SLAY

Author(s): Brittney Morris

Stand-alone or Series: stand-alone

Rating: 4/5 stars

All I ever wanted to do was escape into this magical world where for once I don’t have to act a certain way because I’m Black, and where I don’t have to answer certain questions because I’m the Black authority in the room, and where if I do something that’s not stereotypically Black, I’m different.

Let me start by saying how gorgeous this cover is! I love the way the model is staring right at the viewer with a serious expression with those big glasses that just tell you she’s some badass coder or smart. The way the title is written, and the glitches that tie it all to this being a book about video games? Amazing. Also the pink. I know pink is seen as “girly” and at one point I, too, succumbed to this thinking, but pink can be badass, as evident in this cover. The title itself, Slay, is simple but so important to the story.

This story follows Kiera Johnson, a normal girl in front of everyone, a game developer in secret. She created the game Slay, where hundreds of thousands of Black people find a safe space away from trolls to play in a world inspired by their culture. But when a player is killed over a dispute with the game, a troll infiltrates the game threatening to sue, and the whole game is put in jeopardy.

I had a hard time getting into it at the beginning, especially all the action scenes with the duels. But once I got the hang of the game and the story got going, I couldn’t put it down! It’s pretty fast-paced and included everything from heartfelt conversations, inner monologue, snippets of players’ lives, and confrontations between characters. I couldn’t stop reading!

Kiera is a wonderful character and I had a lot of fun following her journey in this book. I love that she finally has a good support system and that the people around her support her and are there for her one hundred percent. She’s amazing, and what she created with Slay is remarkable. She persevered through every hurdle and emerged with a much better life and opportunities. And I’m glad she’s not around a certain someone anymore (who I won’t mention because of spoilers).

Malcolm. What do I say about this piece of trash? I disliked him as soon as he was introduced. Him not “understanding feminism” is a red flag and reminded of many men I’ve unfortunately encountered in life and the Internet. I understand wanting to decolonize your mind, to build up your community, and rise above and break the stereotypes. But what’s not okay is being a manipulative piece of shit. That tweet he posted, God I don’t even want to think of what he would have done.

All the other characters were amazing and it was so nice to see a bit into their lives and see how not everyone lives the same life just because they’re Black. We see a CEO, a lawyer, a university professor with his nephews, a teen, a university student, all in different places around the world with different problems and joys who are connected together by the game, Slay.

All in all, this was an excellent read that really emphasized the point that Black comes in all different ways, and there’s no one way to be Black. It shows a Black girl developing her own game, and growing into herself to understand who she is and what she wants. This book is so good and I recommend it to all!

Thank you for reading and see you next time ❤