𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 by Renée Watson is a fantastic coming of age novel that draws you into the world of Nala Robertson and her family and their lives in Harlem.

Renée Watson brings Harlem to life in such a wonderful and vivid manner that as someone who hasn't been to the US at all, I feel like I could be walking with Nala and the other characters in 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 as they go about their day to day life.

Seventeen year old Nala has lived with her Aunt and Uncle since she was 13 and a row with her Mum ended up with her turning up in the pouring rain needing sanctuary. Four years on, Harlem is in a heatwave, Nala's cousin-sister-friend, Imani has grown distant and is dedicating her time to 'Inspire Harlem' and her boyfriend and Nala is feeling left behind.

She's set herself a list that she wants to achieve and one is to experience love as Nala hasn't ever had a true boyfriend. A chance meeting with Tye Brown, activist and member of Inspire Harlem has Nala feeling the first flush of romance and lust...

But with first love comes mistakes and the slippery slope of trying to show Tye that she's more like him that Nala truly is.

I absolutely loved 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, and couldn't put it down - Renée Watson's World building is fantastic and the reader will truly be immersed in Nala's life in Harlem. Every character brings something to the story and adds an element to who Nala is and the decisions she takes. It's a tale of love, both of finding it and learning to love yourself for who you are.

Thank you to Netgalley and BloomsburyYA for my advanced copy - I hope there will be more from Harlem and Nala's family.

Absolutely loved this book. I was expecting more of a ‘Let’s put on a show’ type of plot, but got so much more than that. A really life affirming, morale boosting book, perfect for teenagers who have grown up with social media and the effects it can have on their self esteem.

Honestly, I'm struggling to categorise this book in my head. I was so hyped to read this and my expectations were so high (that might be my main downfall ha) but it fell a little flat. I think this is a book that some are going to love, some are going to dislike and some of us just aren't quite sure. It was written well for the YA audience but it did feel a little messy at times (but maybe that's accurate of self-discovery/love). I loved the community aspects and the self-discovery, both of which were well conveyed. I'm balancing between a 3 and a 4 star rating, and for the reason that I think most people would be a lover of this book, I'm going to land on a 4 star.

This is a fantastic YA read that i think a lot of younger readers will really enjoy.
Renee Watson has a lovely, positive style of writing and this book had me beaming at the page at times.

Would recommend!

I finished reading Love Is A Revolution at lunch today and it left me in such an uplifted mood. It is so refreshing to have a plus size main character and the story not revolving around the size of her body. I am 100% here for it! Nala is learning to love herself but not because she doesn’t think she is beautiful. She knows she is beautiful but is learning to love herself inside too!

I really enjoy Renée Watson’s books, and particularly like how her love of Harlem and its culture shine through her writing. Watson’s heroines always feel very real; they are genuine and flawed and they grow as the narrative develops. Nala is no different; friendships, family relationships and a blossoming romance are all gradually in jeopardy by her actions, and she has until the end of her summer break to figure it all out. Body positivity, family, community spirit, and the importance of cultural heritage are recurring themes in Watson’s books and as a school librarian, I always welcome her books as perfect ‘windows’ and ‘mirrors’ own voices narratives (NB: my perspective comes from a white privilege standpoint) They are books about the Black American teenager experience that are not “issue” books, and while they do not shy away from the challenges young teens living in Harlem face, they are always about celebrating their lives and culture. It’s a lovely uplifting read which I will most definitely recommend at school.

I received this as an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good:
- gorgeous, real, palpable characters that I related too
- pretty and fun scenery which felt engaging
- funky and unique storyline + meetcute = the best kind of book

Bad
- sometimes felt unrealistic or falsely perfect

This was a tale of love relevant to the modern age, which readers of every kind can see themselves in. I pined with my girl and felt all the emotions all the way, and you will too.

Fun, real and emotional.

I loved the narration, however some elements were triggering to me and may upset others. Read with caution.

