We Deserve Monuments
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- Create Date：2022-12-01 07:19:52
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jas Hammonds
- ISBN：1250816556
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Summary
Family secrets， a swoon-worthy romance， and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments， a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations。
What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace？
Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother， Mama Letty。 The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about。 Every time Avery tries to look deeper， she’s turned away， leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two。
While tempers flare in her avoidant family， Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole， her captivating next-door neighbor， and Jade Oliver， daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved。
As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath。 The racist history of Bardell， Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine。 With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day， Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried。
What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace？
Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother， Mama Letty。 The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about。 Every time Avery tries to look deeper， she’s turned away， leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two。
While tempers flare in her avoidant family， Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole， her captivating next-door neighbor， and Jade Oliver， daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved。
As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath。 The racist history of Bardell， Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine。 With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day， Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried。
Reviews
Anna （bibliophiles_bookstagram）
，
What a fantastic YA book with an important social commentary on sexual orientation and race。 When Avery moves to her mother's small hometown in Georgia， reminiscent of deep-south attitudes， Avery longs for the big-city life she left behind。 She ends up meeting her neighbor Simone and Simone's friend Jade who help her to come to grips with her own identity and her internal struggles with history and ingrained beliefs。 I love when books have titles that are tied intricately to the novel's story li What a fantastic YA book with an important social commentary on sexual orientation and race。 When Avery moves to her mother's small hometown in Georgia， reminiscent of deep-south attitudes， Avery longs for the big-city life she left behind。 She ends up meeting her neighbor Simone and Simone's friend Jade who help her to come to grips with her own identity and her internal struggles with history and ingrained beliefs。 I love when books have titles that are tied intricately to the novel's story line。 This connection is not subtle: the discussion of monuments is both literal and figurative， and definitely leaves the reader much to ponder。 。。。more
Amarily Pool
，
Review to come。 I am still wiping my tears from this one。
Shyiesha
，
Such a good read！ I was instantly drawn to the characters。 This was a a easy read for me with the main characters being relatable。 I even found myself enjoying Mama Letty。 I wished Mama Letty's outcome could have been better， but that's life。 In the end， I rooted for Avery and Simone and fell in love with their love story。 Such a good read！ I was instantly drawn to the characters。 This was a a easy read for me with the main characters being relatable。 I even found myself enjoying Mama Letty。 I wished Mama Letty's outcome could have been better， but that's life。 In the end， I rooted for Avery and Simone and fell in love with their love story。 。。。more
Margaret
，
This debut YA novel is a beautifully written， atmospheric look at life in small town Georgia。 It is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl and deals with racism， anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments and family secrets。 While it had some dark moments， there is also a lot of humour and a teenage romance。 I did have a small quibble with the ending and wished for more detail about the final reveal， but I still really enjoyed the book。 4。5/5 stars
Rachael
，
This book was so good; it made me laugh and it made me sob。 This made me feel a lot of ways and I have a lot of thoughts that I’m not able to put into words yet。 Jas Hammonds’ writing is captivating and they expertly snuck in such beautifully written lines。 The story slowly unraveled in an unexpected way and I enjoyed every minute of it。 The strong friendship between Avery， Simone， and Jade captured the feelings of finding friends who feel like soul mates。 This YA book deals with important theme This book was so good; it made me laugh and it made me sob。 This made me feel a lot of ways and I have a lot of thoughts that I’m not able to put into words yet。 Jas Hammonds’ writing is captivating and they expertly snuck in such beautifully written lines。 The story slowly unraveled in an unexpected way and I enjoyed every minute of it。 The strong friendship between Avery， Simone， and Jade captured the feelings of finding friends who feel like soul mates。 This YA book deals with important themes of racial violence and the lasting impact of generational trauma。 The family history and the dark parts of the town’s history felt very real and representative of the history of the American South。 I related a lot to Avery’s need to fix things for her family and her feeling rushed to figure out her life。 Hammonds aptly captured the feeling of growing up in this world in the state it’s in （climate change， gun violence， etc。） and the panic that can cause。 They also included moments of queer joy which felt very important for these characters and for the young queer people who will read this。 I highly recommend this one！CW: racism， grief， death， homophobia， cancer， emotional abuse*Thank you to Roaring Book Press and BookishFirst for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Linda Naquin
，
