I’ve had a busy week this past one, so I didn’t get as much read as I wished. That said, I did finish two books, so that’s better than none.

The Perfect Nanny
by Leila Slimani

What to say about this book? For starters, you know how it ends when it begins, which is an interesting take. The story is less about the crime that happened and more about how it got to that point. While it’s not exactly a hard read, I found I had difficulty getting through it. I came into it expecting more of a focus on the crime as opposed to the real focus, which is on motherhood, societal expectations, and class. That’s not so say it’s a bad read! I just was going in expecting something else. It’s a short read, and if you’re looking for something you can read in an afternoon, you can’t go wrong with it.

The Poet X
by Elizabeth Acevedo

This is the first novel I’ve read that’s entirely in verse, which was a very cool experience for me. Mixed in with the narrative poems are poems about Xiomara’s family, her first feelings for a guy, and her thoughts on religion. The one about her father hit me hard, because yikes if I don’t feel that in a big way. I definitely recommend it. It’s a fast read if you want another one to crank out in an afternoon, and you will cry, but you’ll end up hopeful. At least, that’s how it went for me.