“I’d moved halfway across the world, crossed the ocean, stepped into a different time zone, and still I did not fit neatly into a box. not quite black enough for the African kids, certainly not light enough for the white kids. still a square peg in a sea of round holes…. i was tired of always trying to fit in. Why couldn't I just be myself? why couldn't I enjoy people's company not because of what they could do for me but just because I enjoyed it, no matter where they were from? why should I deny where I came from?”

This was indeed an enjoyable coming-of-age story on identity, fitting in/belonging, dreams, and hope. I couldn’t stop rooting for young Pumpkin as she continued to encounter blocks but was determined to achieve her goal.

told from a first-person perspective of a teen, the author’s inclusion of topics and characters that very much appeal to adults was very compelling with the multi-layered and dynamic women in young Pumpkin’s life that were having negative and positive effects on her growth and road towards accomplishment. while facing internal struggles of their own.

unfortunately, they were never tackled or developed as I became more interested. There was a lot that needed to be packed with these women. But they stayed distant till the end. And that left me wanting and unsatisfied, especially after its abrupt end. Even the sudden death of the grandmother

“I realized it was Sophie's skin she was trying to shed. I realized, with sadness, that she would never feel she was good enough, no matter where she went. And I knew it wasn't her fault, but I also knew I didn't want to be that way. Not anymore.”

"What I want is for her to fight for me. I want her to want me. I want to be enough for her. I want her to love me. Or, at least, I want not to care that she doesn't… I look at my mother and she meets my eye. For a moment it seems she's in pain, her forehead scrunched up, her mouth slightly open, her hand stretched just a little towards me like she wants to say something, but then her eyes slide away from mine and find a place on the floor

I do appreciate the author’s maintaining focus on dear pumpkin. Sometimes she sounded like a preteen and teen in my head, but she was very smart, strong-willed, and had to be independent at such an age

Characters; believable, memorable, multilayered, diverse representation, character-driven

Writing, Plot, and Setting; rushed, realistic, easy to read, original, straightforward, descriptive, and vivid imagery of the backdrop of the Caribbean and its luscious patois, suspenseful, unsatisfying conclusion (to me)

Content warning; poverty, generational trauma, dysfunctional family, parents/daughter relationships, parental neglect, abuse, colorism, favoritism, classicism, identity

Recommended: if you like coming-of-age stories, especially if it comes with the love of food preparation or baking in expressing oneself, individualism, achieving goals, and as a form of therapy. If you’ve read ‘The Girl With The Louding Voice’ and liked it, I’m sure you’ll feel the same with this too