Oh wow。 This book was so much。 It has absolutely destroyed me， my heart is so shattered， but it was so dang good。 I want to read it again and experience it all again， because it's a pain that you want to feel。 There was so much said in few words， there are certain sentences squeezed in at just the right parts， just a small bunch of words tucked into a corner， that change everything in this story。 If you're not careful， you might miss them。 There are parts I read over and over because I had to go Oh wow。 This book was so much。 It has absolutely destroyed me， my heart is so shattered， but it was so dang good。 I want to read it again and experience it all again， because it's a pain that you want to feel。 There was so much said in few words， there are certain sentences squeezed in at just the right parts， just a small bunch of words tucked into a corner， that change everything in this story。 If you're not careful， you might miss them。 There are parts I read over and over because I had to go back and read it again。 Yes， there's romance， and mystery， but once all the pieces are out and assembled， and you see the whole picture， you just have to go back and read it again knowing everything that you know and seeing it from a different perspective。 Avery's story， growing up biracial and queer， moving to a Southern small town and adjusting to the change of pace and lifestyle， is sure to resonate with a lot of teens。 Her mother Zora is such a strong， smart， fierce woman， who fought her way to the life she wanted， and she's so admirable。 And Mama Letty？ I will forever love Mama Letty。 That woman is the definition of cantankerous， and by God she's earned it， and every cranky word out of her mouth made me smile， and even though her story was heartbreaking， it needed to be heard。 I feel like this book is going to stick with me for a long time， I don't think I have cried this hard over a book all year。 All the stars。 All the awards。 All the love。 。。。more
Allie
，
Avery is forced to move from DC to her mother's hometown of Bardell， Georgia， because her grandmother is terminally ill。 There she meets some new friends， falls in love， and learns about some awful things that happened in the past that haunt their family to this day。 Something happened to her grandfather Ray， and there was another tragedy， involving one of Avery's new friends。 These elements came together alongside Avery falling for her next-door neighbor Simone to create an engaging， impactful Avery is forced to move from DC to her mother's hometown of Bardell， Georgia， because her grandmother is terminally ill。 There she meets some new friends， falls in love， and learns about some awful things that happened in the past that haunt their family to this day。 Something happened to her grandfather Ray， and there was another tragedy， involving one of Avery's new friends。 These elements came together alongside Avery falling for her next-door neighbor Simone to create an engaging， impactful story。 It's also set in a semi-post-pandemic world， and I thought this was incorporated naturally。"We Deserve Monuments" is a new YA contemporary favorite， and such an impressive debut。 I loved the characters （especially Avery， as she is complex and encompasses everything I love in a MC）， and the writing is great。This is a story about trauma， racism， coming out， the power of true friendship， and healing a broken family before it's too late。 I loved it so much。 。。。more
Laura
，
SO POWERFUL
Lindsey Sanford
，
4。5 I flew through this book。 And then I cried a lot at the end。 This was a phenomenal， heartbreaking， uplifting， spirit-warming， coming-of-age novel。 It is a testament to the importance of unpacking your trauma and a reminder that setting boundaries is okay。 But it also reminds the reader that forgiveness doesn't always have to be to heal the other person。。。but most importantly， yourself。 Avery was a wonderful narrator。 The relationship she had with Mama Letty reminded me a lot of the relations 4。5 I flew through this book。 And then I cried a lot at the end。 This was a phenomenal， heartbreaking， uplifting， spirit-warming， coming-of-age novel。 It is a testament to the importance of unpacking your trauma and a reminder that setting boundaries is okay。 But it also reminds the reader that forgiveness doesn't always have to be to heal the other person。。。but most importantly， yourself。 Avery was a wonderful narrator。 The relationship she had with Mama Letty reminded me a lot of the relationship my （grumpy） grandpa and I had。 The individual vignette moments about the history of the town and the people who lived there added a unique bit of storytelling。 It was a great way to introduce these things without dumping the information and clogging up the main story。 The situations in which Avery found herself were honest to the high school experience。 I remember going through similar situations at that age。 While this book had its moments of heartbreak and tragedy， within that darkness were neon-bright flashes of love， kindness， friendship and healing。 I love books that amplify Black， queer voices， which Hammonds did beautifully。 I imagine that a part of Avery's story is a part of Jas' story as well。 There was one revelation toward the end that I wasn't fond of， and would dock a half-star if I could。 But the rest of the story--especially the scene at the Renascence--made me comfortable giving this book a solid five stars。 This is a truly amazing debut novel from the author and I am excited to see what they continue to bring to the writing community。 Thank you to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for an early copy of this book。 All opinion and thoughts are my own。 。。。more
DK
，
