An individual reader's enjoyment of this book will greatly depend on how much they tolerate YA about a white protagonist learning to not be racist after hanging out with a Black protagonist. The mystery element is solid, however, and many of the conversations the characters have about race and class feel like teenagers trying to digest these ideas rather than a Twitter thread the author is parroting.

This book was disappointing.

It had the bones of a great thriller in the making, but it read as very "How do you do, fellow kids?" The dialogue was awkward, the interpersonal dynamics of the characters were jarring and forced a lot of the time, and the story kept trying to throw curve balls at you as if to trick you into not seeing the obvious.

At the end of the day, it used the violent murder and desecration of her body as a plot device in showing her best friend, a Black girl, that she was "biased against white people" and to show a white girl the error of her racist ass ways.

It frankly left a bad taste in my mouth, and I would not recommend it to other readers, especially not Black and non-Black women of colour.

The Black Queen is a complex and hard hitting mystery with a lot of tough and timely issues throughout. From the very beginning of the book, I loved how Emill made the reader and his characters all too aware of the hard topics about what it means to be Black in America. From the uphill battle to be represented in the same spaces as white people, to the differences in how society treats Blacks and whites when each are accused of the same type of crime.

Within these pages the author introduces three types of Black characters: Duchess, the daughter of the police captain, who finds herself in the difficult position of knowing that biases against Black people exist and as such are treated differently by the police, while facing an internal fight of both showing support for the police (her father) and also wanting to protest the actions of police towards innocent and unarmed Black men; Nova, who finds herself to be the first Black Homecoming Queen in her school’s history in an attempt to even the playing field and be more equitable to the students while harboring a myriad of secrets; and Giselle, one of Tinsely’s best friends who sees herself as being better than the other Black kids in the school and as such is referred to as “Candace Owens” for her perceived betrayal of the Black students and the Black race.

This internal dialogue of what it means to be Black, whether or not it’s okay to support the police when you are Black, and the high wire balancing act of being friends with and even engaging in romantic relationships with members of the white race are all topics which play out in the real world on a daily basis and as such are topics that I have found myself faced with at different times in my life.

While the topic of “Blackness and what it means to be Black” is woven throughout, the other major theme of the book is the one that Tinsely finds herself being made all too aware of, being a white privileged woman who is ignorant of her privilege and through her actions,both directly and indirectly, is perceived by many of her fellow Black students as being a racist. I loved seeing Tinsely as she was faced with the harsh reality that due to the color of her skin and her family’s wealth, she was able to walk around free during the police investigation, while a Black man in the next town was arrested and placed in jail with even less “evidence” than what the police had against Tinsely.

As loathsome of a character as Tinsely was in the beginning, I really enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the book and how hard she worked not only to prove she was innocent, but also how she came to see that white privilege is a thing that she herself possessed and the harm said privilege can inflict. I loved that Tinsley’s sister, Rachel, recognized the slippery slope she was on and attempted to warn her of it, sadly to no avail. Thankfully as the book continued, Rachel was still there and more than willing to help her sister overcome her own internalized biases and become a better person. The two sisters even share a wonderful and insightful discussion, where Rachel tells her,

“Don’t make your guilt the baggage of others to deal with. It’s not their job to hold our hands and make us feel better. Do what I did in college: read books about this stuff,…”

Reading this part of the story I couldn’t help but say “Amen!” While this seems like such a simple concept, ever since the murder of George Floyd the summer of 2020, many white people have been wanting to know how they can do and be better but rather than do the research themselves they turn to their Black friends and co-workers expecting them to educate them on what it means to be Black and the ongoing institutionalized racism that exists to this day and the systems that were created to keep Black people down rather than pickup any of the books that have been and continue to be written on this very topic.

This is a book that I could very easily rave about and examine all day, but I won’t. Instead I would encourage you to read it for yourself, as this is a mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end. I also invite you to come back to this space upon finishing, as I’d be more than happy to discuss your thoughts and feelings about it.

Touching on social issues, this book was wonderful from start to finish. It kept me rooting Nova (obviously) and determined to find out who hurt her. I did guess what was going on pretty early on but I loved reading it nonetheless.

SLOW CLAPPING FOR THIS WHOLE BOOK. I was immediately interested in the storyline and appreciated the representation!

I didn't know what to expect with this book but I was pleasantly surprised! Nova was supposed to be the first black homecoming queen but now she's dead and Tinsley (who was "meant" to be queen) is the one who murdered her. She has to be, right? Nova was Duchess' best friend and she's determined to bring Tinsley down and prove she killed her.

I listened to this on audiobook and I highly recommend it! It was a wild ride with twists and enjoyable characters who fight for what's right.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Multiple POV with characters from different racial backgrounds as well as socioeconomic statuses. The two MCs attempt to figure out who killed the first Black Homecoming Queen. Interspersed throughout is racism, guilt, and judgement. This book may offend some, turn off other and excite the rest of readers.

As a seasoned thriller reader,
I just knew I had this plot figured out and I was so wrong. I did kinda call one person as sketchy and I was slightly right.

The book is told from two high school students points of view. Tinsley is a white well to do mean girl who is the prime suspect for Nova's murder. Duchess is a black student at the same school who's father is the only black police officer where they live. Both characters are trying to figure out who killed Nova, the school's first black homecoming queen and Duchess's best friend. At times they work together but is Tinsley just doing this to point the finger at someone else? Or did she really just say the wrong thing at the wrong time?
I could not put this book down and I highly recommend it to anybody who loves a good thriller

I don't consider myself to be a huge fan of mystery/thrillers, and I'm not particularly skilled in figuring out a who-done-it before the truth is revealed, but I did with this one. Basically, this was predictable and the writing was not cohesive.

