In Every Mirror She's Black, by Lola Akinmade Åkerström

BOOK REVIEW 
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In Every Mirror She's Black, by Lola Akinmade Åkerström
★ ★ ★ ★ Loved it!
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I know a lot of people will have a lot of things to say about the ending if they read this, but, overall, I LOVED it. I loved the writing, the characters, and the mix of cultures.
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In Every Mirror She’s Black is an incredibly layered and epically raw story about three black women all tied to the same elite white man, in the sophisticated yet stifling setting of Sweden. I was instantly invested in these characters as soon as they were introduced. Each one has a unique history. Lola Akinmade Åkerström’s writing is smooth, enjoyable, and it becomes easy to connect with these characters. The turmoil, struggle, and self-doubt that each one experiences carry the reader from one chapter to the next, but their determination is what gets you invested.
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The ending. Yes, some may feel it’s unfinished, but I think it highlights the fact that these women’s stories are not over. Real life is not neatly squared away. Just as these women seem to be building new lives for themselves things come crashing down, which strengthens the connection between the reader and characters. I also really appreciated that these women’s lives did not intertwine in an expected way. With multiple perspectives, you might expect them to all be headed for collision, but their connection was more about facilitating their own individual story.
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As if the story ends, I couldn’t help but feel like the characters were in some ways ending up where they started, but everything’s changed. I think Lola makes an excellent point that the struggle continues, and even though you may feel like you’re in the same place, that doesn’t mean you haven’t made progress or changed or transformed.
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Trigger warnings: sexual assault, racism, and suicide.

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