Monday, August 19, 2019

Blog Tour: Color Me In - Natasha Diaz


Color Me In 
Natasha Diaz
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Debut YA author Natasha Díaz 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?
REVIEW

I was interested in this book, because I have a biracial child. As I read this book, it prompted me to recall a few uncomfortable moments I had experienced myself. For instance, when my daughter was younger,  strangers asked me if I went to China to adopt her, and when she was older, she was mistaken for my romantic partner, but it was never assumed that she was my daughter. I can only imagine situations like these being a lot harder on a child, and I was really keen to learn about Diaz's experiences.

The demise of her parents' marriage was accompanied by an upheaval in Nevaeh's life. Following the split, she lived with her mother's estranged family, and her new circumstances forced Nevaeh to question who she was and where she belonged.

She had grown up in the suburbs and attended an upper crust prep school, where she was one of the few people of color, but because she was white-passing, she felt like an outsider when she moved to Harlem. Not only was Nevaeh biracial, but she was also pulled in two directions religiously. Her grandfather was the paster of a Baptist church, while her father was Jewish. She seemed to have one foot in several different worlds and didn't feel as though she belonged to any.

Nevaeh's struggle with all these identities were explored deftly by Diaz, and her yearning for someone to claim her as their own just broke my heart. I was pleased that her mother's family were there to support Nevaeh as she navigated this difficult path, and though she encountered a lot of disappointments and harsh realities, she grew and blossomed along the way.

This book tackled many issues such as colorism, racism, mental health, and bullying, but it was Nevaeh and her family who stole my heart.

Nevaeh's mother's family were all so well drawn and served as catalysts and guides for her personal journey. The family scenes ranged from tense to celebratory to humorous, and it was with them supporting her, that Nevaeh made such huge leaps and bounds towards figuring out her complex identity.

Overall: A beautiful and thought-provoking look at one young woman's search to understand who she was, what she believed, and where she belonged.

* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.



GIVEAWAY

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.


FOLLOW THE TOUR

Week One:
8/1/2019- Kait Plus Books- Excerpt
8/2/2019- Utopia State of Mind- Review

Week Two:
8/5/2019- Lifestyle of Me- Review
8/6/2019- Country Road Reviews- Review
8/7/2019- Mythical Books- Excerpt
8/8/2019- BookHounds YA- Review
8/9/2019- Books and Ladders- Review

Week 3:
8/12/2019- Wonder Struck- Review
8/13/2019- dwantstoread- Review
8/14/2019- My Creatively Random Life- Excerpt
8/15/2019- Confessions of a YA Reader- Excerpt
8/16/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

Week 4:
8/19/2019- We Live and Breathe Books- Review
8/20/2019- Eli to the nth- Excerpt
8/21/2019- A Gingerly Review- Review
8/22/2019- Novel Novice- Excerpt
8/23/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

Week 5:
8/26/2019- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
8/27/2019- Book-Keeping- Review
8/28/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads- Review
8/29/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

8/30/2019- Two points of interest- Review









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30 comments:

  1. Quote: "when my daughter was younger, strangers asked me if I went to China to adopt her, and when she was older, she was mistaken for my romantic partner, but it was never assumed that she was my daughter."
    😲 I mean, strangers not minding their business is bad enough, but the other thing? Even if you had her young, they would have never "assumed" anything if she was white 😬.

    I was wondering, is the romantic angle ample in this one? From your review, it wouldn't sound like that, but the blurb mentions Nevaeh falling in love for the first time...

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    1. It always astounds me, how some people have no boundaries, and if I hadn't experienced it myself, I would have trouble believing it happened to other people. I would never even think of asking such questions. The author spends some time on being white passing, while having a black parent, and the how not looking like the parent affected her. There is a romance, which was very sweet, but it was a small part. This was about Neveah working through her identity issues, and she met a wonderful boy along the way, who was part of that process.

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  2. It never ceases to amaze me how some people seem to feel an inalienable right to openly question others about things that do not concern them in the least. (To a lesser extent, it's like the people who feel like it's acceptable to walk up and touch a pregnant woman's belly. Who do you think you are? Back off!) I have zero experience with this so it's interesting to get your take on it as well. I'm trying to imagine the confusion and the push and pull Neveah must feel between the different racial and religious sides of her family. I'm wondering if one "side" or one group was more accepting than another? (Like, the Jewish relative over the Baptist, etc.) This one sounds truly interesting and I enjoyed your review, Sam.

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    1. I encountered a few belly touchers when I was pregnant. It freaked me out. I had strangers condemn me as a "teen mother" too (though I was in my 20s and a college graduate). I am astounded by the thing people say and do, because I would never dream of doing or saying such things. Crazy, right? The author based a lot of Neveah's experiences on her own, and I always find #OwnVoices books to be eye-opening.

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  3. "For instance, when my daughter was younger, strangers asked me if I went to China to adopt her, and when she was older, she was mistaken for my romantic partner, but it was never assumed that she was my daughter."

    WHAT. I'm horrified on your behalf! Why are people like this?????
    Anyways, I'm glad that the book delivered. It sounds like it tackled what it's like to grow up biracial beautifully.
    Lovely review, Sam!

