From my blog post, first paragraph about this book: Before I ever saw a synopsis for this book (which admittedly, I’m a chronic non-reader of anyway), I saw the cover and was immediately drawn in. I got those bookish tingles that just let me know that I would really be into this story. The story is from 2 perspectives; Duchess, the best friend of the Black Queen and Tinsley, who is aiming to prove her innocence. When I tell you you couldn’t have more different perspectives, you really couldn’t, which made the draw to this book even stronger. I mean, there was a hallway moment where you could almost hear folx chanting “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT” (the ones that know, know).

an informative commentary about racism, the harmful effects of performative activism, and white privilege.

Yes just yes, Horror thriller mixed with beaitufil social and racial commentary. This book is something truly special. Thank you random house.

Nova has just been crowned homecoming queen, the first ever Black queen at Lovett High. Her best friend Duchess is convinced that Tinsley, the white shoe-in for homecoming queen, killed Nova. But the closer Duchess gets to the truth the more messy secrets are revealed.

I thought this was a diverse read what with Nova on the cover and Duchess starting off the story. However, Tinsley soon became the focal point of this story and I feel like it was a bit misleading. Even now that I'm thinking about it, I'm confused as to what this story is supposed to be. Is it a parable about crimes against Blacks going unnoticed? Is it a story about the re-education of a white girl in the south?

I wanted to like this book, but I feel like those in search of a diverse read should look elsewhere. If they come here, they'll undoubtedly be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I had been waiting for this book for a LONG time, so I was thrilled that I got an advance copy and didn’t have to wait on my library’s hold list!

The Black Queen absolutely lived up to my expectations. While I kind of figured out the killer really early on, the story still had me on the edge of my seat! Nova slightly reminded me of Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks (murdered homecoming Queen who was full of secrets), and I wish we got to see more of her in life before she died. I would absolutely read a book about Nova’s life because I wanted to know more about her, her life in Virginia, how she became friends with Duchess, etc. All of the characters felt very real and fleshed out as well, and the handling of difficult topics was both sensitive and honest at every turn. I can’t wait to read whatever Jumata Emill writes next.

I didn’t love the first half of this book but the second half had me at the edge of my seat! I didn’t expect the reveal at all, I think probably because there was just so much going on and so many characters but everything made so much sense by the end! Also very much recommend the audiobook!

I decided to DNF this 50% through.

Following the death of Nova, the local high school’s first ever black homecoming queen, Tinsley sets out to prove that she did not kill Nova after becoming the main suspect in the murder case.

The writing was easy enough that I managed to get halfway through, but the characters are the reason I can’t see myself continuing this book. The focus is on Tinsley, who feels like she is getting little to no improvement. I was really hoping to like this, since I enjoy mysteries/thrillers, but sadly it’s hard for me to get through.

Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read The Black Queen in exchange for a review.

I found it very hard to get past the first few pages of the book. The writing seemed disjointed and unengaging.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review:

I received an digital ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

Thrillers are not usually my cup of tea- they aren’t a genre I tend to pick up without some prompting. However, I am forever fascinated with the American obsession with monarchs in their high school (despite their history with them), and a murder mystery was an intriguing plot around it. So I couldn’t resist signing up for this blog tour, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

First and foremost, Emill’s writing was easily my favourite part of this book. Apart from the very abrupt start of this story, I was immediately obsessed with the story. Its written at a really nice pace, one that keeps the intrigue high even though it is quite a long book. My sign of a good mystery/thriller is being able to think back on the beginning of the story and see the breadcrumbs for what they are, and The Black Queen did a really great job with that.

For about half of the book I thought I knew who was responsible, but Emill did a really great job making twists come out of left field in a way that was (for the most part) believable. I will say, perhaps, there were too many *twists*, that all of them together felt a bit unbelievable/extra, but I loved the drama so I cannot complain too much.

One of the biggest themes of this book was certainly institutional racism, and with Tinsley as one of our narrators, we get to experience her ignorance start to come undone as the story progresses. She is held responsible, by Duchess and several other characters, for her privileged views of the world and her relationship to the social structure of their school. I thought that Emill did a good job balancing between her and Duchess, and laying their motives out very clearly.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. I read it one day, I just needed to know how it ended. As is the case with most high school set stories, there were some theatrics that were a bit over the top, but I feel like for the most part it added to the campiness of the book. Thriller fans and non thriller fans will definitely enjoy this one. So be sure to pick it up!

The Black Queen released January 31st, 2023

Thank you to Delacorte and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I am happy to say that this is not a redux of almost every other murder mystery young adult novel that I have read in the last few years, This had a message behind it while also being extremely entertaining. There were several red herrings that I enjoyed and I did not see the suspects at the end and their motivations coming which is always a nice surprise. Highly unique and enjoyable.