Overall: 9/

Before I get into my personal review of this book I would urge you to find own voices reviewers of this book as they may have insights into areas I may have overlooked from my position of privilege.
This was a very strong YA contemporary in my opinion. It suits the target audience and dives into many issues that young people face today, it was truly a coming of age story as well as a romance which is something I appreciated. Its honest and real and relatable all of which adds to its merit.
I have seen a few people mention that the writing style is simplistic, and it is, however I don't see this as a bad thing considering the genre. If anything it makes the story more accessible to a wider audience.
I also really liked some of the conversations about self love, gatekeeping in various communities such as the environmentalism community and those on individualism. I also really appreciated the grandmothers perspectives, she was wise whilst being approvable and the scenes in the retirement home were really heartwarming. I also feel as if a lot of the issues such as the lies where resolved in a way that was realistic but still with moralistic value.
I do think this book suffered from a fair bit of girl on girl hate and almost "I'm not like other girls" vibes and whilst I do think the author made moves to change this and show development I would have liked to see that talked about in greater depth.
In short my main critique of this book is the fact that it could have done with a little more fleshing out in these key areas, I would have liked some longer conversations between characters moving through their preconsevied ideas and judgements as I feel as that could have been a valuable lesson.
Overall it was a quick fun read and a great addition to peoples TBRs in my opinion.

This was such a fun, YA contemporary about self discovery, self acceptance, and also wanting to chill and watch films all summer

Nala is off school for the summer and all she wants to do is hang out with her friends, sleep late, and work through the list of movies she wants to watch with her cousin, Imani. Everyone around her, including Imani, is more focussed on fighting injustices, environmental issues, and raising funds for their community. When Nala meets dreamy Tye at one of Imani's meetings she's caught between pretending to be someone she's not to entice Tye and being herself

I really enjoyed this book, and I felt Nala's was a unique experience that I haven't read from before. She obviously cares about the social issues that her friends are speaking out about, but she also thinks that should just be one element of their lives, rather than taking all their time and energy. She wants them to have a fun afternoon skating without seeing it as an opportunity to distribute flyers

I also loved the message of self acceptance, and embracing natural Black beauty and hair, in this book. Nala goes on a real journey. She begins the book as a confident Black girl, but she ends it having truly begun to accept and know herself. At first, she alters her appearance for the wrong reasons, comparing herself to others and what she thinks she should be, rather than for herself and her happiness

It did bother me that Nala is quite immature and acts quite young (she's about to become a senior, I'm not sure what age that is), and that she feels the need to lie about pretty fundamental things to get a boy to like her. I get that this contributes to her journey of growth, but I'm always frustrated by miscommunication and outright lies in books

This book reminded me a lot of With the Fire on High and I think if you liked that one you'd really enjoy this one too

The premise of this book sounded sweet and uplifting, a story about body positivity, family and taking action. It’s very YA, and whilst it was an easy read I was a disappointed that Nalas Main plot was lying to a boy about who she was in order to get him to like you. Whilst it showed growth and forgiveness and learning lessons, it was just not my cup of tea. I also felt like, when I read it, it was all about body positivity but this was mentioned a handful of times and it almost felt it was just slotted in to make it seem she was ‘quirky and different’ because of her size and didn’t bring any real light onto it? It was overall a simple and lesson giving read but I wouldn’t rush to read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nala Robertson finds her world flipped on its axis after she reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin’s birthday. Tye is an activist, spending his summer completing good deeds and running events for the community. Nala is the opposite, preferring to have movie marathons. To impress Tye, she finds herself caught in a web of lies to find common ground. As they spend more time with each other, those lies become harder to keep and Nala learns just how hard love truly is.

Nala as a character is generally pleasant to read. There are moments where she feels whiny or repetitive but the overall events of the book - and the growth she experiences - outweighs this. I love her connection with her grandmother and the palpable love she feels for her, and the joy she experiences with the other residents of her grandmother’s retirement home. Too many teen characters nowadays are written without care for the older generation and I’m glad this wasn’t the case with Nala.
Tye is a sweetheart but at times frustrating. He is written in a way that makes you want to fall in love with him - assisting in the community, caring for others - but then also slap him, like when he pushes his views or opinions on others. He does possess many endearing qualities which make him likeable but I can’t say with surety that he’ll be remembered a week from now like other characters might be which is a shame because he isn’t part of the bad boy trope - instead a more realistic and kind teenage boy.

I really loved how Watson approached the topic of weight. It was mentioned a few times but always shown in a positive light. That is something that’s all too rare these days. Just because someone is bigger, it doesn’t mean they are unhealthy or undesirable. I liked that this book challenged those stereotypes. I hate how the world today encourages girls to be skinny because that’s beautiful. But fat is beautiful too. Curves and dips and bumps are so beautiful. I have a hard time accepting my body most days but this book may just help me start seeing things in a different perspective.

