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A review by literaryintersections
Find Me At The Disco by Diahanna Aurora Hampton
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's tough to rate this book. I will start by saying that this is a debut and I will 100% read more from Diahanna. I think her ideas, her history, her ideas are all there but the execution in this book... I needed more.
There are some great books about young people passing, not realizing or fully conscious, and I always find them intriguing. Find Me at the Disco was even more so because Liza didn't know that she was passing, that her mother was Black. And that really sends her down a spiral. I do think that there could have been more people to challenge her and her understanding of Blackness, especially with how she used her privilege and her money in ways that others couldn't. She was also SO YOUNG which I think made her whole storyline so sad - there is no positive resolution so the reader is just left with this utter sadness with no hope.
Liza's dad absolutely sucked and he can rot. I did enjoy the multi-narration and hearing from different characters throughout. But some of the characters were very one-dimensional (like the step-mother) and I would've liked more.
This is ultimately a story about a young girl who is being used: by her dad, her friends, her significant others and lovers. And I wish that there was more shining lights, more joy wrapped up in there.
There are some great books about young people passing, not realizing or fully conscious, and I always find them intriguing. Find Me at the Disco was even more so because Liza didn't know that she was passing, that her mother was Black. And that really sends her down a spiral. I do think that there could have been more people to challenge her and her understanding of Blackness, especially with how she used her privilege and her money in ways that others couldn't. She was also SO YOUNG which I think made her whole storyline so sad - there is no positive resolution so the reader is just left with this utter sadness with no hope.
Liza's dad absolutely sucked and he can rot. I did enjoy the multi-narration and hearing from different characters throughout. But some of the characters were very one-dimensional (like the step-mother) and I would've liked more.
This is ultimately a story about a young girl who is being used: by her dad, her friends, her significant others and lovers. And I wish that there was more shining lights, more joy wrapped up in there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Abortion