I was not a fan of the audio on this one but did enjoy the story itself. The growth of Deja was rewarding and inspiring. I was cheering for Deja throughout the whole novel.

The characters make this story for me. I enjoyed seeing how they intertwine to reach their goals. The decisions they make feel real.

This was a really good story and as a child of Jamaican parents it was relatable. My mother was always sending "barrels" to Jamaica for my grandmother, and.numerous cousins. However, I had no idea that receiving those barrels came with being labeled.

The main character, Deja is a "barrels girl" and her classmates think she's rich and don't have the same struggles. But then, her mom informs her that there will never no barrels or extra money for her siblings school fees.

Then, enter a cute boy who run with gangsters, a dead body, & a bag full of money, and the drama begins.

Desmond Hall brought a fresh, new storyline to add to the Caribbean diaspora. Be sure and add this to your tbr, especially during Read Caribbean month in June!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read. I got it through #HOV and I was so glad to read it early. I read Desmond’s first book and when I got the chance to read this I was right in. It was so good and reminded me a lot about the life in Jamaica. It was a special read and one I will remember !
Not sure why my review didn’t show before but I have come to fix that !

Better to Come is a decent YA novel with its fair share of highs and lows. The story follows Deja, a young woman burdened with responsibilities beyond her years. Her journey is filled with challenges, from navigating a difficult family situation to facing the dangers of the drug trade.

While the plot is intriguing, the pacing can be uneven. The first half of the book feels a bit slow, but it picks up significantly in the second half. The characters are well-developed, and I found myself rooting for Deja and Gabriel. However, some of the plot twists feel a bit predictable, and the ending felt a bit rushed.

Better to Come is a solid read for young adult readers who enjoy thrillers and coming-of-age stories. It's a quick and engaging read, with plenty of suspense and drama to keep you hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the arc of this novel.

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

Decent YA. I can see it being intriguing for a teen. Not much of a thrill in the "thriller" sense but definitely a little suspenseful. The novel teaches about Jamaican culture and "barrel children" . However, it was a bit slow paced for me.

Deja and Gabriel’s story ends up being a thriller with Jamaican life as the backdrop. I do not know of another book like this for young adults, and I love that it is written now for the readers who need to see themselves and for others to hear this story. Readers are going to enjoy this intense read!

Hall vividly depicts life in Jamaica and what it is like for the main character who has to take care of her siblings because her mother is working in the US. This sets the stage for understanding of how and why she makes the decisions she makes moving forward in the book, as well as motivations for other characters decisions as well. From an outside perspective the book allowed me to see a different side of Jamaica - separate from the “vacation” side we often see portrayed on ads on tv. The real lives of those struggling to make ends meet who live on the island day to day and how far they must go to do that. This book was eye opening and a great read. The use of local dialects helped to set the stage with characters but also made it a little more challenging to read and understand at times if you didn’t understand what they meant. That is why I opted for a 4 instead of 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

I would highly recommend this book to my book buddies! I really enjoy this book! I would definitely read from the author gaian.

3.5⭐️ - what an intro to Jamaica. This was an intense topic, but a little uneven in terms of pacing. Some of the happenings were a little too "convenient", but overall I really enjoyed the story and look into a very different world.

An intense YA thriller where the characters are really put through it all. This is a good read, albeit tough at times, and I definitely will be recommending to others. Thank you netgalley for the arc.

This book was absolutely thought provoking and I loved every minute of reading this book. It is a must read!!

✨Book Review @hearourvoicestours✨

Better Must Come by Desmond Hall @desmondhallauthor
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🎵Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0FtyGU0uzrytQRjMkfDEm0?si=W4ZDXUI1TJWWduOhLBT-AQ&pi=u-J0FFCthPTaq1
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✨Rating & Review✨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fair warning for those who pick up this book, find you a Jamaican grandmotha to help you understand the patois. Or, be engaged to someone with one 😏. Okay, but for real, this I’m apparently in my thriller era because there was no reason for this book to be so good, I stayed up until 3 am to finish it. I mean!! The pacing is perfect, the character growth is there and the love for friends and family?! What more could you ask for. And to make it even better, set in the beautiful country of Jamaica where the people are proud of their home and just want to live. I’m so thankful I was able to read this book and provide a playlist for y’all. Speaking of… I had to stay on theme with my playlist, all Jamaican born artists to go with this book set in Jamaica. Take a listen and read along to the stories of Deja and Gabriel.
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#Books #BookRecommendation #BlackGirlsReadBooksToo #BlackGirlsRead #Bookstagram #BlackBookstagram #BooksAreAGirlsBestFriend #QueerReadersOfInatagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishGirls #BookReviews #BetterMustCome #HOV #HOVBookTour #HearOurVoices

I like the setting in Jamaica so i gave this a 3.5 star. The main MC Deja was likeable but otherwise this story was just interesting but nothing spectacular. Sometimes it was a little hard to understand because of the language but you can kinda figure it out using context clues. I did feel the pastor was a very interesting character and i loved his involvement in the end but the ending dragged so much.

