Why Did I Listen To Break This House by Candice Iloh?
Break This House by Candice Iloh seemed like a no brainer when it came to picking something to read/listen to. I thought Iloh’s debut, Every Body Looking was excellent. Also — more people should absolutely be picking up and reading Every Body Looking. And so, seeing as how I need to get through my Volumes app review copies before the app shuts down, this was my pick. By the way, I also love picking up contemporary young adult books about marginalized characters.
What’s The Story Here?
Iloh’s Break This House is about Yaminah Okar who left the town of Obsidian and lives in Brooklyn with her father. She is pretty sure she has put her life in Obsidian behind her. That is, until she receives a facebook message inviting her to a family reunion/memorial for her mother. Yaminah returns to Obsidian, Michigan and has to really rumble with what happened before her parents divorce. She also must come to terms with the changes Obsidian is going through — gentrification. Also, that her grandmother is selling the family home. So, truly you can never come home again. There are plenty of triggers in this book, but I think Iloh handles those and the plot with such sensitivity.
How Did I Like Break This House?
Honestly, I thought Break This House was an excellent read. It was just as good as Every Body Looking. Iloh has a bright career ahead. Yaminah has really been through it — particularly in her relationship with her mother. As I mentioned, her mother passed away. Before she passed though, she had her issues. We also see other members of Yaminah’s family struggling with addiction and poverty when she makes the return to Obsidian. Of course, there’s also the big theme of gentrification too. I liked that this book goes into depth on that as it is something I don’t really see a lot in what I read. After this book, I felt like I had a better understanding.
How’s The Narration?
As for the audiobook piece — I definitely had the narration too fast. At one point I had it at 2x because I felt pressure to get through my Volumes books fast. That, friends, was a terrible idea. I am so out of practice with 2x narration. Right now, 1.5x is my max. When I listened to this at a normal for me speed, I thought the narration was perfect. The audiobook is narrated by Ashley August. Ashely August has the perfect voice and cadence for this book. It is 7 hours and 7 minutes long. Do NOT listen to it sped up to 2x, you’ll miss out on the cadences.
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