We Deserve Monuments is a gorgeously written story about family， secrets， forgiveness， friends， love， and the harsh realities of racism and homophobia。 As a native Georgian， I was instantly fascinated by the setting - a small Georgia town that's seen hard times but has been kept afloat through tourism， even if that tourism is tied to the history of slavery and plantations。 There's a big divide in the community between the affluent white families and the majority of the Black families， as is seen We Deserve Monuments is a gorgeously written story about family， secrets， forgiveness， friends， love， and the harsh realities of racism and homophobia。 As a native Georgian， I was instantly fascinated by the setting - a small Georgia town that's seen hard times but has been kept afloat through tourism， even if that tourism is tied to the history of slavery and plantations。 There's a big divide in the community between the affluent white families and the majority of the Black families， as is seen in the inequalities between the mostly Black public school and the mostly white private school that was founded in response to integration。 Avery and her new friend Simone are the only Black students at the private school and are often subject to micro aggressions and blatant racism。 As Avery digs up secrets， she uncovers horrific truths about the town's leading family and their role in her family's tragedy。 Interwoven with this story is one of family trauma and abuse， of conflict left unresolved and words left unspoken。 Avery struggles to keep her focus in her new life and finds refuge with her new best friends， Simone and Jade。 Their friendship is joyous and affirming， and was one of my favorite parts of the book。 My other favorite part was the visits to the Renaissance， an in the know restaurant and dance club that's a haven to the Black queer community。 Side by side with the stories of loss and heartbreak is the narrative of falling in love， finding yourself， and granting forgiveness。 Honestly， I can't recommend this book enough。 It's intense， cathartic， and deeply moving。 I listened to the audiobook and loved the narration！*I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Gretchen
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Some Things Can't Be FixedBiracial lesbian teenager Avery Anderson's life is uprooted when her family moves from Washington， D。C。 to Bardell， Georgia at the start of her senior year of high school to care for her dying grandmother， Mama Letty。 Avery struggles to get to know her grandmother and to deal with her mother and Mama Letty's fights。 She also loses the will to continue with the Plan: ace her classes， be accepted to Georgetown， and study astronomy; but doesn't tell her parents。 Avery trie Some Things Can't Be FixedBiracial lesbian teenager Avery Anderson's life is uprooted when her family moves from Washington， D。C。 to Bardell， Georgia at the start of her senior year of high school to care for her dying grandmother， Mama Letty。 Avery struggles to get to know her grandmother and to deal with her mother and Mama Letty's fights。 She also loses the will to continue with the Plan: ace her classes， be accepted to Georgetown， and study astronomy; but doesn't tell her parents。 Avery tries to get them to work things out， but some things just can't be fixed: Avery's grandfather Ray being murdered by white men， Mama Letty struggling to raise her daughter after Ray's death， Avery's mother's feelings for the girl next door and their falling out， Jade's mother's murder。 As Avery uncovers her family's past and her feelings grow for Simone， secrets are revealed that might should have stayed buried。 This is a story of generational pain and racial struggles in a small southern town。 。。。more
Jessica
，
*4。5*“I always thought falling in love would feel like an endless summer。 Warm and whimsical， sugar-sweet sherbet and sparklers lighting up the sky。 But was autumn now， and the world was still beautiful， and it all reminded me of her。”I am a puddle of tears after reading this book。 I loved it。 I don’t know how the author did it but they managed to make me feel utterly hopeless and completely hopeful at the same time。 This book holds a lot of power。 It’s in the scenes where three generations of w *4。5*“I always thought falling in love would feel like an endless summer。 Warm and whimsical， sugar-sweet sherbet and sparklers lighting up the sky。 But was autumn now， and the world was still beautiful， and it all reminded me of her。”I am a puddle of tears after reading this book。 I loved it。 I don’t know how the author did it but they managed to make me feel utterly hopeless and completely hopeful at the same time。 This book holds a lot of power。 It’s in the scenes where three generations of women are battling through their trauma and grief， whether with or against each other， that it really shows。 Jas Hammonds did an amazing job of showing the complexities of trauma within a family and how that trauma can be passed on through generations。 They also included the very raw and realistic histories of racism in the south。 They put a face and a name to these horrors and were able to show how this history of hatred impacts actual people。 Some of my favorite scenes were the conversations between Avery and Mama Letty where they were able to reminisce on Mama Lefty’s love with Ray， but also Avery was able to get bits and pieces of the awful events that resulted in Ray’s death。 Jas Hammonds conveyed Avery’s desperation to know more and then her anger and helplessness when she realized there was nothing she could do。 I loved Avery’s character。 I love her determinedness to know more and do more for those she loved。 I loved watching her grow into herself。 Overall， I laughed， I cried， and I stared into space thinking。 This book was beautiful。 。。。more
Brianna
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for the ARC。Avery is forced to move with her family to Bardell， Georgia to be with her grandma， who is terminally ill。 Family secrets cause deep tension that Avery doesn't quite understand yet。 Through conversations with her grandmother， she begins to learn the troubling truth of her family's past。 While struggling with her family drama， Avery builds new friendships with Simone and Jade， who have familial issues and secrets of their own。Tamika Katon- Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for the ARC。Avery is forced to move with her family to Bardell， Georgia to be with her grandma， who is terminally ill。 Family secrets cause deep tension that Avery doesn't quite understand yet。 Through conversations with her grandmother， she begins to learn the troubling truth of her family's past。 While struggling with her family drama， Avery builds new friendships with Simone and Jade， who have familial issues and secrets of their own。Tamika Katon-Donegal was a wonderful narrator for Avery's story， and made this an interesting listen。 。。。more