A school in, I believe, Alabama, has recently redistricted and now the lower-income Black students attend the same school as the rich white kids. They're still not very subtly segregated - the white kids are "smart" and "in the AP courses" while the Black kids take a regular course of study. The school, in order to 'solve' the homecoming queen problem, is starting a pattern of letting an AP student win the crown one year, and a regular course kid win it the next year. Which, essentially, is a pattern of a white kid, then a Black kid, so on and so forth.

Well, it's Nova's turn to win homecoming queen, and she does. The book is told in alternating POVs between Duchess, Nova's best friend, and Tinsley, who would have been a shoe-in for queen if they hadn't enacted the rotation rule. The reason Nova doesn't have her own POV is because she gets murdered the night of her coronation, and her body is left in a local slave cemetery that she spent lots of time keeping clean over her short years.

And conveniently, hours before the murder, Tinsley was recorded drunk saying she was mad enough she could kill Nova! And dump her body in the slave cemetery!! Things do not look good for her!!

But Duchess eventually comes to realize it probably wasn't Tinsley and the two of them begrudgingly start to work together to bring actual justice to Nova's case.

The two uncover secret after secret about Nova, and about the people around them in general. Some of the reveals are super juicy!

The book is bogged down for me, unfortunately, by the heavy handed social justice topics. The topics themselves are so important - the way Black policemen are treated by the Black community, the things Black people have to strive for just to barely be seen as equal with white people, the way white people are assumed innocent by police when Black people are assumed guilty, the way Black murders don't always seem to matter as much to the general public... really important stuff! But the terminology and discussions are SO robotic and shoehorned in and just not very subtle, ESPECIALLY considering that it's for an audience, teens these days, that generally hadn't even started grade school when Trayvon Martin was murdered. Like, these kids are so used to this world and the unfairness of it all. They really don't need social justice article terminology to help them process it. They DO need media that makes them feel seen in the worries and stress of coming of age in a pretty broken America, but talking at them instead of to them just isn't the way to do it, I feel.

Overall, it was exciting enough, I liked the audiobook, and it was interesting seeing the unlikely duo of Duchess (who is also a lesbian, to toss that rep in there too!!) and Tinsley working together. But even that feels a little icky? Like Duchess didn't really spend a ton of time talking about how Tinsley went on a drunk racist MURDEROUS rant?? And also Tinsley drunk drove home from the beach that night, at like, what, 17 years old, and literally no one questions that, not even the police officers... like I know you have a murder on your hands... but come on mamas

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Black Queen

Author: Jumata Emill

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Queer Sapphic Black MC, Queer Sapphic Black character, Black characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, murder mystery, thriller, suspense, LGBT

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Genre: YA Mystery Thriller

Age Relevance: 15+ (racism, sexual content, abortion, bullying, language, physical violence, underage alcohol consumption, murder, parental death, police brutality, COVID, cancer, sickness, childhood sexual assualt, alcoholism, religion, power imbalance relationship)

Explanation of Above: Racism is shown and mentioned in this book. There is some sexual content mentioned and abortion is mentioned and discussed. There are scenes of bullying and some cursing. There is some physical violence shown along with murder mentioned and a body shown. There is some scenes of underage alcohol consumption and alcoholism is mentioned. There is parental death mentioned by cancer, sickness is mentioned, and COVID is also mentioned once. There are scenes of police brutality and a power imbalance relationship between a teacher and a high school student who is of age are shown. There are a couple of mentions of the Christian religion. Childhood sexual assault is mentioned a couple of times, but nothing graphic is mentioned or shown.

Publisher: Writers House

Pages: 400

Synopsis: 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. Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating. Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition. No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk. Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her. But Tinsley has an agenda, too. Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.

Review: I’ve never had a book that made me want to sit and fully take a moment to think about what I just read. And neither have I had a book that made me need to take breaks while reading it. This book is equal parts beautiful and brutal with the story. The story is about Nova, who is the high school’s first Black homecoming queen. This is a title that one of our duel protagonists, Tinsley, wanted in order to continue the family tradition of holding this title which has also upset her mother greatly. When Nova’s body is found after her coronation as queen, suspicion quickly falls on Tinsley after a video goes viral of her spouting racist rhetoric and threats on Nova’s life while she was drunk. The book quickly becomes a murder mystery in which our other protag, Duchess, commits herself to in order to get justice for her best friend. I overall really loved this book and I found the commentary on BLM and police brutality very honest and informative. I also enjoyed the side conversation about how police brutality, while disproportionately effecting BIPOC persons, can also effect white people with ineffectual policing, warped interpretations of the law, and skewed investigations. I also very much appreciated the discussion on reverse racism, what it is, and how it’s harmful. The book had great character development and good world building. The twists were twisty and I suspected but didn’t see the outcome happening.

