Book Review: “The Only Black Girls in Town” by Brandy Colbert

“The Only Black Girls in Town” by Brandy Colbert (2020)

Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Fiction

Page Length: 368 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta’s best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can’t understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her.

Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.

When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie’s attic, they team up to figure out exactly who’s behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

Review:

I was very impressed by the Colbert’s narrative in a previous novel Finding Yvonne and was intrigued to pick up this title by her based on the title and cover art alone. The pages The Only Black Girls in Town weave together a story of growing up, solving a decades old mystery, and changing friendships. This was an engaging middle grade novel from beginning to end. As a Black woman, I could see sliver of my younger self in this novel through the main characters of Alberta and Edie. Our personalities may differ, but some of the challenging situations they are thrown in mirror some of my own past.

I love her Colbert’s ability to weave many complex things into the plot without overwhelming the reader. The mystery revelation (which I wont spoil) brings up some history that is often overlooked and that is important to discuss. The novel also focuses on how change can be difficult especially when it comes to middle school friendships (and something I know all about). Readers get to watch Albert and Edie grow through great character development over the course of the novel and how they tackle relationship obstacles in their lives. They are fun characters to follow through the course of the story and the way their friendship blossoms over the course of the story is so heartwarming to see.

The Only Black Girls in Town not only does a great job educating its readers but also dismantling expectations of Black girls and harmful stereotypes. Using the old journal mystery in-between the daily lives of the main characters added a layer of excitement to the story and I appreciated how the mystery and real life collides towards the end of the story. This is a great slice of life/friendship-themed read perfect for middle grade readers and adults alike. I highly recommend this novel. I can’t wait to read more novels from Colbert in the future!

*Trigger Warnings: Racism

Final Verdict: