Black Girls Must Die Exhausted - Jayne Allen

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: A Novel for Grown Ups by Jayne Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've always been told that you should never judge a book by its cover, but it was the beautiful cover that caught my interest with this one. Fortunately, what was inside certainly lived up to that cover.
The idea that both women and black people have to work much harder to get the recognition that they deserve is certainly not a new one. Of course being a black woman means therefore that you have to work even harder again, which is why the title of this book proclaims that Black Girls Must Die Exhausted. For the lead character in this book, Tabatha Walker, that is certainly true. She has to constantly fight to get ahead, without wanting to be seen as too pushy or too aggressive. Everything is a struggle and even her body is turning against her in her attempts to succeed in her career, her personal life and the dream of one day being a wife and mother.
This book is not just about race, although it is an important theme in the book, it is also about relationships. Tabby has a number of strong women in her life, from her best friends Leila and Lexi to her grandmother, who is also called Tabatha. Added to this is her complex relationship with her father, less than ideal relationship with her boyfriend Marc and a long distance relationship with her mother. It is all of these relationships that add to the rich and complex mix that make this story.
This isn't a fairy tale with clearly defined goodies and baddies. Although there are people that are not so good at points, there are also explanations and reasons given for the way that they act. Not that you can excuse everything, but somehow giving reasons makes people seem more real and human.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The added bonus is that it was actually the first in a trilogy (which I didn't realise until the very end) and I'm really keen to read the next instalment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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