I was super excited to discover Blended, because I knew I was going to be able to relate to Isabella. We both have a Black father and white mother, so what does that make us? Isabella has never really thought about her race or what she identifies as until her parents divorce. She notices that she gets odd looks when she's with just her mom, but not with her dad. Then the subject of racial discrimination comes up at school and she wonders if the world sees her as Black or white.Blended deals with some seriously heavy topics, which surprised me. It's not that I didn't think kids know about this stuff, but I don't know. It just surprised me. After a class discussion, a student puts a noose in Isabella's best friend's locker. A situation which scared everyone and raised a ton of questions. Then something happens to Isabella and her stepbrother toward the end of the book.
I am torn on the ending though. Something super traumatic happens which I never saw coming. But then, everyone goes home and life goes on. That's all well and good, because I do love a happy ending. However, this was huge! There needed to be some kind of after math, discussions, something! There was more time given to the incident which happened with Imani at school.
If the ending had been a bit more fleshed out, this would have easily been a 5-star read for me. It's relatable, eye opening, and relevant in today's world. I'd highly recommend it to everyone.
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