This Side of Home Review

This Side of Home

By: Renée Watson

4.5 out of 5 Stars

This Side of Home is about a set of twins, Maya and Nikki. The book is told through Maya’s point of view and we see her struggles with all of the change happening around her as she finishes up her last year of high school.

There is so much more than my little description of the book. The book deals with race, gentrification, interracial relationships, and getting ready to go to college. Although Watson’s language is quite simple at times, it is made up by the complex ideas going on throughout the book. I loved that Maya and friends put up the posters of the black journalists. In a way, these scenes reminded me of The Little Book of Feminist Saints. Not in the way they were all females, but because it highlighted the work that these people have done that we may not know about. There were different spots throughout the book that had these beautiful, lyrical words. It was like prosy poetry. Also, the scene where someone says the n-word. The images that Watson creates are haunting. I thought it was really well written. 

This book was very similar to The Hate U Give. Young girls in high school struggling with the reality of racial differences. The Hate U Give and This Side of Home really exhibit the struggles of black people and you get a perspective on racial differences that are happening. Reading these books made me realize that I don’t read as diverse as I should or want to. Actually there aren’t as many diverse books out there at all. My YA Lit class is helping me with reading more diverse as we’ve read, and will read, books of people coming from a multitude of backgrounds. 

If you have any suggestions on great books that are diverse, let me know! I’m always looking to expand my readings.