Monster in the Middle

"This was genuinely a very VERY interesting book. The first page is a map detailing places where characters have fallen in love, but over 50 years worth of it. The second page is a letter, detailing that a true love story included not only the couple but the many many love stories that lead up to that couple's first meeting. And so the book began, explaining the love life of Fly's dad and mom, before during and after meeting each other, then a little about Fly and his first attempts at love. Then it switches to Stela, does the same thing. It is only the last chapter that these two main characters meet and fall in love with each other. But the thing is that this story is so incredibly real. Our parents greatly influence our perceptions of love, and every time we fall in love, we change just a little. If the whole story was just about Stela and Fly, it wouldn't have made as much sense. Their decisions at the end of the book, to find and love each other, only make sense after understanding every other part of their stories. But make no mistake, this is also a charged book in the most amazing way. It is a Black love story written by a Black author, but also the story of interracial marriages across generations, of feminism and how hard it is to acknowledge intrinsic sexism, of cheating and running away, of a love blooming at the beginning of COVID, of **** and weed and Christian guilt, of racism and empowerment but also the fear of not knowing when it is risky to act empowered. It tells all these things and more and I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to everyone to read."