Amy
，
This book went straight to my heart！The exploration of generational trauma， and strained familial relationships was really relatable for me。 Had me reflecting on my own experiences quite a bit。The themes of racial biases， societal expectations， friendship， and love were also well done， and felt real。 The complications and anxieties。。。 but also the beauty of finding community。Though most of the book is told through Avery's perspective， there are also periodically chapters that give us perspective This book went straight to my heart！The exploration of generational trauma， and strained familial relationships was really relatable for me。 Had me reflecting on my own experiences quite a bit。The themes of racial biases， societal expectations， friendship， and love were also well done， and felt real。 The complications and anxieties。。。 but also the beauty of finding community。Though most of the book is told through Avery's perspective， there are also periodically chapters that give us perspective from other characters throughout the different generations。 I really liked this addition that painted a full picture outside of just what Avery experienced。All these aspects layered with a mystery element were well done。 It never felt like there was too much going on， and I was eager to see how it all ended！（I will also note that the pandemic is mentioned a few times， and it was a bit jarring to me as I'm not used to seeing it in books。 Just a heads up that it is included！） 。。。more
Anna
，
YA books sometimes get a bad reputation for oversimplifying complex topics。 In We Deserve Monuments， Jas Hammonds doesn't shy away from tackling some tough topics - intergenerational trauma， abuse， racism including violent racist acts， homophobia， sexual identity and coming out， alongside love， friendship and family dynamics。 There's even a murder mystery in the mix！I appreciate the care taken in developing the central characters even traveling back in time to highlight some perspectives from th YA books sometimes get a bad reputation for oversimplifying complex topics。 In We Deserve Monuments， Jas Hammonds doesn't shy away from tackling some tough topics - intergenerational trauma， abuse， racism including violent racist acts， homophobia， sexual identity and coming out， alongside love， friendship and family dynamics。 There's even a murder mystery in the mix！I appreciate the care taken in developing the central characters even traveling back in time to highlight some perspectives from the past。 I also appreciate that they all had their flaws and shortcomings and were all trying to be better people and better to their loved ones， even if this didn't all go well。 There are many sweet and heartwarming moments throughout the book that only underscore the power of love， friendship and family （blood related and found）。 The ending is maybe the part of the story that feels like it might lack some of the nuance in other sections of the book （the consequences of new knowledge see a bit underdeveloped）。 That said， as a reader， I was all in and only experienced a whiff of hesitation a few days after putting down the book。 Overall， it was a great read （like a 4。5 star） and I'm looking forward to passing it along to other YA enthusiast。 And I'd be remiss not to mention that it's just a beautiful cover that I'm excited to display in my classroom。Thanks to Bookish First and Macmillan Publishing for the early copy。 。。。more
Joanna
，
This book is on a whole other dimension than normal ya books。Following the MC Avery， a bi-racial queer girl， the author explores grief， racism， misogyny， homophobia， abuse， trauma， and so much more without shying away from the raw bitter truth of it all。 This is a slow burn， character driven novel where Avery grapples with the ugly hidden truths within her family and the small Georgian town her family moved to。 Each character brings something to the plot and isn’t just there， whether it be pain， This book is on a whole other dimension than normal ya books。Following the MC Avery， a bi-racial queer girl， the author explores grief， racism， misogyny， homophobia， abuse， trauma， and so much more without shying away from the raw bitter truth of it all。 This is a slow burn， character driven novel where Avery grapples with the ugly hidden truths within her family and the small Georgian town her family moved to。 Each character brings something to the plot and isn’t just there， whether it be pain， anger， or love。 There’s layers upon layers to each character that by the end you don’t know who’s the good guy and who’s bad。 Don’t get me wrong， there’s definitely some bad dudes in this story， but more often than not it’s more complicated than simple black and white。 I really liked how the chapters switched between Avery’s POV and 3rd person that showcased other characters’ story arcs。 It adds so much more depth to each person than simply mentioning their name a few times。 It allows the reader to understand that character better。 At its core， this story is really about the people who have been marginalized and forgotten。 Oppressed throughout history， and still now， no matter how much they deny it。 This story is for the Queer people， Black people， women， any POC that didn’t get the monuments they deserved。 This was one of my best reads of 2022 and I definitely wouldn’t have thought a debut author wrote it。 。。。more
Susan
，
Being a teenager。 Being Black。 Being female。 Being queer。 Being uprooted from your home right before senior year。 Racism。 Small town。 Secrets。 Murder。 Love。 Family。 This book lies at the intersection of all these things yet doesn't feel forced or congested。 Instead it clearly follows Avery as she navigates the changes in her life and those around her。 I really enjoyed following her new friendships in her new town as she faced her own family's history and how it was intertwined with the rest of t Being a teenager。 Being Black。 Being female。 Being queer。 Being uprooted from your home right before senior year。 Racism。 Small town。 Secrets。 Murder。 Love。 Family。 This book lies at the intersection of all these things yet doesn't feel forced or congested。 Instead it clearly follows Avery as she navigates the changes in her life and those around her。 I really enjoyed following her new friendships in her new town as she faced her own family's history and how it was intertwined with the rest of the town。 While character development wasn't as strong as I would have liked for some of the people in the book， it did a great job with Avery。 Chapters were mostly first person from her point of view but with little intermission chapters that provided additional background and insight from other characters， whether they were people or objects。 This was a beautiful book！Thanks to Bookishfirst for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
