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We Deserve Monuments
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
13 posts | 12 read | 11 to read
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in this YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations. Whats more important? Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life from DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Averys mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, shes turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the towns most prominent familywhose mothers murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closerAvery and Simones friendship blossoming into romancethe sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Averys family in ways she cant even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardellor if some things are better left buried.
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Bookgoil
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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I read 30 books in June, woot! One for each day basically.

My fave book of the month is easy to pick - We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds @jashammonds is easily the best book I‘ve likely read this year. Such an important story and I was honored to meet the author at ALA this year!

My runner ups were:

The Sun and The Star by Riordan and Oshiro
Fourth Wing by Yarros

I read so many good books but these were the standouts!

LiteraryinLawrence Wow, how did you read so much?? That‘s super cool. 9mo
Bookgoil @LiteraryinLawrence audiobooks typically it took me the whole month to read my one physical but I plan to work on that in July I have a problem sitting still if it‘s not a graphic novel. 9mo
23 likes4 comments
review
adoramichaels
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

Such a very real book. I cried so many times and my heart fluttered. A light yet heavy YA read

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kellyann28
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

A bit of a late review. I finished this at the end of February and overall really enjoyed it! The very end of it I don't think was necessary or made a whole lot of sense for the story, though. The characters were lots of fun and I loved Mama Lettie!
This was my #BookSpin pick for February 💙

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Floresj
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

Coming of age YA novel about a high school senior navigating family secrets and her identity in GA. There‘s a lot in this novel, the plot keeps moving, and there‘s a lot to like. Some parts needed the reader to just accept a character/ moment that was a little far fetched, but overall, well written and engaging.

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tphil10283
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

It‘s an inspirational story about the life of an upper middle class, biracial lesbian teenager. It doesn‘t involve vampires or anything that could be said to be fantasy aside from the tavern in the woods perhaps. I enjoyed it and recommend .

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ChasingOm
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

This was an excellent novel about a young woman finding herself (and her roots) in the town that her mother grew up in. The relationships with her family and friends felt real - being a teenager IS tough - although all the additional struggles felt a bit much for me. Usually I‘m here for all of the dramatics, so maybe it was just my headspace, but there was a LOT going on for one protagonist. Still - definitely worthy of my first book of 2023! 😄

ChasingOm Side note: we had Friendmas this weekend, so this photo was taken at the tail end of the decorations. 😭 I‘ll be packing them up this coming weekend. 1y
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blurb
ChasingOm
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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I had a rough reading year in 2022, so we're starting out 2023 gentle. 😊

I'm looking forward to jumping back into #FoodandLit, Book Riot's #ReadHarder challenge, my #Outlander series read (maybe as part of #SeriesLove2023?), and #BookSpin...while also realizing that with a full time job, a part time job, and a new project, I probably won't be reading 20 books a month any time soon. 😂

Here's to being an active Litten once again! 🥂

bnp Volume doesn't count, it's that you're here that matters. 1y
27 likes1 comment
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Branwen
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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When you're excited that one of your library holds came in but also excited for Christmas! 😂📚❤️💚

ShelleyBooksie Love your hat!!!! 1y
45 likes1 comment
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lkatz59
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
Pickpick

We Deservw was pretty good The main story is about a teenager girl going to a small town in Georgia with her parents to be with her dying grandmother. I love how the three generations of women come together and find live and understanding. Mama Letty is a hoot! I really enjoyed Avery relationship with Mama Letty and her new friends. Overall this was a very enjoyable book and I would definitely recommend it.

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Mpcacher
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

This debut YA novel is a beautifully written, atmospheric look at life in small town Georgia. It is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl and deals with racism, anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments and family secrets. While it had some dark moments, there is also a lot of humour and a teenage romance. I did have a small quibble with the ending and wished for more detail about the final reveal, but I still really enjoyed the book. 4.5/5 stars

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cohostamy
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
Pickpick

This book went straight to my heart!
The themes of generational trauma, racial biases, societal expectations, friendship, and love were well done. The complications and anxieties... but also the beauty of finding community.
Some chapters give us perspective from other characters throughout that paint a full picture outside of just what Avery experienced.
But it never felt like there was too much going on, and I was eager to see how it all ended!

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IheartYA
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Mehso-so

2 stars - The premise and writing style are what first piqued my interest of We Deserve Monuments when I saw it offered on Bookish First. I really liked the beginning of the story but my enthusiasm quickly faded as the storyline became muddy and stagnant. It felt very anticlimactic. A few dramatic twists and turns to make the story more complicated would have definitely made it more interesting. Overall, it fell very flat.

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ErikasMindfulShelf
We Deserve Monuments | Jas Hammonds
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Pickpick

A great story about family relationships and forgiveness as well as a coming of age story. Loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.