Asha’s books are so powerful, tender, heart wrenching. This story about the war in Jamaica and two friends on either side grappling with that and their feelings for each other. There was so much to learn from this story for me personally. It scooped me up and had me swept away the whole time

Beautiful story! I got the chance to talk to Ms. Bromfield when she was YALL FEST and the way she told the story of how she wrote Songs of Irie was EVERYTHING and more!! She gained a fan out of me and what makes it even more magically was that I got to listen to the audio book while I read it so it was even more amazing!

Thank you to Macmillon for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was okay! Nothing bad but nothing I LOVED either.

"Songs of Irie by Asha Bromfield is a lyrical masterpiece that resonates with the soul. Bromfield's poetic prose weaves a captivating tale of love, loss, and self-discovery in the vibrant world of Irie. The characters are beautifully crafted, each note of their journey hitting a poignant chord. The author's ability to evoke emotions through words is truly remarkable. With a rich tapestry of culture and an enchanting narrative, Songs of Irie is a symphony of storytelling that deserves every one of its five stars."

This story was amazing from Irie song all the way to the action that took place regarding the upcoming election. Then to see how different each side of Irie and Jilly were because of status.

There is a civil war going on in 1970s Jamaica and Irie and Gilly are caught in the middle of it.

This is a love story in many different ways: a love story between two girls, between an island and an author, and between the music of the island and the story that music tells. I can tell Bromfield poured her entire soul into this book and it shows. It's beautiful and lyrical and heartbreaking.

I liked hurricane summer but I loved this book. A sapphic romance? Signed me up. I loved the friendship which blossomed into something else. I felt emotions while reading this book. Laughter, joy and anger by the end because I had no idea this how the story would turn out. All in all I loved how the authors shed light on what happens around election time in the islands. These events don’t just happen in Jamacia but in all the islands and it’s not spoken about enough. I loved the representation for all in this novel

Songs of Irie is a powerful book, a mix of brilliant sparks flanked by lit dynamite. From the very beginning, the danger builds terribly hot but the characters are all so heartfelt, I had to keep going despite my stress peaking.

Irie and her best friend, Jilly, are graduating from an exclusive high school in Jamaica where only the most wealthy attend. But Irie is a scholarship girl from the poor side of Kingston and so she and Jilly are about to embark on two different paths into adulthood. But the summer is theirs and the two young women get closer, pushing their relationship beyond a friendship. Meanwhile, around them, it’s 1976 and Jamaican politics are getting bloody and violent.

The author does a good job of portraying both worlds without dropping into stereotypes. There are cages and there are cages. Jilly should have been the off putting arrogant rich girl but even flawed, she grew beyond her societal constraints. Irie and her family are the epitome of finding joy and fire in the bleakest of circumstances. Reggae music infuses every page. Irie writes and sings, using lyrics as her weapon against tyranny. Patois is part of Irie’s circles and the author faithfully puts it on the page in the dialogue. It was a really good use of differences in language to show the split between uptown vs. downtown.

I would recommend this book if you like emotionally charged YA/NA, flawed characters, and socially conscious stories. Personally, I wish the author had ended the story on a different note but it was still a solid finish.

This book is heavy, not with information but with emotion. The perspective of events in the book are raw and I feel could’ve only been described through personal events. Bromfield, the author, packs the book with important take aways for everyone. With a wide array of nuanced topics not only involving Jamaica's political history, but big themes of privilege and society. In this world bias is hard to describe and hard to talk about, the author is able to allow the reader to feel immersed in the world of bias and ignorance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to read a book to learn and become openminded to everyday situations. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.

So many of the teens in my creative writing classes ask for stories about friendship. SONGS OF IRIE by Asha Ashanti Bromfield delivers an exquisite story about the friendship between Jilly & Irie. The novel also offers an important perspective on what was happening in Jamaica in the 1970s. Most people, myself included, have had little exposure to Caribbean history. SONGS OF IRIE is a fantastic novel and I strongly recommend it.

Songs of Irie written by Asha Bromfield is a coming-of-age novel about a friendship struggling to survive amidst the civil unrest in Jamaica, in the 1970s. The story is poignant, heart-wrenching, stressful and hopeful at the same time.

Bromfield excels at character development in that she used Irie and Jilly's background to shape their personalities. Irie, who is dark-skinned, lives with her dad and siblings in an area of the city that is strife with crime and poverty. Jilly is of lighter hue, an only child and live with both parents in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Kingston. They both attended the same high school and bonded over a love of reggae music but their lived experiences were vastly different and drove a wedge between them.