4。5 stars rounded down， but really good。This book really managed to weave a queer coming of age story， family drama， mourning and loss， white supremacy， and mysteries all into one。 There were flashbacks from side characters which can be an annoying technique but worked really well here for me。 The main character made a lot of questionable choices but believably so。 The ways that families protect and hurt each other， and the ways that cultural oppression plays out interpersonally， was so much of 4。5 stars rounded down， but really good。This book really managed to weave a queer coming of age story， family drama， mourning and loss， white supremacy， and mysteries all into one。 There were flashbacks from side characters which can be an annoying technique but worked really well here for me。 The main character made a lot of questionable choices but believably so。 The ways that families protect and hurt each other， and the ways that cultural oppression plays out interpersonally， was so much of what worked in this book， without feeling didactic。 I think this book would work well as a summer reading option or in a high school library。 。。。more
Erin
，
4。5 starsThank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an audio arc in exchange for my honest review。 TW: Book contains mentions of police brutality， racism， smoking weed， homophobia， and terminal illness。We Deserve Monuments follows Avery who is 17 years old and feels like the vast majority of her high school experience has been ruined， first by the pandemic， and now by having to move in her senior year to her mom's hometown so they can take care of her terminally-ill grandma Mama Letty。 Avery d 4。5 starsThank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an audio arc in exchange for my honest review。 TW: Book contains mentions of police brutality， racism， smoking weed， homophobia， and terminal illness。We Deserve Monuments follows Avery who is 17 years old and feels like the vast majority of her high school experience has been ruined， first by the pandemic， and now by having to move in her senior year to her mom's hometown so they can take care of her terminally-ill grandma Mama Letty。 Avery doesn't even really know Mama Letty as they never really go to visit her due to Mama Letty and Avery's mom not getting along due to things that happened in her mom's childhood that again Avery knows nothing about until they go to this small town。 So not only is Avery thrown into a new school environment， but is now also in a hostile home， and a small town where she doesn't fit in。 Avery does make two friends while at school and they get close quickly， but things happen and feelings get in the way。 The friendship group ends up splitting up and with it causes Avery to spend more time with Mama Letty learning all about her past and what happened to her husband， and what happened between Mama Letty and Avery's mom。 Avery learns a lot of hard truths， and things about her family's past， as well as the past of the new town she is living in。 Secrets are in abundance， and with little time left it's tough to know if Mama Letty and Avery's mom will ever make up before it is too late。 Overall this book is a lot， but it is so well done by the author。 You feel the emotions that Avery does with the anger， the hurt， the frustration， and the hopelessness of not knowing what to do。 Avery learns so much about her family's past in such a short time， while also trying to figure out what to do for her future。 All of it is overwhelming at times to Avery and that's understandable， we see her work through it all， and we also see the family working through things as well and trying to make amends for the past。 The romance part of this book is slow-burn but that's understandable because it is a small town and they have to be careful。 For me that wasn't the part I was focused on， instead， I needed to know what happened to Mama Letty's husband and why she didn't tell her daughter for so long， and what if anything she ever did to get revenge on the people that caused it since no one else would believe her。 I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next because this book was amazing！ 。。。more
Sara
，
As I started reading this book， I thought maybe that the descriptions were overdone and I wondered if the author could keep up this style throughout the book。 When I finished reading the book I wanted to stand up and shout "bravo" to the author。 Not only did she keep it up， but she created a vision in my head with an unforgettable place and unforgettable characters。 It's one of those books that manages to include a truckload of "issues" but in a very natural and believable way。I'd easily recomme As I started reading this book， I thought maybe that the descriptions were overdone and I wondered if the author could keep up this style throughout the book。 When I finished reading the book I wanted to stand up and shout "bravo" to the author。 Not only did she keep it up， but she created a vision in my head with an unforgettable place and unforgettable characters。 It's one of those books that manages to include a truckload of "issues" but in a very natural and believable way。I'd easily recommend this book to a wide audience。 It has so much to offer and every reader will come away with something be they of the YA or adult population。Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book。 It's a winner！ 。。。more
Hayley
，
