I would honestly love to see a sequel where we follow Nikki in her budding music career and to see her try to balance it with her relationship with Mal. My Week With Him follows Nikki, a young Black girl who, after being thrown out by her mother, decides to flee to California to pursue her music career.

not to mention the marketing being all about getting with the mmc when that shit sorts itself out in the first hundred pages ? the pacing a bit all over the place - we were zipping through scenes like no body’s business; the stakes never felt that high, our fmc ‘left town’ like four times it got to the point where i just knew this bitch wouldn’t be able to stick to a decision for the life of her; and then the toxic relationship with the mum was - if perhaps realistic - pretty unsatisfying, where the bad shit she did was never super acknowledged. Money isn't really talked about other than one flashback to her mother not being able to afford toys for them. Loved the cover of the book cover which was full of figures and colours, which was totally mesmerizing, which is what attracted me initially.A coming of age book is perfect as it allows the characters to reflect on their own lives and also the impact they leave on other people. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review! Her relationship with her Mother is awful and she has nothing to keep her in Texas now that her good friend, and long term crush - Malachai, has a new girlfriend.

It’s hard to put in words, I wasn’t as invested and sucked in to this story than I was into her first two books. She knew what would benefit her, even if she couldn't quite name it - she needed the audition because it gave her the independence, the confidence, the validation, the out, and she didn't let anyone take that away from her, while still maintaining caring for her sister and allowing herself the peace that Mal brought her.Joya Goffney somehow always manages to mix just the right amount of drama, difficult family relationships and young love and I just eat it up every time. HOWEVER, narratively, and appreciating the reason behind the pacing and repetitiveness of events, it's genius. It doesn’t excuse anything and I damn sure still don’t like her, but you can tell how much Nikki needed her mom’s love.

She is constantly at war with her mother and after an epic row erupts involving her sister Vae she is determined to quit Texas and go to. This is a great YA book written in a lively style with a mix of the story told by protagonist Nikki along with a mix of diary style entries and thoughts.Through her emotional journey, Nikki ultimately finds the love she’s always been missing and discovers the power of her own voice. That they would continue to learn together and hold onto their worth, and that they would have each other.

Without spoiling, there were bumps in the road with the way some reveals were done but I can’t complain as everything got addressed and wrapped up nicely. She has a really hard time expressing herself and telling people she loves them because her mom never showed them any affection or told them that she loved them. But, it does add a layer of complexity that may be useful in starting further discussions with young readers surrounding such a sensitive topic. This book takes you through some incredibly complex and difficult family dynamics, particularly neglectful parenting, which is painful to read but I imagine something that will help a lot of people who can read this and feel seen. She’s trying to pursue a music career and processing her secret romantic feelings about her best friend, Malachai.One aspect of Goffney’s writing that I’ve always enjoyed and found to be her strength is the strength to make me feel. will this week give her the last push she needs to leave for good, or will she find a reason to stay? but when her best friend, malachai, begs her to spend just one week with him to see if he can convince her to stay, she gives in. Overall it was a good read but I was disappointed that the Mother's behaviour was explained away poorly and that Nikki's sister had a more believable relationship with Mal than Nikki did. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl was right up there, and almost too relatable with the condition I also have and the strict religious parents.