The writing was great, I felt like I really knew three main characters. Taking place in Sweden some of the language and places didn’t feel familiar but did not make it and less easy to follow along.
The three women have very little overlap and I kept expecting more, love a big reveal. It just happened naturally and that was fine. They all had independent things happening in their lives and at the end they all going d some sort of freedom wether they were intentionally searching for it or not.
Heavy on trauma among black women but stories that deserve to be told.
I found myself wanting to read more about one story but then had to read about the other two stories before I got there and that maybe made it so I took longer than usual to read.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

I devoured "In Every Mirror She's Black earlier this year, and so when this book popped up, I requested it immediately. I couldn't wait to continue the journeys of Yamiin, Muna, Brittany Rae, and Kemi.

Akinmade Åkerström delved deeper into these women's stories, and they were all so well-written. The stories made sense for their characters and one can see the development of each woman from start to finish. I highly recommend this book as well as the first installment.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Everything is Not Enough picks up where In Every Mirrow She’s Black left off, and catches us up with the lives of Yasmiin, Muna, Brittany-Rae and Kemi, each dealing with their own issues while living in Sweden. This novel covers a multitude of issues women face each day, regardless of ethnicity:

*Trapped in relationships and society’s expections; wanting desperately to form their own identities
*Recapture what was lost
*Doing their best to survive
*Looking for love in all the wrong places
*Women standing in the shadow

If you loved In Every Mirror She’s Black, you’ll love Miss Akerstrom’s new novel Everything is Not Enough even more!

“Everything Is Not Enough” explores power dynamics and “having everything” as a Black woman in Sweden. It reminded me of Girl, Woman, Other, but with three perspectives — Brittany-Rae, Kemi, and Yasmiin — instead of twelve. I could’ve read an entire novel about Brittany-Rae’s or Kemi’s stories. Yasmiin’s plot line was a little confusing at times but was still engaging. I loved reading a novel about Black women’s experiences in Sweden. The titles by and about Black women I read are usually set in the U.S. or U.K., so reading about the power dynamics in Sweden was very interesting. At one point in the novel one character reflects “what have we done to our Black women?”, and this book drives that message home beautifully. It’s coming out next month on October 24th, and I highly recommend picking up a copy!

This book is not my genre. I will not be writing a review DNF


***I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley***+

This is the follow-up to the authors debut novel, In Every Mirror She's Black, focusing on the lives of three Black women as they fight their own personal struggles in one of the most egalitarian societies, Sweden. I truly loved the first book and when I finished it, I was left wanting to know more, about how each story would continue so was glad when I heard that this book was in the works, and it did not disappoint We return to the lives of Yasmiin, Kemi and Brittany who are each facing their own personal challenges.! An honest, thought-provoking exploration of three women’s stories and I’m grateful I was able to walk alongside them for this brief time .If you liked the author's first book, I'm sure this one won't disappoint you! #metgalley #everythingisnotenough

Everything Is Not Enough by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom was just a such an amazing novel. I needed this story in my life in this moment

Great follow up to the previous book the author has a unique writing style and makes you feel like your a fly on the wall watching these characters

I really enjoyed In Every Mirror She's Black and couldn't wait to read the sequel the moment Lola Akinmade Akerstrom spoke of the new book release for Everything Is Not Enough. While the sequel does contain a trigger warning (infidelity, rape, infant loss, and suicide), Lola deals with these difficult themes from a trauma-informed approach and centers respect for the reader and her characters the way she always does.

Those who've read the first book will read the second and understand more about the story of Muna and the impact of her loss on Yasmiin. We also get a deeper look into Jonny's story and the chaotic relationship with his mother, Astrid. Brittany makes some tough decisions for her and her baby and makes it her mission to expose Astrid for who she really is. This was my favorite aspect of the narrative. Lola Akinmade Akerstrom sure does know how to hook a reader and make us wait for the big reveal- and much was revealed in the end!

While I was deeply invested in Jonny and Brittany's story, we learn so much about who Yagiz really is. We learn about what happened with the disappearance of Jonny's ex, Maya Daniels. We also learn more about Kemi and why she makes certain mistakes with Ragnar who is going through his own changes. I really enjoy the way Lola is able to speak to interpersonal connections between characters even where a lack of honesty and integrity is present. She writes and develops her characters in such a way that holds them accountable and leaves the reader wanting more. All in all this sequel was extremely satisfying!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!