3。5 stars rounded up。Past trauma， both for individuals and a community， impacts the present in a small Georgia town in this powerful story with many threads and intersections。Biracial Avery and her Black mother and white father move to Bardell County after finding out that her grandmother， Mama Letty， is dying。 It’s Avery’s senior year at high school and she should be focusing on academics and college apps， but she finds herself distracted by her new friends， Black Simone and white Jade， and by 3。5 stars rounded up。Past trauma， both for individuals and a community， impacts the present in a small Georgia town in this powerful story with many threads and intersections。Biracial Avery and her Black mother and white father move to Bardell County after finding out that her grandmother， Mama Letty， is dying。 It’s Avery’s senior year at high school and she should be focusing on academics and college apps， but she finds herself distracted by her new friends， Black Simone and white Jade， and by her efforts to get to know her grandmother who she hasn’t seen for many years。The three young women form an immediate and close bond， despite their different family and economic circumstances。 Jade is from one of the town’s wealthiest families who live in a “plantation” house and own the town’s luxe hotel and spa， though Jade herself eschews their values。 Simone’s mother， a single parent， works at this hotel。 Avery’s mother left town when she went to college and is now an astrophysics professor married to a white jazz musician。At first， mean and bitter Mama Letty refuses to open up to Avery， but persistence wins out and she gradually reveals her story， at least some of it。 Avery is frustrated by her mother’s constant headbutting with Mama Letty， but there is a story there too which is gradually revealed。 As Avery， and by default the reader， learns more of the history of her family and Bardell County， the horror of the past comes alive。 There is also a romance as out Avery finds herself attracted to Simone， but being gay in Bardell County is not as socially acceptable as it was in Washington DC。 It’s only when they find The Renaissance， a haven for gay people， that Avery and Simone are able to express their real feelings。Do things move a little too fast？ Avery shrugs off her old life within a few days and forms a tight friendship with Jade and Simone within a week， but I guess teens do that。 More effectively， Mama Letty’s softening after a decades-long schism with her daughter feels authentic because she has such a short time left。 I was moved by the reconciliation of the family， catalyzed by Avery， as they take a final beach vacation。 With its timely themes and very attractive cover， I think this will be a big hit in my library。Thanks to Roaring Brook and Netgalley for the digital review copy。 。。。more
Jay G
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Want to see more bookish things from me？ Check out my Youtube channel: https://www。youtube。com/channel/UCfer。。。*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*When 17 year old Avery gets the news that Mama Letty， her grandmother is dying， her family uproot her from DC to Georgia to go take care of her until she's gone。 She quickly realizes her mother and Mama Letty's relationship is very strained。 As she spends more time in Georgia， she learns more about her f Want to see more bookish things from me？ Check out my Youtube channel: https://www。youtube。com/channel/UCfer。。。*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*When 17 year old Avery gets the news that Mama Letty， her grandmother is dying， her family uproot her from DC to Georgia to go take care of her until she's gone。 She quickly realizes her mother and Mama Letty's relationship is very strained。 As she spends more time in Georgia， she learns more about her family history and its connections to the town and the deep secrets held there。 I listened to this on audio， and I think that the narrator did an amazing job bringing all of these characters to life。 I really enjoyed Avery and her voice in this story。 I think she was a very three-dimensional and relatable character。 I loved Mama Letty and her complicated relationship with the entire family。 I think she was such a complex character， and I loved learning more about her and her past as I read on。 I liked the discussions on the cycle of abuse and how its broken， generational trauma， homophobia and racism in this novel。 I also really enjoyed the discussions on queerness， and how it looks different for everyone。 I love the girl next door trope， and I thought the relationship between Simone and Avery was sweet。 I liked how they had to navigate things together， and learn how to communicate with not only each other but those around them as well。 The book is sometimes sad， sometimes funny， and sometimes sweet。。。 definitely recommend。 。。。more
Michelle
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This book is ranking up there with “All My Rage” for top book of the year。 I was excited to see where the story would go as I really enjoyed the sample。 I was blown away by the writing。 I really loved the POV bits between the chapters that helped to round out the story。 I loved the focus on generational trauma and familial secrets， as well as the focus on friendship and the sapphic romance。 Mama Letty was a fantastically flawed character who made me feel all the emotions。 Avery felt real， and di This book is ranking up there with “All My Rage” for top book of the year。 I was excited to see where the story would go as I really enjoyed the sample。 I was blown away by the writing。 I really loved the POV bits between the chapters that helped to round out the story。 I loved the focus on generational trauma and familial secrets， as well as the focus on friendship and the sapphic romance。 Mama Letty was a fantastically flawed character who made me feel all the emotions。 Avery felt real， and didn’t feel too mature or immature which is often a drawback in YA books。 Simone and Jade were also well balanced to Avery。 This book made me laugh and cry。 Jas Hammonds deserves all the kudos that will come their way。 I am excited to see how this book is received。 Although I was provided an early copy of this book， all opinions are my own。 Don’t sleep on this story， trust me。 。。。more
Permanently_Booked
