Daughters of Jubilation
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy / Historical Fiction
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From the award-winning author of The Truth of Right Now comes a stunning, grounded fantasy in the vein of Dread Nation that follows a black teen as she finds her place among a family of women gifted with magical abilities.
In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move.
On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation—a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface…
And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.
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Kara Lee Corthron is a playwright, author, and TV writer based in Los Angeles. Her full-length plays include AliceGraceAnon (New Georges), Holly Down in Heaven (Forum Theatre, DC area), Listen for the Light (Know Theatre of Cincinnati), Welcome to Fear City (CATF and Kansas City Rep, Kilroys’ List 2016), Etched in Skin on a Sunlit Night (InterAct Theatre, Philadelphia), What Are You Worth?, and Time and a Half. Kara is the author of the young-adult novels, The Truth of Right Now from Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse and Daughters of Jubilation from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, coming in October 2020.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kara.corthron
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaraLeeCorthron
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Website: https://www.karaleecorthron.com/
Review
Speculative Fiction. Black Girl Magic. Historical Fiction. Only a greedy troll would ask for more. Evvie was born with Jubilation or the Jube, all the women in her family were. She has the ability to manipulate the world around her, to break, to fix, to create. Her powers seem to be limitless. When Evvie begins to learn to control her magic, her timing is impeccable because a man from her past has resurfaced, a man Evvie’s mind won’t allow her to remember.When Virgil re-enters Evvie’s life forcing memories that no mind should ever have to hold and Evvie has to learn to not only control her ability but make herself whole to rid him from her life once and for all.
*Sigh* I think it will be easier for me to not so much review the book, as drip all of the feelings it cause onto this piece of virtual paper.
I like this book. I honestly do. I have to say that it makes me unbearably sad and kind of hopeless. While reading the end of this book I couldn’t help but wonder… How much suffering does a group of people have to endure? How much trauma? How much pain? How much angst? Do we ever get a plain and simple happily ever after? Then I could imagine some troll coming out of the folds saying something about how everyone has trails and tribulations but then I thought of the Margaret Atwood quote.
“Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them.”
Which leads me to some of my favorite quotes from the book. Black people, particularly black women are know to be strong, stubborn, straight forward, you will not win an argument (all a little problematic if I’m being honest but that’s another post entirely), Queen. We’re that way because we have to be. We’re that way because the world has forces us to be. We will get you before you get us. Again a little problematic but I’ve had a rough day so I’m here for it. Which leads me to…
“Quit it with the sorries! It’s weak. Don’t be sorry. Do better.”
My second favorite quote…
“In defiance of their mutilated bodies, they all smile at me, and I think I smile back. This is my family, and they’re beautiful and terrifying all at the same time. Like me.”
As I sit here, on a rough day after having listened to a woman tell me about a “woke reading challenge” turning my pain and the pain of those before me into a unit of study worth a grade or worse crappy fidget spinner prize, I almost want to cry. And I guess that’s what makes a good book. A book that makes you feel not only what you want, but what you dread. A book that chews you up and spits you out and boy. The last few chapters of this book did exactly that while they did sprinkle a little bit of hope, so I leave you with one final quote to shed a bit of light on this dim dim world some of us live in.
“You will not win every battle. Any victory is a gift to be cherished.”
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