Love is a Revolution

Nala and Imani are like two peas in a pod. They are mistaken to be sisters because of their striking resemblance. The bond shared by them makes them a family.

Nala has three agendas this summer –

i) Style her hair

ii) Binge watch Netflix with her cousin-sister-friend Imaani and their best friend Sadie

iii) Find love

Imaani forces Nala to attend an open mic conducted by an organization that conducts social initiatives for youth in Harlem. And that’s where she sees him, Tye Brown. There’s a glimmer of hope that her last wish will come true. She tries too hard to turn him from a guy friend to a boyfriend.

“I love the way his deep voice bellows out, filling up the space, how his voice is electric shock waves when he needs to amp up the crowd, how it is a warm hug when he welcomes each person to the stage.”

– Love is a Revolution

The story is narrated in Nala’s perspective. What I like about first person povs is that one gets a peek into the mind of a character. The plot is interspersed with themes like found family, body positivity, sisterhood, relationships amidst main theme I.e black representation. A particular scene where a guy wearing a bullhorn reads an important passage from Fredrick Douglass’s famous speech – ‘What to the slave is The Fourth of July?’ which talks about oppression will remain with me for a long time.

Nala isn’t a perfect character. Sometimes her exploits make it a difficult read but the setting draws you in. The story unfolds beautifully towards the end.

‘Love is a Revolution’ isn’t just a story about love, but how a group of teens come together for the betterment of the black community in Harlem. It’s about a girl who finally finds ways to love herself and be persistent about her choices.