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    Genesis Begins Again
    Genesis Begins Again
    Genesis Begins Again
    Audiobook8 hours

    Genesis Begins Again

    Written by Alicia D. Williams

    Narrated by Alicia D. Williams

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    “Reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.” —The New York Times

    “One of the best books I have ever read…will live in the hearts of readers for the rest of their lives.” —Colby Sharp, founder of Nerdy Book Club

    “An emotional, painful, yet still hopeful adolescent journey…one that needed telling.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    “I really loved this.” —Sharon M. Draper, author of the New York Times bestseller Out of My Mind

    This deeply sensitive and “compelling” (BCCB) debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.

    There are ninety-six reasons why thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list:
    -Because her family is always being put out of their house.
    -Because her dad has a gambling problem. And maybe a drinking problem too.
    -Because Genesis knows this is all her fault.
    -Because she wasn’t born looking like Mama.
    -Because she is too black.

    Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so…even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateApr 14, 2020
    ISBN9781508298076
    Author

    Alicia D. Williams

    Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris Award finalist, and for which she won the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent; and picture books Jump at the Sun and The Talk which was also a Coretta Scott King Honor book. An oral storyteller in the African American tradition, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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    Reviews for Genesis Begins Again

    4.5/5

    147 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      so real :) ;)
      so right :) ;)
      woak girls ;) :)
    • 5/5
      I recommend this to all dark skinned girls with low self esteem! Its funny and heart felt. Loved it
    • 5/5
      Funny, heartfelt, and just amazing! Loved how well she read the book. I would say this book is for ages 10+ (but not too immature for older people) there were a probably about 4 curse words so beware for younger kids!
    • 5/5
      A beautiful story blended of family, friendship, colorism, acceptance, rejection, and love conquering all. A story that touches the human emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
    • 5/5
      This book was truly phenomenal and I can see why it’s compared to Toni’s Morrison’s The Bluest Eyes, because of the similarities of Genesis and Pecola
    • 5/5
      Genesis Anderson hates herself. She keeps a list of all the reasons why. Mean girls at a former school started a list of all the reasons they hated her, and when they gave it to her, she kept it, and just kept adding to it. But the number one reason seems to be... she's too black. Too dark skinned. Her father is addicted both to alcohol and to gambling, and his troubles keep the family from moving up. Her mother does her best, but she can't ever quite bring herself to give up on her husband completely. When he claims he got a promotion at work, and is moving them from inner-city to Detroit to posh Farmington Hills, they think everything will be fine now. But the reader has surely read enough books in this vein before to know that is not the case. But at the new middle school, with her mostly white, financially well off fellow students, Genesis does makes some real friends: black, violin playing, smart as a whip Troy, and white OCD eccentric girl Sophia.But like so many protagonists before her, Genesis' real fall comes when she starts lying, and the building new lies on top of old ones.Black/white racism really isn't an element in this book at all. It is a book about black life, but it's about self acceptance and self love, about loving yourself they way you are. That is the main theme of the book. A good message for blacks.. and whites... and LGBT people... and overweight people... keep the list going. Doesn't matter. We are all beautiful.
    • 5/5
      Tackles a bunch of hard subjects really well -- poverty/uncertain parental employment, household instability, self-loathing and internalized racism, alcoholism, bullying, OCD. Lots of things to unpack in this book, but the storytelling is compelling and Genesis really changes over the course of it. She becomes a person who draws strength from her challenges.

      Feels teen to me, but could be just the thing for the right tween reader, too. Totally different subject than The Hate U Give, but might appeal to the same readers, as a realistic depiction of modern African American life, with a strong and thoughtful young woman main character.
    • 3/5
      diverse children's middlegrade fiction (13 y.o. w/alcoholic father and working mom gets evicted, starts over in a new school in a nicer neighborhood/suburb in Detroit, gains confidence in herself and learns that her darker, blue-black skin does not make her ugly).
      I liked Genesis, but felt this book was a bit long for a middlegrade story. Characters felt real and the awfulness of middleschool also felt real, but there was not as much action as I am used to (the lack of which can also be very realistic).
      I read to p. 104 before stopping and could have kept going if not for the large pile of other books I need to tear through--seems like a perfectly good book that I hope makes it into the hands of kids. Kudos to the author for making sure that Gen's beautiful face is featured prominently on the cover, though maybe next time use a different, less childlike font for the book jacket blurbs.
    • 4/5
      Genesis Anderson has had to deal with her father's drinking, comments about her dark coloring, and - once again- getting evicted when he doesn't pay the rent. Ultimately, she wants to have lighter skin like her mother. The constant colorism from her family and schoolmates becomes pervasive and defining for Genesis, who's internalized it and continued keeping a list of the things she dislikes about herself. But once again evicted, her family moves to yet another house and Gen starts at another school, beginning to make friends and connecting with the chorus teacher.I had an interesting relationship reading this book. Genesis narrates, and sometimes being in her head was really intense and I needed to take a break. Other times, I wanted to keep reading and finding out what would happen next. There were both sad and hopeful moments in good balance, and I liked the generally positive message the book sends about healthy relationships with parents - especially her mom - and the challenges that come with dealing with alcoholism and negative self-talk. There are no easy answers, and I think many parents/teachers would want to discuss the difficult topics it addresses with kids who are reading it.
    • 5/5
      Genesis doesn't always like herself very much. She longs for light skin and good hair like her mom. When her classmates write a list of things they hate about her, she keeps it and adds to it. After getting evicted again, she is surprised when her dad moves the family to a nice house in the suburbs. She gets a new start to find real friends, decide who is not worth her friendship, and be inspired by a dynamic, caring chorus teacher. Her family struggles with money and her dad with alcoholism and gambling. He says hateful things to Genesis, and she is shocked when her maternal grandmother tells her about the family values for light skin that make her feel even less loved and valued. An inspiring, insightful, and emotional read. Genesis deals with personal, family, and cultural trauma and manages to tap into her inner strength.
    • 4/5
      Genesis is a middle schooler who struggles with family issues including an alcoholic and unreliable father, who verbally abuses her for the darkness of her skin, and a mother and grandmother who also belittle her in various ways for the same reason. When her family is forced to move because her father doesn't pay the rent, she starts a new school and finds support among some new friends and teachers, and she begins to find her value and self worth.This Newbery Honor Book is an important read, especially right now. It could fill a unique space in a BLM literary canon with its take on how young people of color struggle with being able to believe that their own lives matter after a steady diet of slights and abuse in all forms. I would likely give it a higher rating still if I hadn't read it during a reading slump; I had trouble focusing on it and I know that that's completely on me and no fault at all of the text itself. So I do strongly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Genesis is all too familiar with the experience of her family being evicted: her father always falls behind on the rent. So when he finds them a beautiful home to rent in a nice neighborhood of Detroit it seems their luck is changing. Genesis now goes to a school much more resourced than her previous schools, if lacking in diversity. Trying to fit in is a challenge. The few other black girls don’t appear interested in being friends with her. Overarching all these changes is the fact that Genesis doesn’t like her dark skin and does all she can to lighten it, if only so her father will love her more. Painful and honest exploration of colorism within black culture and the impact of transgenerational transmission of cultural information.
    • 5/5
      Genesis Begins Again is a book that touched my heart. Genesis hates everything she is, as she has been told she is less than the beauty her mother beholds. Her father tells her she has her mom’s smile, but is most like him. Mind you, he is a drunk who causes the family to be evicted from house after house. Genesis wants a home and to be beautiful, which is obvious as she composed a list of 100 things to hate about being her. Genesis’s strength looking for her voice and finding beauty in herself pulled me in and rattled my heart.