We Deserve Monuments is a MUST read!

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 Jas Hammonds truly hit it out of the park with this debut novel. Family secrets, generational trauma, romance, racism in the deep south - this book covers a lot. And it does it beautifully! I truly couldn't put this one down.

Avery is a seventeen-year-old girl who knows exactly what she wants. Or at least, she always thought she knew what she wanted. That is until her whole life turned upside down. It has always been her and her parents, school, extracurriculars, advanced level classes, and of course, her two best friends. But when her Mama Letty, her grandmother who she has no memories of, is diagnosed with cancer Avery's mother uproots them all and moves them to the middle of nowhere Georgia to take care of her. So now it is the beginning of senior year and Avery is starting a new school, with no friends and no idea what to expect. 

Simone Cole is Mama Letty's neighbor and also a high school senior. She quickly befriends Avery and encourages her to give grouchy & cold Mama Letty a chance. As Avery settles in and learns more about her family, she only ends up with more questions. Does she really want to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a scientist? Does she even want to go to college? Why did her mother run from Mama Letty and never bring her to visit? Who was her grandfather and why is his story such a secret? 

This book made me laugh and it made me cry. There were moments where I wanted to chuck it against the wall and scream and moments where I audibly gasped from shock. Especially at the end. I never saw that coming! But all in all, I feel like this is a book that everyone should read. Especially those who have never had to experience racism first hand. It will be a rude awakening for many.

As always, please make sure to check all trigger warnings before reading. And if you read this one, leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought. 

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds - ***** 5 Stars

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