i was completely taken into the world of this book. and the world it took me to. the era im sure has the gotcha moment for many of us. and somehow now more than ever in our world as it is current, is this time period more yearned after. the nostalgia of that time on all fronts hits different in our currently spiralling society. and at the time it didn't feel easy! so that is saying something.
this books packs a punch. its got guts and so have the characters. and i loved every moment of it.
Nikki is one of those characters you might ordinarily think stop, or oh shes going again,possibly in the same way that got trouble before. but you quickly see that without woman like Nikki we would actually be worse off. this is a woman determined. and she doesn't back down without a fight. its woman like Nikki im sure we would all like on our side sometimes. shes human though. and we all make mistakes or frustrate sometimes haha.
i dont envy the world she lives in though. eeek .New York in the time of 1990's feels like its full of power. Magazine hold weight in that time. they are people media. they are people Instagram, gossip forums, celeb updates. and dont forget the fashion.
Nikki is an ambitious editor. and of course she has bee told some heinous things in her career that could easily flaw many of us, and rightly so if they did(grrrrr).
but what Nikki does it takes thing into her own hands. a brave step indeed especially in her industry. she now takes on a struggling publication. will they both collapse now, or will Nikki fight on once again to get to where she deserves to be?
she has setbacks.and as i mentioned before she can make mistakes. and this isn't a unrealistic no problems along the way journey to success. she has her setbacks which feel all to real. and so often i was just so mad for her. because once again this woman is facing setbacks that SHE DOESN'T BRING about or doesn't stand a chance of removing herself from. they are the judgements and gross thoughts and power dynamics of others and the system. they work against her and she doesnt have a choice in that, this isnt the result of something she does. sadly just something she is to people. (grrr again)
and i admit i came to feel protective of her and just wanting her to be ok more than anything. ive known, ive seen the best and strongest or just determined people eventually break. or lose part of themselves along the way. and sometimes you see these people at the top and wonder how they got there, for some is this just how it happened and created someone lesser than themselves or cut off. i didn't want that for Nikki by now. especially how the culture was forever protecting those it should NOT. the ripple effect of that can be hard to read never mind go through. but go through these woman did.
there is those shining moments of some of the people she has around her though.and once again you see that can make all the difference. it can be the difference. you can face all the s*** from others. but who do you have by your side, who is by your back, who has your back. those supporters and gorgeous people are what make the difference. Nikki has them. and i loved those scenes.
i think i liked also how Nikki wasn't just some story book perfection character who faced hurdles, faced wrong doings and we all rooted for her. no she was flawed, and she made many a mistakes. but you root for her still, and sometimes more so.
a great read.
whats ruling our current world has never felt more difficult for many. this book gave me alot of fight back, even if just for the read. but it also reminded me of what others face so much. so much wrong. and that was both hard and brilliant to read about by an author such as Amy who did a fabulous job of it for me.

I enjoyed all things about this book!
the New York City 90s setting, the relationships within and the music!
this book is perfect for fans of the devil wears Prada!

"Black girls don't sell magazines...."

The words of the Miranda Priestly-alike editor of StyleList magazine, Lucinda, will both haunt and inspire our ambitious heroine, Nicole Rose. Nikki dreams of editing her own magazine - one that's for and about young urban Black women like her - but she's made powerful enemies. Chiefly, the teeth-grittingly awful Alonzo Griffin, who's made it his mission to destroy her.

Life as one of the few Black staff at StyleList magazine in the '90s isn't easy, but when Nikki's dream opportunity comes up, as editor-in-chief of Sugar, that's no walk in the park either. Most of the staff hate her, the ousted ex-editor is fuming, her new boss - the redoubtable Barbara Porter - seems to be waiting for her to fail, giving her six months or bust. And meanwhile, the malign influence of Alonzo is forever in the background, seeking to discredit her in particularly unpleasant ways.

Navigating city life, career and love (mostly very badly, in the case of the latter), with the support of her tight-knit friend group Teresa, Denyse and Sofie, Nikki's story is hugely engaging and ultimately satisfying. Is it possible to become a success without compromising her integrity?

If I Ruled the World is a highly entertaining read but it doesn't shy away from difficult issues. Racism is never far away, but also the misogyny and rape culture which is exemplified by certain rappers (though they're far from the only culprits) is tackled head-on both by the narrative and - eventually - Nikki herself. Her interview with a rap artist accused of rape is an alarming read and experience, but I loved how she handled it and didn't back down.

Nikki was a hugely likeable character and I was rooting for her all the way, despite some seriously questionable decision-making - mainly involving men. It takes her girls to point out the patterns this smart woman has been completely oblivious about.

Some of the slang and abbreviations were lost on me, which I guess isn't surprising given that I'm a white middle-aged British woman reading about young, Black New Yorkers.

Amy DuBois Barnett, as a former editor-in-chief of magazines for young women, clearly knows what she's talking about, and has produced an entertaining, compelling and ultimately satisfying read which I thoroughly enjoyed.