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    1. I was always jealous of my friends and their mini-me daughters. Maybe it's because I so wanted people to attach her to me without me having to explicitly state she was my daughter. But, yeah, shock me often, and I am glad there's OwnVoices books out there for people to read about these kind of experiences.

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  4. This is new to me but I love the concept and it sounds like it was an emotional read!
    And oh my gosh, I can't even about your daughter. :( *hugs*

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    1. I liked the perspective Diaz offered, and she brings to light the sort of issues biracial people may face. Luckily, my daughter is pretty secure in who she is now that she is grown, and was too young to know about the people asking me if she was adopted.

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  5. I didn't know that about your daughter and that must have been (and probably still is) tough as a parent to continually have people see the pair of you and never make the connection that you're related. But also who even makes comments like that to a stranger? I mean, damn, people will thank what they want but who goes up and says these things? I can see how you would be drawn to reading this one and this book sounds like it deals with a biracial character and the pull that comes from being a part of two different worlds well. I mean, it's not just about race but also religion and how the wants and demands of family can pull you two ways and that's so tough. I am definitely interested in this one.

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    1. Where we live is really racially, religiously, and ethnically diverse, and my family has a lot of biracial members, so, my daughter fit in fine, but there are always people, who are weird about things. Everybody thinks they have a right to say whatever they want, and there are zero boundaries these days. But, I really appreciate the author sharing parts of her own life with us via Neveah's story. This is why I read OwnVoices books, to get that honest perspective.

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  6. People have ZERO boundaries!! I get it a lot for not having kids (am I infertile - do I hate kids - you'll want them one day - who will take care of you now that you're old?) but yikes! that's awful.

    This books sounds important and wonderful but off topic - I loved & giggled at the first line in the author's bio.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. I am not sure when the whole strangers getting in your business started, but I can't blame social media, because some of my experiences are from almost 25 years ago. Maybe there's more to be said for those genteel times. You have to envy Diaz for having a job that allows her to not wear pants.

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  7. It never ceases to amaze me how some people think they're in bounds to say things like that to someone they don't even know. I can see how this book would definitely hit home for you then. I'm always drawn to stories that feature a person's journey to figure out who they are so I'm definitely interested in this one. Wonderful review!

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    1. I like that she honestly shares her experiences, because I am sure there are lots of people, who could relate, and I think it would impact people on both sides, and maybe make them think a little more.

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  8. I think it's so interesting that the main character has all these facets to her life - not only is she bi-racial, but also having two major religions in her family adds so many more layers!

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    1. Which mirrors the author's actual background. So, it's a very authentic take too.

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  9. This totally sounds like something I'd enjoy. I've been searching for stories that feature a female trying to figure herself out. Plus, I love the cover and how well it fits to the story!

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    1. I liked that the book tackles identity, but also blends in elements of friendship, romance, and family.

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  10. Wow Sam, people are unreal! I read your response to Tanya- I got the teen pregnancy thing too even though I was 28! But to question your relationship to your daughter is crossing all KINDS of lines. No matter what the situation, it isn't strangers' business, why jump to ANY conclusions? Ugh.

    Anyway this book sounds positively lovely- and it definitely tackles a topic that is woefully underrepresented in books, too. Neveah and her family sound awesome, too! I have this one and now I am definitely going to make it a prioritY! Great review!

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    1. I always loved science, because of the predictability. People are super complex animals and really hard to figure out. When things like that happen, I try to stop and understand what drives them, because I would never do such a thing. The book wasn't perfect, but there were a great many wonderful things, and mostly, I appreciated the author's perspective on being sort of in the middle in so many ways.

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  11. This sounds like a really powerful story. I have seen the way that strangers sometimes try to categorize other people. I will have to look for this one.

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    1. The author does a great job with many aspects of this story, and she definitely made me stop and consider some things more deeply.

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  12. I wasn’t aware of this until I did my new release post - it sounds really good!

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    1. I like that books like this exist, and that there are authors out there sharing their personal experiences with us, which some can relate to and others can learn from.

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  13. I enjoy #ownvoices stories and think it's extra neat when a story resonates with you, because you can relate to it through personal experience. I love that this story tackled so many relevant issues in our society. Wonderful Review Sam!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. I try to read OwnVoices as much as possible, because I feel like the author's offer a perspective that is based on their experiences versus research, and I can really see the difference.

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  14. What is wrong with people??? I'm very curious to read this book too. It sounds like a dramatic and insightful story.

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    1. I ask myself that question every day, but I know, I would never ask a stranger something like that. The level of drama was just right in the book. I have to really be in the mood for drama, and usually I like soapy kind, but this was a nice blend of humor, warmth, and drama.

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  15. I am so sorry for you both, for having to experience those uncomfortable situations. People can really be inconsiderate or not careful enough with the assumptions they make! I have seen so many good reviews for this book (yours included!) that I added it to my wishlist today. I think it is important to read stories like this!!

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    1. I just don't understand what happened to boundaries. This book was good and insightful, and I think there are a lot of people, who will appreciate reading this fictionalized tale based on the author's own experiences.

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