Overall, Love Is a Revolution is a celebration of acceptance - and a reminder that being yourself is all you need to be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for a copy of this book.

A thoughtful exploration of one young person's experience of first love and a summer where her friends are busy being politically active. The main character's voice is fresh and interesting and the ending was perhaps a little unexpected but totally in keeping with the message of the book.

Love Is A Revolution by Renée Watson is a YA book coming out in Feb 2021 and I couldn’t recommend it any more! It’s a romance book in every sense of the word. Love for a boy (of course) but also love for yourself. It is about loving yourself first because that is the most radical kind of love you can encounter in your life. ⠀
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Nala meets Tye at a community organization event that champions change in the neighborhood. The problem is, Nala is not interested AT ALL in this sort of stuff. Her cousin however, is obsessed with it, to the point where she neglects her family (which is she is at the event in the first place). Nala lies to Tye in order to impress him, and thus she becomes the vegetarian who wants to revolutionize (on a small scale) the community. Can she keep up her lies? Will Tye still like her if he knows who the real Nala is? And can she learn to love herself, inside and out, in order to give more of herself to him?⠀
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I loved this book so much I flew through it in a day! Whilst it didn’t particularly revolutionize my way of thinking, I do appreciate that I’m older and therefore not the target audience (I am also not black or plus size so there’s that too). However a teen would greatly benefit from this book, as it is wonderfully written in a way that is never preachy. The lesson Watson wants to teach us never dominates the plot, instead it is a natural part of the plot and flows nicely with it. ⠀
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I am also so so so happy to see a plus size girl not only loving her body, but also being loved and desired by others! Like yes miss mama, get it girl! Nala OWNS her shit and I just rate that so much, which is why this book is so important for plus size teens to read!⠀

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

🌼🌼🌼/5

“The most radical thing you can do is love yourself and each other”

Nala lives with her Aunt, Uncle and cousin-sister Imani. She reluctantly agrees to go to an open mic night as its Imani’s birthday and she doesn’t want to upset her. The open mic night is for Inspire Harlan which is an activist organisation that aims to empower young people and to improve the neighbourhood.

Nala has never understood her cousins passion for this group and so when her best friend also signs up she starts to feel very alone. That is until she meats Tye at the open mic and they start to get to know each other. Nala is very self conscious and feels she isn’t “good enough” for Tye and starts telling little lies to impress him, like that she is also vegetarian and she also completes volunteer work. Her lies soon start to catch up with her and Nala realises she needs to spend some time working on herself. She starts producing lists of things she wants to work on and is grateful for. I thought this was a really great aspect to the book and brilliant for young readers as it shows the importance of self care.

Love is a Revolution is a beautiful coming of age story based around Nala, who is just trying to figure out who she is whilst continuously comparing herself to her cousin-sister-friend Imani who is a teen activist.
Nala is trying to find her path in the world, and I can see this being relatable to a lot of teens who are going through the same transition period of uncertainty. The message being "Self-love is radical love" - and challenging you to be who you want to be now rather than worrying about what others think; an important message I think everyone could do with hearing more often.
This was a quick read and I really enjoyed the focus on family first, and that it is okay to distance yourself from family if you can't make it work. It was nice to see a different type of family structure represented.
That being said, my initial thoughts when starting this were that it was going to be filled with lots of positivity surrounding being plus-sized due to the images on the cover, and loving yourself for who you are, however I was a little disappointed when Nala fell into the common trope of lying to a boy about who you are to get him to like you.
Overall I rate this book 4 stars.

I really wanted to like this book because the cover and the description pulled me in straight away, but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.

The book follows Nala who falls too deep with her lies when trying to impress activist Tye and the road to becoming to love and accept yourself the way you are.

What I did like about the book was probably most of the characters expect the actual protagonist as they added depth and character to the story. It’s important to remind people to be eco-friendly too, a very big topic that’s been spoke about in society these last couple of years. The main thing about the book is that it’s also inclusive with the main characters being POC and also plus-size representation, something extremely lacking in fiction books. So was very nice to see this.

