I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Your Plantation Prom is Not Okay Blog Tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours.
Check out my post below!
About the Book
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing date: May 2nd, 2023
Content Warning: racism, mentions of slavery, grief from death of a loved one
Rep: Black
Synopsis:
This sharp-witted, timely novel explores cancel culture, anger, and grief, and challenges the romanticization of America’s racist past with humor and heart—for readers of Dear Martin by Nic Stone and Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson.
Harriet Douglass lives with her historian father on an old plantation in Louisiana, which they’ve transformed into one of the South’s few enslaved people’s museums. Together, while grieving the recent loss of Harriet’s mother, they run tours that help keep the memory of the past alive.
Harriet’s world is turned upside down by the arrival of mother and daughter Claudia and Layla Hartwell—who plan to turn the property next door into a wedding venue, and host the offensively antebellum-themed wedding of two Hollywood stars.
Harriet’s fully prepared to hate Layla Hartwell, but it seems that Layla might not be so bad after all—unlike many people, this California influencer is actually interested in Harriet’s point of view. Harriet’s sure she can change the hearts of Layla and her mother, but she underestimates the scale of the challenge…and when her school announces that prom will be held on the plantation, Harriet’s just about had it with this whole racist timeline! Overwhelmed by grief and anger, it’s fair to say she snaps.
Can Harriet use the power of social media to cancel the celebrity wedding and the plantation prom? Will she accept that she’s falling in love with her childhood best friend, who’s unexpectedly returned after years away? Can she deal with the frustrating reality that Americans seem to live in two completely different countries? And through it all, can she and Layla build a bridge between them?
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5 Reasons to Read
The Heavy Stuff
This book tackles racism, grief, and mental illness. I felt the author did a magnificent job of making the reader feel all of the emotions that came with addressing each of these topics.
Family
Harriet’s world fell apart when her mother died but with the help of her historian father and an old friend she’s able to face her grief. The relationship between Harriet and her father is so sweet, and although there are moments where her father’s grief overwhelms her, the bond between them is strong.
Friendship
Harriet is livid when she finds out who bought the property next door and her anger only heightens when she finds out they’re turning it into a wedding venue. Harriet fully expects Layla to be all for the venue as the influencer she is but as Harriet gets to know Layla an unlikely friendship emerges. Not everyone is who you expect them to be once you get past what’s on the surface.
Love
There’s a bit of romance when Harriet’s old friend Dawn shows back up in her life. I appreciated that this was not a love story but enjoyed how much support Harriet got from Dawn. He helped bring balance into her life and supported her as she navigated through her grief.
Powerful
This book is powerful, important, and relevant in today’s world. We need more books like these out there that make you feel all the emotions while learning about others and yourself in the process. It is one that I will never forget reading.
Author Bio
Kelly is the mixed-race author of AGNES AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2020), MIRROR GIRLS (2022), and YOUR PLANTATION PROM IS NOT OKAY (2023). AGNES was a finalist for the Golden Kite Award. She’s also written for Time, Publisher’s Weekly, and Bustle, among other outlets. She lives in Seattle with her family.
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Follow the Tour
May 15th
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May 16th
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Justice For Readers – Top 5 Reasons to Read Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay
May 17th
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May 18th
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May 19th
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May 20th
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May 21st
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