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We Deserve Monuments is a novel that focuses on family， history， secrets and a little bit of mystery。 This was a well crafted young adult debut that looks at how generations of racial prejudices， violence and grudges can affect family and lives alike。What I enjoyed most was the character development between Avery， Simone and Jade。 Each one of these characters is fighting against a stigma that is so richly relevant that I almost neglected to recall there was a mystery entangled in this novel。 I We Deserve Monuments is a novel that focuses on family， history， secrets and a little bit of mystery。 This was a well crafted young adult debut that looks at how generations of racial prejudices， violence and grudges can affect family and lives alike。What I enjoyed most was the character development between Avery， Simone and Jade。 Each one of these characters is fighting against a stigma that is so richly relevant that I almost neglected to recall there was a mystery entangled in this novel。 I can't forget the years of mother/daughter estrangement due to a massive family secret and the inability to accept a daughters representation。 Such a beautifully explored look at queer representation over time and the difference between small town lives and city living。 There is so much in this novel that was easy to fall in love with。 My emotions and heart were triggered more times than I could count。 Even at my age when high school issues seem mundane， this novel made it so much more deeper across decades of family strife。 The audio is narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal wonderfully if you're an audiobook lover like me。 I loved the different voices from grudgy Mama Letty to sassy Simone。 Tameka keeps in character with a captivating voice from start to finish。 In the spirit of family generations， embracing differences and enjoying every last difficult moment。。 We Deserve Monuments is that and so much more。 Thank you RB Media， Recorded Books， Fierce Reads， Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Roaring Brook Press！ 。。。more
Sharon
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Jas Hammonds’ We Deserve Monuments may be the strongest debut novel I’ve ever read。 It hits every mark a great YA coming of age story requires - complex characters， layered plot lines， family conflict grounded in love and secrets - all of which are grounded in a southern town tainted by racist roots。 The author’s own experiences as a mixed race member of the LGBTQIAP+ community provide such heart wrenching and heartwarming vignettes within the novel; the authenticity provides a warm glow that is Jas Hammonds’ We Deserve Monuments may be the strongest debut novel I’ve ever read。 It hits every mark a great YA coming of age story requires - complex characters， layered plot lines， family conflict grounded in love and secrets - all of which are grounded in a southern town tainted by racist roots。 The author’s own experiences as a mixed race member of the LGBTQIAP+ community provide such heart wrenching and heartwarming vignettes within the novel; the authenticity provides a warm glow that is missing from the works of those who have not lived the story。 This is going to be an important read for teens for a long time。Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group， Roaring Brook Press， Netgalley， and the author for early access to this outstanding debut novel。 。。。more
danielle
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full review:This book has （practically） left me speechless。 I was utterly floored by just how emotional the story made me– the way the author talks about family and love and trauma hit me so ！ hard！ I felt such a connection to the main character Avery， whether she was falling for the girl next door or confused and frustrated with her parents for keeping secrets。 Jas Hammonds’s delicate prose twisted my heart into pieces and in the kintsugi style， pieced it back together within gold-lined pages。 full review:This book has （practically） left me speechless。 I was utterly floored by just how emotional the story made me– the way the author talks about family and love and trauma hit me so ！ hard！ I felt such a connection to the main character Avery， whether she was falling for the girl next door or confused and frustrated with her parents for keeping secrets。 Jas Hammonds’s delicate prose twisted my heart into pieces and in the kintsugi style， pieced it back together within gold-lined pages。 I will forever be thinking about this book。 first thoughts post reading: i’m working on my full review but oH mY GOD this is the best book i’ve read in quite awhile。 easily my best book of 2022。 wow。 。。。more
Sarah {The Clever Reader}
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Wow。 Just Wow。 I binged this audiobook in a half of a day。 The narrator was the best fit and portrayed Avery and her story perfectly。 This was a heart wrenching story of a modern teen who's found herself caught up in the trauma of her mother and grandmother's relationship。 Can she break the cycle of generational trauma while also learning that the town her family comes from may still harbor the same sentiments about race as it did when her grandmother was young？ This book is necessary and import Wow。 Just Wow。 I binged this audiobook in a half of a day。 The narrator was the best fit and portrayed Avery and her story perfectly。 This was a heart wrenching story of a modern teen who's found herself caught up in the trauma of her mother and grandmother's relationship。 Can she break the cycle of generational trauma while also learning that the town her family comes from may still harbor the same sentiments about race as it did when her grandmother was young？ This book is necessary and important。 Racism isn't something that was going on fifty plus years ago in small southern towns but rages on still to this day。 It may be quieter in some areas as before but ultimately you will find it often。 I liked how this story brought the past and present together to show the reader that the struggles that people went through because of their race still go on today。 Avery's character was strong and beautiful。 Confident in who she was and finally found a place where she felt accepted。 She had her struggles and the family dynamics between her and her mother were really tested。 I thought the story was well developed and the mending of relationships was at the forefront of it all。 Avery never understood why her mother never wanted to go back to the town where she came from but as she got to know her grandmother in the last few months of her life， her eyes are opened in many many ways。 This is definitely a book about race， family， love， building new friendships， and mending old ones across generations and how the trauma's of our past can affect those in the present。 I definitely recommend this one， especially the audiobook。 It was well produced and puts your right into the story。 。。。more
