cornerofmadness

Blood Justice by Terry J. Benton-Walker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I received an arc from the publisher and at the time I still thought this was a duology (which it was pitched when I read book one) so I was surprised to find out that it wasn't and disappointed that it ends on a cliffhanger. I loved book one and I was very excited for this. I ended up sad that I nearly DNFed this after the first few chapters and that's why this review is so late. It almost didn't happen because it touches on things that are triggering. (

Cris became so filled with rage and murderous that I didn't want to read about her. Having Clem worry about it doesn't offset that I no longer wanted to know Cris. Clem's story was far more tragic and interesting and if this was his story alone I would have eaten it up. He has to figure out how to get back Yves soul and restore him from the zombie state and on top of that Yves sister has disappeared and his mother has been blamed for a murder. But just like book one there is too much story for one book.

Cris and her former friends are battling it out for being queen and it matters because Cris has convinced her mother that she should be temporary queen because Mom is jailed instead of you know, any of her adult sisters. I know this is because of the YA nature of the book but it props up Cris being a bit of a sociopath manipulating adults to give her the power, sort of the thing you see in serial killers which feels apropos.

Cris barely has any consequences to her violent actions. Don't get me wrong, I logically understand the rage at oppression but does that justifying being judge jury and executioner? Everyone is her enemy, certainly everyone of a different skin color or anyone standing in the way of anything she wants. I was put in mind of historical conversations between the approaches of Martin Luther King jr and the more violent approaches (her mom taking the side of MLK and Cris the other) Cris's the ends justify her means attitude wasn't working for me (and I admit that could easily be my own privilege talking).

Also it makes it clear people of color in jobs such as law enforcement and medicine which have a history of institutionalized racism are traitors and are going to get what they deserve. It's stated almost that way. I'm medical, saw my friends going through that attitude from the people we were taking care of (double ostracization if they were women because women shouldn't be in medicine either so I know that pain) It is, of course, a legitimate way to feel but I've seen the damage it causes. And maybe I find it hard to get past here because Cris has a LIST of people she thinks she needs to deal with (In a very permanent way) and she's using this as part of her justification.

I really wish these were two separate books because Clem's story has my interest where Cris's drama does not (which also disappoints me because I want to support the female characters) I am not sure I will read further. I do want to know what will happen with Clem and there is a twist with the family that will affect Cris that was interesting at the end but there is so much darkness in this.



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