Name: Calling My Name
ISBN: 9780062656865

Liara Tamani

Calling My Name tells the coming-of-age story of an African American girl named Taja Brown growing up in a devout family in Houston, Texas. In fifty-three iridescent short chapters, Taja narrates her teenage years—from middle school to high school graduation—as she struggles to figure out life, love, and her own brand of spirituality. Taja’s deeply felt voice, coupled with Liara Tamani’s elegant and literary style, delivers a generous and thematically rich emotional wallop.

Calling My Name

Raven 

to say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement.. this is the type of book that makes you think about it long after you've read it. I learned a few things from it and the way it was written..no, the way it sucked you in was just jaw dropping. I had so much fun going along on Taja's journey. While she learned, so did I. It was an astonishing book and I'm so glad I picked this one up 🤎.

Destini Baylis Adams

Calling My Name truly attracted me at the bookstore because of its' beautiful cover though I knew not to judge a book by its' cover so I looked over the premise. The premise itself was interesting but questionable at first. I loved seeing a coming of age story about a black teen on the store shelves, but can a girl's middle and high school years be thoroughly explored in fifty-three chapters. Eh, I was willing to take the risk, but the answer is a firm no!
 This a character-driven story, so I was not expecting an over the moon plot. However, I was expecting more than was given. It felt like the story moved from one place to another without providing the chance for me to grow with Taja through this journey. A more consistent/ thorough plot would've helped me actually  care about Taja. The constant moving from event to the next made things murky and non-sensical. Some events like the signing of the purity pledge(sexist!) could've added the much-needed tension if Taja would have fought back instead of being submissive. Others like the introduction of Andre made it too easy to predict what would come next. Some like her brother being sad about barely getting into college are kind-of pointless in the grand scheme of things. 
 Lastly, I am not a fan of Liara Tamani's writing style. It is a little flowery poetic for my taste.
I think this book would've been better as a trilogy, so I could get to know Taja, her family/dynamics, and evolving friendships more. Realistically, a lot happens between the ages of 11-18; but every part makes the process. Missing the majority of her growth and maturity along with other stages made it hard to understand or care about Taja.