Danielle Hammelef
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This debut novel deserves all the awards。 From start to finish， I traveled on an emotional rollercoaster， driven by authentic and flawed characters whom I fell in love with immediately。 The family relationships and dynamics felt happy and comforting at times， but then angry and frustrating at other times， just as in real life。 The friendships are fierce and complex as not only are these teenagers dealing with figuring out their identities， but also what their futures possibly hold。 The slow-burn This debut novel deserves all the awards。 From start to finish， I traveled on an emotional rollercoaster， driven by authentic and flawed characters whom I fell in love with immediately。 The family relationships and dynamics felt happy and comforting at times， but then angry and frustrating at other times， just as in real life。 The friendships are fierce and complex as not only are these teenagers dealing with figuring out their identities， but also what their futures possibly hold。 The slow-burn romance added another complexity and layer to the plot and I found myself laughing， smiling， and crying as the two girls navigated both a racially tense setting and homophobic town。Mama Letty， despite being her gruff self， shows signs of wanting to be loved by her family。 Her gradual acceptance and willingness to show vulnerability was both heartwarming and heart wrenching。 So many secrets had been buried by Mama Letty and then Zora， which added dark mystery and suspense that made me never want to put this book down。 The ending shocked me and I never even contemplated this book would end as it did。 。。。more
Michelle
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3。5*I enjoyed this sweet exploration of growth and personal discovery in the midst of a family crisis。 Avery was an interesting character to me， she was a bit mysterious。 Part insecure and shy， part bold and sassy。 Typical teen angst。 However， I loved watching her character develop as she grew closer to Mama Letty and gained new friendships with the local girls。 Some parts of this book fell a little too neatly into place， but overall it was a good book and I liked how the history of Avery's fami 3。5*I enjoyed this sweet exploration of growth and personal discovery in the midst of a family crisis。 Avery was an interesting character to me， she was a bit mysterious。 Part insecure and shy， part bold and sassy。 Typical teen angst。 However， I loved watching her character develop as she grew closer to Mama Letty and gained new friendships with the local girls。 Some parts of this book fell a little too neatly into place， but overall it was a good book and I liked how the history of Avery's family and the mysteries of all the twisty interconnections were interspersed throughout the book。 It kept me very engaged and curious as to how things would develop。 While I didn't necessarily find the book to be super realistic， I did find it very readable and entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys YA fiction， especially those featuring LGBT main characters。 。。。more
Meredith
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Jas Hammonds' We Deserve Monuments was a heartfelt queer coming-of-age novel centered around family history。It follows Avery a DC senior in high school set on attending Georgetown， who is forced to move to a small town in Alabama to spend time with her dying grandmother。 Avery knows little about her grandmother and her family's history in the town， but no one in her family is willing to answer her questions。This book is， at its core， a coming of age tale。 It truly revolves around Avery's reckoni Jas Hammonds' We Deserve Monuments was a heartfelt queer coming-of-age novel centered around family history。It follows Avery a DC senior in high school set on attending Georgetown， who is forced to move to a small town in Alabama to spend time with her dying grandmother。 Avery knows little about her grandmother and her family's history in the town， but no one in her family is willing to answer her questions。This book is， at its core， a coming of age tale。 It truly revolves around Avery's reckoning with who she is， where she came from， and what future she wants for herself。 While this book may be marketed as a mystery， the 'mystery' is really just another facet of Avery's coming of age。 It honestly takes a back seat to all of the other things that Avery is experiencing。 So， be warned， if you go into this book looking for a mystery， it won't deliver in the way that you a thinking。The character development in this book was amazing。 I was so moved by the progression of Avery's relationship with Mama Letty， her ailing grandmother。 I also enjoyed the WLW relationship。 I did want more from Avery's parents as characters， particularly her dad。The writing of this book was hit or miss--though， mostly hit。 A lot of it was very beautiful， but some of it--particularly in emotional moments--felt very cliche， almost formulaic， like the author was following an equation for how to write an emotional scene。At the end of the day， this book felt incredibly real。 The characters' lives were messy and imperfect。 They didn't wrap up in a neat little bow。Overall， I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a queer coming of age tale or to people that are drawn in by family histories and buried stories from the past。 I truly enjoyed this book， and it was a quick read。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=We Deserve Monuments
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=We Deserve Monuments&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,We Deserve Monuments&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0