Review by SophieS1994 -- Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
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SophieS1994
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Review by SophieS1994 -- Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mixed Blessings" by J.M. Muse.]
We are only 3 months into the new year and I am already declaring Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse as my favourite book of 2020. Allow me to set the scene. Set in present-day Los Angeles, this original tale follows Kimberly Solberg, a young woman of dual Mexican and Jewish heritage, who is on her very own self- discovery journey to find true happiness, acceptance and love. No matter your colour, creed or religion, it’s a journey we can all relate to and Kimberly’s journey is full of hardships, heartache and joys. On the other side of the coin, meet Minister Michael Kublai Khan, who is on his very own personal mission to put a complete end to racism and discrimination. That sounds great! Until you discover his very… erm...peculiar methods to achieve this ultimate goal. Fuelled by his religious beliefs and wanting to create his own Babylon, Kublai Khan tries to put his ‘mocha babies’ plan into action (I won’t reveal anything-even though I really want to!) Along the way, we meet an array of colourful characters dealing with their own racial struggles, then suddenly, tensions rise to a bubbling crescendo.
Okay, let me gather my thoughts. Honestly, I really don’t know where to start because this book has completely scorched my brain. Let’s start with the unapologetic attitude and tone of this book. I absolutely applaud the author for not sugar-coating the racial issues that are still prevalent today. My fellow bookworms, should you choose to read this book, you’re going to come across several racial slurs. You’re going to have the unfortunate pleasure of meeting unsavoury racists such as Pastor Dalton along the way. And you are most definitely going to bump into racial barriers and inequality that still divides us today. But that’s the point. Even though this book is a work of fiction, an enormous amount of harsh reality is woven between the pages. For instance, the tragic death of the character, Sidney, shines a light on the current climate of police brutality and rising activist movements, such as Black Lives Matter.
Speaking of keeping it real, the cast of characters in this book are realistic, complex individuals without coming across as insufferably ‘woke’. They each have their own desires and hopes for a fairer world. As a British mixed- raced girl myself - also in an interracial relationship - I completely related to the neverending frustration that seemed to burn amongst the characters. For example, Star lost out on a golden opportunity because her hair was considered too curly and didn’t represent Japanese culture. That part really got to me because I too have had to deal with my own share of hair discrimination. In my previous job, I was told numerous times to tame my curly hair because it looks ‘too wild’ and ‘unkempt’. Girl, bye! I have wavy Afro Caribbean hair and I’m proud of my roots. Anyway, back to the book. Secondly, I adore how the story switches from different viewpoints. The narratives are split, giving the book a multi-layered texture until the characters all cross paths at the end. The snappy, cross-cutting chapters only add to the pace and excitement of the novel. Furthermore, the dialogue is sharply written and sarcastic at times. Surprisingly, there are some lighter moments dotted throughout the book, such as the budding romances, wise-cracks between friends and small victories. It's not all doom and gloom.
The only minuscule dislike I can conjure up is, at times, I felt there were missing pieces of the story that needed to be filled. For instance, when did Maria-Ann find out about Star and Ty? What happened between Minister Khan and Chaka all those years ago? I would've appreciated just a little bit more background development, but I'm just going to assume that the author purposely chose to withhold certain information. The reader's imagination can fill in the gaps. Overall, the book is superbly well-written.
In terms of identifying the demographic audience, I feel Mixed Blessings will appeal to all races, social classes and ethnic backgrounds. With its themes of racism, relationships, discrimination, hate and love, readers will be able to relate to this novel in their own unique way. But more importantly, this novel opens the doors for discussions about complicated race relations and social issues.
In conclusion, Mixed Blessings without question deserves a 4 out of 4 stars rating. Uncompromising, brilliantly plotted, highly charged and deals with a subject most authors would typically shy away from. The incredibly gifted J.M. Muse deserves total recognition for addressing a very relevant issue. This book needed to be written!
******
Mixed Blessings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are only 3 months into the new year and I am already declaring Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse as my favourite book of 2020. Allow me to set the scene. Set in present-day Los Angeles, this original tale follows Kimberly Solberg, a young woman of dual Mexican and Jewish heritage, who is on her very own self- discovery journey to find true happiness, acceptance and love. No matter your colour, creed or religion, it’s a journey we can all relate to and Kimberly’s journey is full of hardships, heartache and joys. On the other side of the coin, meet Minister Michael Kublai Khan, who is on his very own personal mission to put a complete end to racism and discrimination. That sounds great! Until you discover his very… erm...peculiar methods to achieve this ultimate goal. Fuelled by his religious beliefs and wanting to create his own Babylon, Kublai Khan tries to put his ‘mocha babies’ plan into action (I won’t reveal anything-even though I really want to!) Along the way, we meet an array of colourful characters dealing with their own racial struggles, then suddenly, tensions rise to a bubbling crescendo.
Okay, let me gather my thoughts. Honestly, I really don’t know where to start because this book has completely scorched my brain. Let’s start with the unapologetic attitude and tone of this book. I absolutely applaud the author for not sugar-coating the racial issues that are still prevalent today. My fellow bookworms, should you choose to read this book, you’re going to come across several racial slurs. You’re going to have the unfortunate pleasure of meeting unsavoury racists such as Pastor Dalton along the way. And you are most definitely going to bump into racial barriers and inequality that still divides us today. But that’s the point. Even though this book is a work of fiction, an enormous amount of harsh reality is woven between the pages. For instance, the tragic death of the character, Sidney, shines a light on the current climate of police brutality and rising activist movements, such as Black Lives Matter.
Speaking of keeping it real, the cast of characters in this book are realistic, complex individuals without coming across as insufferably ‘woke’. They each have their own desires and hopes for a fairer world. As a British mixed- raced girl myself - also in an interracial relationship - I completely related to the neverending frustration that seemed to burn amongst the characters. For example, Star lost out on a golden opportunity because her hair was considered too curly and didn’t represent Japanese culture. That part really got to me because I too have had to deal with my own share of hair discrimination. In my previous job, I was told numerous times to tame my curly hair because it looks ‘too wild’ and ‘unkempt’. Girl, bye! I have wavy Afro Caribbean hair and I’m proud of my roots. Anyway, back to the book. Secondly, I adore how the story switches from different viewpoints. The narratives are split, giving the book a multi-layered texture until the characters all cross paths at the end. The snappy, cross-cutting chapters only add to the pace and excitement of the novel. Furthermore, the dialogue is sharply written and sarcastic at times. Surprisingly, there are some lighter moments dotted throughout the book, such as the budding romances, wise-cracks between friends and small victories. It's not all doom and gloom.
The only minuscule dislike I can conjure up is, at times, I felt there were missing pieces of the story that needed to be filled. For instance, when did Maria-Ann find out about Star and Ty? What happened between Minister Khan and Chaka all those years ago? I would've appreciated just a little bit more background development, but I'm just going to assume that the author purposely chose to withhold certain information. The reader's imagination can fill in the gaps. Overall, the book is superbly well-written.
In terms of identifying the demographic audience, I feel Mixed Blessings will appeal to all races, social classes and ethnic backgrounds. With its themes of racism, relationships, discrimination, hate and love, readers will be able to relate to this novel in their own unique way. But more importantly, this novel opens the doors for discussions about complicated race relations and social issues.
In conclusion, Mixed Blessings without question deserves a 4 out of 4 stars rating. Uncompromising, brilliantly plotted, highly charged and deals with a subject most authors would typically shy away from. The incredibly gifted J.M. Muse deserves total recognition for addressing a very relevant issue. This book needed to be written!
******
Mixed Blessings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