The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the pacing slowed down quite a bit during some moments, which felt a tiny bit disjointed to me.

Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!

I feel conflicted about this one, and it also feels hard to appropriately critique it without spoilers (and I hate spoilers in reviews so I’m not doing that). Let me start by saying I was SO excited to get my hands on this story. After the first few chapters, I almost DNF the entire thing. I felt frustrated at the characters not acting like their established selves. No one changes from being a bigoted racist to a “learning and growing ally” in a matter of days/weeks. A lot of the dialogue between teenage female characters felt a little phony and corny to me. I did decide to finish because there was a little more intrigue in the middle, but the twist ending felt very unsurprising. I liked the concept. But I wanted to like the execution more and it just didn’t hit for me.

Thank you to Jumata Emill, Random House, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a story! I loved it! I enjoyed how I never really knew who murdered Nova. I saw that other people totally knew but I enjoyed how it jumped around to person to person. It was nice to see some relationships rekindle even if it did take some time and some arguments. I did not see the plot twist coming at the end. I am absolutely purchasing this for my library collection.

3.5 out of 5 stars


There was a lot that worked really well with this book and made the story very engaging with its various twists and turns. The mystery had me questioning how the murderer was up until the reveal, which is rare for mysteries with me. I really liked the alternating perspectives, especially when it came to the difference in writing style and use of slang based on which POV we were in.

There was a lot of good commentary and information in this book regarding systematic racism, though I think that focus often overshadowed the other issues the book was discussing such as infidelity, parental and societal pressures, and inappropriate relationships. There were some sensitive subjects that I felt were brushed over but could have been developed more to fill out the story. There was a background crime also occurring throughout the book and I wish that could have been expanded on more rather than the white girl suspect always using it as a cop-out. Obviously, that was the biggest reason for the background crime but I think it could have been interesting for both cases to have interacted more rather than just be background fuel for either.

My main issue was that these are two high school girls and it often didn’t feel like that in the narrative, their introspection, or in their interactions with each other. There was also negative commentary in regard to divorce, which as a child of divorce, rubbed me the wrong way but again, I believe that was more for the sake of the character’s tone-deafness rather than the actual author’s thoughts.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and had fun with it! I would’ve enjoyed about 100 more pages to further develop everything happening in the background so it felt less like “scandals” were being thrown in last minute to tie up loose ends.

I can totally understand why this book was written, especially on the heals of Tiffany D. Jackson's success with The Weight of Blood and in light of the important conversations surrounding race in our country right now. There was so much potential here for a twisty, thrilling mystery with so many conversation pieces at the core, but ultimately, this book just felt underwhelming and a little bit messy. The mystery was very predictable and the ending felt like evaded effort in my opinion. I think a younger YA audience without much experience in the thriller or mystery genre could enjoy this for the entertainment factor alone, but unfortunately, that wasn't enough for me to enjoy it.

This book started off reading like a mixture of She's All That meets Bring It On meets Prom. The first few chapters were fully of sass, drama, and made me roll my eyes and not miss my high school days..then out of nowhere, the book turned into a murder mystery. Once you are convinced you know who killed the "Queen," you're thrown in an opposite direction that you would have never expected.
The book was quite the page turner once it got going and makes you feel like you are in a crime TV show playing detective from a 18 years perspective.
There are many heavy topics that get covered in the book, so please check your trigger warnings on the interwebs.
Trigger Warnings: Murder, talk of abortion/pregnancy, lying, gaslighting, racism, innopropriate relationships, sexual abuse, threats of violence and etc.

This was fantastic!! Loved the writing, loved the plot! This book was just aggravating on how they were so mean towards each other! This was a fascinating take on racism at its finest. Not delicate in no way but really showed what it was like. A great read and thank you so much for the ARC!!

This is one of those stories that you LOVE from the beginning. This thriller of a book does trip some trauma tropes that are normal for African American writing, and other tropes that felt uncomfortable, but this book goes hard, and it leaves a mark.
Which felt like it was the point.
But one thing I can say about this book is that it is gripping and requires you to take notice!
___
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.


Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.

Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.

No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.

Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her.

But Tinsley has an agenda, too.

Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.

Definitely a great read! The writing is engaging and the premise is really thoughtful. I've posted about it on my Bookstagram (@readbyjules)