The political unrest in the background of this novel was palpable. So much poverty, violence, and mistrust of both political parties. I took several reading breaks because I was so scared for Irie and her family. All the while, Jilly was living a life of luxury - sailing on yachts and attending lavish parties, some hosted by her parents.

Songs of Irie reads like a labor of love and I applaud Ms. Bromfield for having the courage to do the research needed to write this brilliant novel. Highly recommend.

TW: Colorism, classism, poverty, violence

4.75 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc

I really liked this book. I love when I read stories like this and learn things I probably never would’ve otherwise. I’d never known how controversial reggae was. It was really cool to see how Jamaicans used it as peaceful protest against the injustices they were facing(though it was also dangerous for them to).

I knew this story was going to be tragic, most books that involve flawed politics are, but my god. I had thought it was going to be just junior and maybe Irie’s father, but the last 25% was crazy. I wasn’t expecting what happened to Jilly at all. I find their complicated relationship very emotional. They had entirely different experiences and it was hard to relate to each other and hear each other out because of it. Jilly changed her mind midfight to go help Irie and her sister and it ended in her death. And Kojo too???!! And the fact they never found out what happened to Irie’s father ?!?! I feel so awful for her.

I’m glad it had a “happy” (ish) ending, but I feel for Irie’s losses that pushed her to continue pursuing music.

I read this in one sitting! Everything about the world, the main characters & the emotional roller coaster ride I needed. I think it’s more historical fiction than a ya romance in my opinion . Still had an amazing time reading this book.

Heartbreakingly beautiful tale of love and struggle on an island during a time of great change. Bromfield should be given all the awards. Extremely, highly recommended.

St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

After reading Asha Bromfield 's Debut Hurricane Summer I was so happy to get my hands on this next one. Asha does an amazing job explaining the history and political meaning of Reggae music in a time of unrest in Jamaica how the power of music got political views across while also being a place of escapism. I felt the friendship didn't have basic learned information that friendship was built on and because of their status held many secrets from each other . The pacing was great and I enjoyed their growing attraction to each other as the book went on.

Set in Jamaica in the late 70s midst of a heated political time as an election approaches, the story follows two young women with very different back grounds. Jilly is from the hills a wealthier community and her family holds a lot of privilege and political power, but she also has struggles with her family and trying to please her parents. Irie's situation is the complete opposite, her father owns a small record store, she is close with her family and they work hard to make it on the daily.

Irie and Jilly bond through music and it brings them together, but with the upcoming election tension rises in the streets and also between them.

This was a very moving coming of age story with some historical fiction, romance, queer representation, but it also provides info of what the political and social struggles that Jamaica was facing at the time. Overall I enjoyed it, it had very moving and powerful moments, I liked how the music was such a vibrant part of the plot and the ending surprised me. I appreciated the dual POV for this story, as both characters had very different lived experiences and it gave us insights to both of them.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Hurricane Summer and learning the author had a new book coming out I knew I would read this one’. I enjoyed but didn’t like how it ended abruptly. Definitely would recommend.

5⭐ on 🎧

I don't have the words to capture all my emotions right now over this book. It was the highest levels of happiness to the lowest levels of sadness and devastation. This book is a masterpiece and one of my absolute favorite books of the year. I learned, I smiled, I cried and I saw the world differently. This book will sit with me for a very long time.

History is indeed the greatest leveler of artists and activists. And I think we're seeing this today as well.

- SONGS OF IRIE is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book. I was immediately drawn into Irie and Jilly's world, rooting for them to come together in a city that was breaking apart.
- This book covers so much: racism, classism, colorism, homophobia, the limits of words vs. actions, the ripple effects of violence on a community. It's a hard story to read at times, but it's a great example of what is possible in the YA genre.
- For me, some of the conversations and arguments became repetitive as the book went on, but the topics and feelings were so nuanced that I suppose it was hard not to revisit them repeatedly. Bromfield really did a great job showing that the lines between "good guys" and "bad guys" are not always so clear, and that everything goes deeper than you think.

This is the very first book that I have read set in Jamaica. I loved learning abut Jamaican culture, especially while learning about important historical events!
I loved the dual pov because it helped move the story along. Especially because they both were from different backgrounds.

I also enjoyed that even though YA novel it didn't read like one which I enjoyed.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!