However, this book was honestly hard to enjoy due to hating it when characters lie about pretty much everything about themselves when trying to start a relationship (and then the relationship still happens to end okay at the end?). The amount of things that Nala lied about just didn’t sit right with me and just set the wrong mood for me straight away because you should never have too change yourself for a boy.

I think this book could have been so much better if it didn’t follow this idea but it was okay.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

“The most radical thing you can do is love yourself and each other.”

Nala lives with her Aunty Ebony, her uncle and her cousin-sister-friend Imani. When she reluctantly goes to an open mic night for Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling instantly in love with Tye Brown, the MC. Tye is perfect, he is an activist, a vegetarian, and seems to check all boxes. However, in order to impress him Nala tells a few tiny lies so she has things in common with him and as they spend more time together those lies get harder to keep up. She also feels strains on her relationship with her cousin, who is part of the Inspire Harlem activist organisation to improve the social, environmental and political conditions of their neighbourhood.

I’m writing this review a few days after finishing and I’m still wondering what my overall thoughts are about this book. It was a cute and easy read, relatable characters, but I will say that I was a bit disappointed by it. The message of this book is clear – to be your most authentic self. This YA book isn’t just about romance, but also about the challenges growing up, self-awareness, and has strong messages throughout that come from her family, friends and from her inner thought process.

There are many things I loved. First of all the cover is fab! The characterisation is great, she brings alive very real characters who clash and compliment each other perfectly. What is refreshing is that the popular clique has strong convictions and substance and are activists BUT I thought that the group was also inherently flawed to a point where it wasn’t as refreshing as I thought (I’ll get onto that in a min). At was at times amusing, especially in her lie about being vegetarian, and her descriptions of the food Tye chooses for her on dates. When her lies eventually catch up to her she decides to focus on herself and I enjoyed her reflective lists of things to improve on.

Now for the reasons it’s not above 3*. There was the inclusion of the ‘not like the other girls’ saying (which is the worst)… and the girls belonging to Inspire harlem were preaching about feminism, etc but when it came to ‘girls supporting girls’, they weren’t exactly welcoming to Nala (and were also incredibly judgemental when she didn’t fit their idea of a perfect activist) and most friendships (not with Imani or Tye) I saw as being shallow. There was a lot more I would have liked to see; such as more about her relationship with her mum, and I really didn’t like the lie to get a boy to like you message either.

If you’re looking for a YA that’s an easy read that preaches to be your authentic self, then this is a fab book for you. I did really enjoy it, there were just things that mark it down in my rating system. In the end Nala does come clean and realises she doesn’t need to try and fit in with what she thinks others want to see, but for me it wasn’t enough to counteract the things I didn’t like about the book.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book. #LoveisaRevolution #NetGalley

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for accepting my request for an EARC of this wonderful book.

I absolutely loved the writing style, it was so easy to fly through this book in a couple of sittings which is exactly what I did. Love is a Revolution is definitely one of those books that you want to read one more chapter of before you put down.

There is such a wonderfully important message within this book. You should always love yourself and be happy with who you are, you should not change who you are for anybody. I think this is such a key element for the target audience and really key message to be getting across. More books should be doing this!

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the main character and her cousin did start to annoy me a little bit in the middle, but they definitely redeemed themselves close to the end. I liked how everything was rounding off. I felt like it was very satisfying.

I am already looking for more books to read from this author and I cant wait to dive into another one. Definitely recommend that you pick this one up!

I wasn’t expecting a lot of this book, but I enjoyed it. I liked the main character and how she figures herself out. This was also the thing that made me dislike the book and give it only a 3 stars. We even had the cringe,” I have to love myself before I love you”. Whilst this is an important message for young people and adults alike, it tainted the story for me and made it seem like I was being preached at. However, I really enjoyed the romance and the teaching that you shouldn’t change yourself for someone else. I wish I would have liked this book more but it just wasn’t for me.

This is a self love story. Nala is a 16 year old plus size African American. And no, she is not insecure about her body type, she is unapologetically fat and happy. BUT when she meets cute activist boy Tye she starts lying to him and herself about who she really is in order to impress him. This story is so current and relevant, the characters are so relatable because they are not perfect and Watson doesn't try to make them be.
If you're looking to pick up a contemporary romance with a huge feel good factor, let this be the one!