This was a fast paced contemporary YA with thrilling elements that had me on the edge of my seat at some points. We meet Deja, a 17yr girl, who has had to take on a lot more responsibility than she should have too at her young age. Unfortunately, she meets Gabriel, who she's possibly interested in, but circumstances won't let things be that easy for them. Throughout this novel, we see Deja and Gabriel navigate obstacles and essentially fight for their freedom.

I enjoyed the commentary of Deja being a barrel girl and the societal expectations and biases she had to face. I liked that was able to speak about being away from her mother and the void that material things would never fill for her and her siblings. I also enjoyed hearing Gabriel's perspective on being in a posse and the unease and daily uncertainty that comes with that life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the e-arc of this novel.

For this book to be YA it was definitely a wild story. Nobody expects a teen to go through or deal with situations both Deja and Gabriel encountered in this book. But these are the harsh realities for many growing up in Jamaica. The struggle to survive, a desire to provide, but being forced to take on adult responsibilities was something Deja honestly wasn’t prepared for.

Taking the drug money might have been a mistake that could’ve cost her and her family their lives. But when you’re in a tough spot and have others depending on you like her siblings then you do what you got to do to make it. Gabriel had no one so being apart of a posse was a way to take care of himself. He wanted a way out of that life but it seemed the only way out would’ve been in a box. When he and Deja met there was an instant connection and maybe being around her gave him hope. But when the drug money got involved they were left on two different sides of the fence. This is where I felt the author did well tying all the characters' together with the missing drug money.

Overall, I thought the book was okay the author sets this intense tone from the very beginning. I just felt the pacing was a tad bit slow for a thriller but it’s engaging enough to keep you going until the end. I also loved how the story unfolded the dark-side of life in Jamaica shedding light on many topics surrounding the consequences of right and wrong, drug abuse, gang violence, dirty cops, the struggle to survive, Jamaican culture, and living conditions.

For this book to be YA it was definitely a wild story. Nobody expects a teen to go through or deal with situations both Deja and Gabriel encountered in this book. But these are the harsh realities for many growing up in Jamaica. The struggle to survive, a desire to provide, but being forced to take on adult responsibilities was something Deja honestly wasn't prepared for.
Taking the drug money might have been a mistake that could've cost her and her family their lives. But when you're in a tough spot and have others depending on you like her siblings then you do what you got to do to make it. Gabriel had no one so being apart of a posse was a way to take care of himself.
Overall, it was an intense but great read and being from the Caribbean, I was truly wrapped up into the storyline .

I had to sit with this one for a little bit. There were a lot of aspects of this story I enjoyed. I didn’t really get a thriller vibe from this, but that was fine. What I loved, though, was that Jamaica felt like it was also a character; you got to see Jamaica through the eyes of a native.

Deja was a phenomenal character. She was intelligent and brave. I loved the bond she has with her family and friends. Deja and Gabriel dealt with some very adult issues, but such is life. Given the situations these teens are dealing with, it’s a pretty intense book, which, at times, had me sitting the book down for a short spell. Another aspect I enjoyed was that there was nothing romantic between Deja and Gabriel; they just had a strong connection.

The pacing wasn’t always great. There were moments when the pacing was slow, but the ending felt rushed. I would have loved to learn a little more about Deja’s mom. That was a topic that I would have loved to explore, but it wasn’t really touched on.

Overall, this was enjoyable and intense. It covered several important topics that Hall covered exceptionally well.

Deja is doing her best to care for her younger brother and sister in Jamaica while their mother earns money in America. Deja is what’s known as a “barrel girl”: she receives regular barrels full of American goods unavailable on the island from her mother. But when her mother is mugged and unable to send supplies, Deja’s not sure what she’s going to do.

Gabriel lives with his aunt, a heroin addict, while running with one of Jamaica’s posses that act as a middleman for drug shipments between South America and the United States, but he wants out. He’s not sure, however, that the head of the posse will let him go, and he’s heard rumors that he’s about to be set up as a sacrifice to appease local law enforcement.

When Deja, out fishing, comes across an abandoned boat with a dying DEA agent onboard, he begs her to deliver a briefcase filled with half a million American dollars to another agent, and desperate for the reward he promises her, she agrees, throwing herself into a deadly race between the DEA and Gabriel’s posse to recover both the cash and the drugs that were onboard the boat.

The island setting is perfect for summer, and the novel is a high-paced action thriller that alternates between Deja’s and Gabriel’s perspectives. It’s not until the novel ends that we feel confident in who we can trust, and we’re rooting for the brave and independent Deja the entire way.

The novel does include profanity, something to be aware of when making recommendations to students.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Review will be posted at https://threeheads.works/category/blog/ya-books/ on July 15, 2024.

This is great read. The characters were engaging and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book for a book club or a friend.