined to try to mend. The book explores first loves, as Avery realizes she is falling for the girl next door, and explores heavy topics such as racism, police brutality, the power of friendship, generational trauma and grief, yet there moments of lightness, love, humor and glittery magic that contrast with the tragedy as the story unfolds.
The ending gives a satisfactory glimpse into the three teens' lives in the near future as they make their way in the world, but it left me wondering... did they remain close friends and how did they deal with the tragedies they discovered? A beautiful book that I couldn't put down until the end! Highly recommend!