diverse middlegrade/teen fiction (mature 6th grade and up?)
The stories start off with Taja in the 5th-6th grade (just about to start the awkward puberty years) but end with her having lost her virginity and entering college (parental note: this book contains sex and one or two F* words); I would say this would suit an audience of 6th-9th graders better than 9th-12th graders. Taja's voice sounds genuine to her age (she could easily have been someone I went to school with) and as far as I am able to tell, also sounds genuine to her background--African American, belonging to a very religious Christian family and growing up circa 1990. I think her voice would resonate with readers (even with the generational gap) and the short story format provides lots of spaces for stopping and reflecting (if the reader wants to).

I also think the cover art is beautiful. More, please. ( )

Being a young woman whose body is changing, in today's society is hard. But for Taja being a young African American girl growing up thought racism, bullying, heartbreak, religion, and self-discovering, discovering her sexuality is way harder. This book shows how easily the society judges a woman for her sexuality, the high expectation, and how easy it is to define a woman "a hoe" for it. Liara Tamani wrote a beautiful novel about a complicated and strong young woman. This book is amazing for representation. ( )

I had mixed reactions to this book. On the one hand, the writing is beautiful and poetic. It is a book filled with introspection and deeply personal thoughts, which I liked.
But it isn't a novel in any traditional sense. It doesn't tell a story. Most of the 50 odd chapters are unrelated story-wise from each other. Here and there a single thread will carry through several chapters, but only briefly.
Each chapter is one tiny snapshot into Taja Brown's life. All other characters are distant secondary players, as all focus is on Taja's own thoughts, personal battles, strengths, weaknesses, etc. When I finished a chapter, nothing compelled e to keep reading, to see what would happen next, because whatever story there was in that chapter (and many of the chapters are pretty much just Taja's thoughts, with no story at all) would not be picked up in the next chapter. An added difficulty is that the book covers many years of Taja's life, from sometime in middle school I gather, up to high school graduation, yet there is nothing at any point to let the reader know where in this timeline we are.
From a literary standpoint, I don't think any of that is a weakness. It just wasn't the kind of book that appeals to me as much as one with a plot, holding it all together. I suppose I'm a bit too shallow to fully appreciate this one, even though I recognize the lovely writing.
Perhaps I should say, this one of the best books I've ever read that I didn't like all that much. ( )

Aye! I’m always excited for new fiction with black leads!

STORY:

“‘You can’t control everything, Taja,’ Daddy says in a soft voice, eyes closed to the sun.

‘I know, Daddy. But I can control a lot.'” (pg 227).

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani (384 pages) explores Taja Brown’s childhood to adulthood. It is something of a fictional biography of a young, African-American girl growing up in a conservative Christian background from childhood to adulthood. Of course, you can expect first kisses, periods, and dealings with f*boys.

I think it is a good read if you enjoy “slice-of-life/coming of age” stories. However, the writing is so flowery that I get confused often.

I can emphasize with Taja’s upbringing as I have grown up in a Christian home as well though my parents weren’t overbearing with our faith.

Still, unfortunately, the narrative of an ultra-conservative character usually isn’t that fun.

One of my favorite parts is when Taja feels guilty for reminding her father about a promised birthday present. That is a really relatable moment when you first feel “child guilt” because you know your parents don’t have the money but you want something.

Also, I realized mid-way through the story that this is set somewhere between 80’s-90’s. Some of the references are dated like them listening to Johnny Gill. Chile, who out here listening to JG?

Okay, okay... I'm one of those people. XD

A few days ago I was just listening to Johnny Gill's old Arsenio Hall performances. (yes, I know the gif is from Soul Train).

CHARACTERS:
Not too many characters were memorable. I enjoyed the glimpses we saw of Taja's family and would have liked a bit more beyond her mother always disciplining her.

Taja is cool, but she is very whiny and a bit annoying in her narrative.

Naima, Taja's younger sister, is a character that I wished we could have seen more of. Unlike Taja, she's more sure of herself. Taja and Naima's sister relationship is barely displayed save for a few conversations in their older years.

Damon, the older brother, was okay. I like how he tried to overcompensate for his thinning headline at 15.

OVERALL:
This isn't a book I would necessarily read again, but it is nice experiencing Taja's adolescence with her. ( )

Literary Merit: Fine
Characterization: Okay
Recommended: Only for collections with high interest in realistic fiction, or in religious communities
Level: YA
I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked the subject about feeling unsure about how one fits into a conservative, religious Christian family and balancing being yourself with the rules the family tries to enforce. It brings to light complicated feelings and issues that many teenagers face and don't often talk about with anyone. I even liked that they weren't completely resolved by the end because it life, those sort of complicated, conflicting emotions never feel resolves either. But the writing style of this book just wasn't for me. I found the time jumps between chapters confusing and I was never sure how much time had passed or what the big breaks with quotes signified for the time jumps either. It felt almost like it should have been written in verse but wasn't. I appreciate the author discussing the topic, but didn't connect much with the writing style. ( )