Written by Teralyn Mitchell
The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is a coming-of-age story about a sixteen-year-old girl who experiences a lot of changes in one summer and it deals with family, secrets, first loves, and addiction. Dove was the youngest of two girls. Her mother ran a hair salon and her father was a team physician for a professional basketball team. She had everything she could want and her parents had very high expectations for her and her older sister, Mimi. Her mother made her quit soccer because there was no chance of her playing in college and she’s expected to take an SAT class over the summer. Her life was structured and she was expected to behave but just before the summer, Dove met a boy, Booker, who she knew her parents would never approve of and her aunt, Carlene who she doesn’t remember ever meeting has come back into her life. These two events seem to have Dove questioning her life and why everything is so structured. She starts breaking the rules and even drinks. The story progresses from there with Dove’s relationships with Carlene and Booker strengthening. She has to learn some hard truths and realise if she isn’t the one to demand what she wants, then she’ll never get it.
I have to discuss the fact that this is a book about a black girl and her family. This book was reminiscent of the kinds of the books I devoured as a kid by authors like Walter Dean Myers and Sharon M. Draper. Colbert did an amazing job of showing all facets of the black community and sexual preferences as well, which made it diverse and inclusive to a group of people who are not always represented in literature. Colbert did an excellent job of showing that and I was able to relate to a lot of what was going on in the book. This story was well written and really explored multiple hard topics and touched on gay and queer issues as well as black issues.
I loved Dove from the beginning and I loved how this was a summer book about finding your voice and yourself separate from the expectations of your family. It was great seeing her grow into someone who spoke up for herself but still knew how to forgive when something wrong was done to her. She was relatable and you’ll be rooting for her throughout the book. I liked Carlene from the moment she showed up and how open and honest she was with Dove from the start. Their bond seemed to grow quickly and she was there for Dove when she needed her. I also enjoyed Booker, Laz, Mimi, and Greg too. The romance between Dove and Booker was sweet and I loved seeing how they explored what they had in the limited time they had to do so. It was clear that they really cared for one another. I liked how protective but open Mimi was with Dove. She cared for her little sister. Laz and Dove’s friendship was amazing as well and I liked how they could talk to each other about anything and how he helped her as she tried to find herself over the summer.
Dove’s relationship with her parents was more complicated; more so with her mother than with her father. Her mother seemed to have very high expectations for Dove and her older sister and she expected them to do things exactly the way she thought they should be done them. Her father seemed to go along with what Dove’s mother thought was best. He worked a lot but their relationship was sweet and I loved seeing the two of them together. I thought the group of characters in The Revolution of Birdie Randolph was unique and kept the reader engaged throughout the entire story.
The Revolution of Birdie Randolph was another perfect summer read! This was such a powerful story that showed the importance of family, forgiveness, and finding your own voice and doing your own thing within the rules created by parents. Dove had to learn how to demand what it was she wanted from life and remain respectful while doing it. She discovered first love, family secrets that shook up her world, and her voice and wants. This was another great coming of age story that I’ve read so far this year!
The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up The Revolution of Birdie Randolph? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Nicola Yoon comes a novel about first love and family secrets from Stonewall Book Award winner Brandy Colbert.
Dove “Birdie” Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she’s on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past…whom she knows her parents will never approve of.
When her estranged aunt Carlene returns to Chicago and moves into the family’s apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home. Carlene is sweet, friendly, and open-minded–she’s also spent decades in and out of treatment facilities for addiction. As Birdie becomes closer to both Booker and Carlene, she yearns to spread her wings. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, everything she’s known to be true is turned upside down.