I went into this book expecting commentary on racism but really it feels like its more focused on white guilt and at times it's easy to forget that we have Black characters present. The characters felt like extreme stereotypes of the people they were suppose to represent and not as individuals. There were so many opportunities to make commentary but it just didn't happen. Maybe the story wasn't meant for Black readers, but even so, all the author manages to do is center whiteness and its role in racism, so if it is meant for white audiences, what purposes does this really serve for them, if once again, Black characters are just accessories to the growth a white girl?

This was disappointing.

The Black Queen brings racial injustice to the forefront. Allowing readers to experience both sides of the narrative. While the premise was enticing the execution relied too much on Tinsley, the white protagonist. The information of characters and experiences seemed focused on the white narrative. It seemed to portray Dutchess as a negligent friend and Tinsley has working to be a better person. Nova was completely lost in the plot and could have used some kind of section where she spoke her truth.

This novel was so intense and layered Jumata Emill really gave it with this thriller. The intensity and suspense the story builds is what captured me. The first 2-3 chapters will have you a bit iffy with the pacing but once the murder takes place you’re addicted. I literally could not put this book down.

It’s told from a dual-POV following two MC’s Duchess Simmons best friend of Lovett High’s first black homecoming queen Nova Albright and Tinsley McArthur who’s not only popular and wealthy but also Nova’s rival. Tinsley felt she was entitled to be homecoming queen and right before coronation she’s secretly recorded saying mean threatening things about Nova. Little did she know that same night someone would follow through with her statements.

Jumata did a wonderful job intertwining the themes of guilt, racism, and justice throughout the book. True I was able to pinpoint from the beginning who the murder would be. But everything that lead up to the murder and why it occurred was so complex and unpredictable.

The steady flow of events and secrets kept me engaged and I only gave it this rating because the last 2-3 chapters felt rushed and lacked the buildup the entire story was giving. I could definitely see this as a Netflix series. The author took two people that were initially at odds and brought them together for one common purpose. JUSTICE. The novel took full advantage of its premise while bringing light to current racial issues we still face today.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. I didn’t go into it expecting anything and was left totally satisfied. Special thanks to the author, @delacortepress, & @netgalley for my advanced copy!!!!
Rating: 4.5⭐️

Received this digital ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I wanted to love this book, but it missed the mark for me. The part that I enjoyed most was the thoughts of the black police force members. The mystery was so easy to figure out that a second grader could figure it out half way through. The race and white privilege conservations was centered more on the white person and their guilt.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I don't often read thrillers, but The Black Queen was pretty intriguing. I think the story is a little long and a little predictable, but a couple twists surprised me. Content warning: child abuse, teenage pregnancy, racism, and underage sex.

I like that the story is told from two different points of view. I haven't read many stories where it is told from just two povs. I liked following the characters, especially Duchess. She was brave and wanted to figure out who killed her best friend. It was fun to hate Tinsley, she was a very unlikable person. The writing style was good, I will definitely pick up other books by Emill.

Description: "Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller."

The actual murderer was really easy to guess-- I guessed it as soon as they first started talking about the murder after it happened. But the other mysteries, and the rest of the story, was interesting enough that I continued reading.

Honestly this wasn't really my thing as my and young adult thriller have a complicated history. My biggest issue was I saw the twist coming a mile away and when I was proven right it really spoiled my enjoyment of the book. Apart from that the characters, setting and mystery were decent, nothing ground-breaking but if you're looking for something simple to slip into it's good.

This book was just ok for me. It wasn’t really what I was expecting and I have a thing where I don’t particularly like reading books with child abuse as I work with it in my profession. However I want to say just because it was ok for me doesn’t mean the book won’t be for someone else!

This was a fast paced YA thriller. I did guess most of the twists and the ending was wrapped up pretty neatly. It did tackle some important issues but I wanted more.

I had such high hopes for this one but the fact that the racism was the MAIN plot point, and then the racist mean girl at school gets a redemption?
DNF.

Nova Albright has been elected the first black homecoming queen, much to the dismay of her white counterpart, Tinsley McArthur. On the night of the coronation, Nova is murdered and all fingers point to Tinsley, but is someone hiding behind their hatred in order to set her up? In an effort to clear her name, Tinsley and Nova's best friend Duchess, unveil secrets that left me guessing whodunit…until the very end.
✨
This debut novel by @jumataemill was a cross between Mean Girls and Bring It On (staying Gabrielle Union). I lost sleep and couldn't stop turning pages until the killer, and their motive, was revealed. My favorite character was Duchess. She formed effortlessly to find her best friend's killer. My least favorite character was a tie between Chief Barrow and the actual killer (you'll have to read the book to find out who it is.)
✨
This is one of the best books that I've read so far this year. Be prepared to see it again at the end of the year.

A very compelling mystery that kept me turning pages in a rush to get to the reveals and the end! A great YA read that isn't aged up or aimed at an older (than teen) audience, which was really refreshing and necessary for the story. The social commentary was on point and the nuances of racism and white privilege that all of the characters experienced was very thoughtful and well-rounded. The small town setting felt very real with the neighborhoods and inhabitants of each. Overall, a quick and engaging mystery with a well done social justice angle!