The Cost of Knowing, my most disappointing read of 2021 (so far)

Author: Brittney Morris

Genres: Young adult, contemporary, magical realism, fantasy

Rating: ⭐⭐

Believe me, no one is more disappointed than me for not liking this book.

This is a story about Alex, a Black teen who has the power to see into the future. His life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother's imminent death.

Having read Slay and really loving it, I picked up this book, expecting love it and give it 5 stars as well. I was wrong.

I didn't like any of the characters and had issues with the pacing of the story. I also feel like nothing much was happening throughout the book?? There were some points in the plot that felt like plot convenience. The ending also felt too rushed, and even a little cringe-y for me :((

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TW:

death of a loved one, racism

I found myself super confused about Isaiah's power and how it worked. Furthermore, when he died, I thought the author would showcase more of Alex's grief but instead it turned into a commentary about racism. It felt like the author was using the characters' dialogue to bring across the author's own message about racism. This is also related to the pacing, but after the commentary the ending felt too rushed and cringe. The part about the ancestors was confusing and I have no idea what it was supposed to add to the story..

Overall, I didn't take away much from this story other than the part about racism (that wasn't as well-executed as I thought it would be).