Author: Various
Edited by: Ibi Zoboi
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Details: 416pp, hardback, $17.99
ISBN: 978-0062698728
Black Enough is a collection of short stories offering a range of insights into the lives of young black people growing up in modern America. I am not black. Or American. Nor are the four students who reviewed this collection.
Yet, one of the things that I enjoyed most about the book is how the stories address many issues that affect us all (falling in love, navigating friendships and working out who we are and what we stand for), while at the same time providing an exploration of what it means to be a young black person in America. These stories transcend race and yet rightly force us to recognise the huge significance of it upon the lives of so many.
Great stories ask us to consider issues and events from the perspective of others. It’s why teachers are so passionate about instilling a love of reading in our students. At a time when the words of the inspirational Jo Cox still hold so much significance, this is a book that all teachers should encourage their students to read. It provides an awareness of the lives of others and allows us to see aspects of our own reflected back. After all, “we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us”.
At the time of review, David Gower was an assistant headteacher at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He tweets @david_gower83
Pupil reviews: ‘Start reading it, and you’ll find it hard to stop’
Black Enough is a collection of stories from black teenagers around America: each story gives you a taste of a different experience. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as each story has a different meaning and shows the different struggles of being young and black.
Throughout Black Enough, you form connections with the characters in each story and see their inner thoughts and feelings. Overall, this book showcases the diversity of young and black teenagers in America and once you start reading it, you’ll find it hard to stop.
Elaine Abu, aged 14
I didn’t actually like the book, but that may be partly down to the fact that I don’t really like short stories. I thought the idea and general meaning behind the book was important and positive but, for me, some of the stories were quite boring and it didn’t feel like they needed telling.
I did, however, like the stories Oreo and Black Enough. Both of them covered quite interesting topics and it was strange to see the effects of society on the protagonist and how they view themselves and their worth. The idea that being black means that you have to do certain things - for example, the stereotype that all black people can rap - made me feel that these expectations are ridiculous.
Reading this book, I realised how they really are part of people’s day-to-day lives. I am neither black nor American, so as a reader these stories were hard to relate to in the first place, but I felt like the stories needed to be longer and more developed so that the messages really get across and the reader is able to relate and feel sympathy for the characters more.
Emily Golding, aged 14
The concept of “how black” someone is, is an idea that had never occurred to me, but after reading this book I have a much deeper understanding. For example, in Varian Johnson’s story, the protagonist believes the girl he likes isn’t interested in him because he’s not “black enough”. He then finds out it’s because of a different issue altogether and that he had misread the situation.
Whilst the main theme of this book is ethnicity, it also covers many other things that young people might experience. The pressure put on young people to do well is discussed in Leah Henderson’s Warning: Colour May Fade, and Stop Playing by Liara Tamani is about first relationships and trust.
I really liked this book. It’s definitely not something I would usually pick up to read, but once I had started it was difficult not to enjoy it. Sections of this book are light-hearted and funny, but it also covers some really serious issues, and I think it’s important that people everywhere understand the difficulties you could face just because of your race, and how to overcome it.
Freya Stevenson, aged 14
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