Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown Review

 Title: Black Girl Unlimited 

Author: Echo Brown 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Magical Realism 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I was sent an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher and won it through the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you very much to the author, publisher, and Goodreads! 

TW: Abuse on-page, sexual assault on-page, masturbation on-page, emotional abuse on-page, drug use off-page, language. If any of these things trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters! 

Black Girl Unlimited is the story of young Echo Brown, a teenage wizard living on one of the poor sides of the city of Cleveland. Born to parents addicted to crack cocaine, all Echo wants is to leave and get away from her difficult life with her brothers and broken parents. When she discovers that she is an actual wizard with the power to stop time, she realizes that she must finish her training if she’s going to become someone and leave her difficult past behind. But dealing with her demons is far harder than she could’ve ever imagined, and if she doesn’t face the dark parts of her past, she may never get to see the hopefulness of her bright future... 

This book was very good! The pacing was snappy and I was immediately drawn into Echo’s world, rife with abuse, poverty, and drug use. I was totally captivated by Echo’s frank, honest voice, and her very real struggle to leave her life behind and not fall prey to drug addiction and the other plights of her friends, parents, and neighbors. She sets her sights high, hoping to go to college and leave the dark parts of her life behind. Before she’s even a teenager, she experiences true darkness, more than once. And even with the power to stop time, she realizes she must truly face her demons if she’s ever going to make it into the light. I devoured this book in two and a half days; I loved it so much. It was honest, compelling, and ultimately very hopeful; I loved the ending! I loved how the author used the truth of her upbringing to create a coming-of-age story unlike any other. This might be one of my very favorite books I’ve read in 2022; compelling, creative, and magical, I loved Black Girl Unlimited! The bottom line: Rich with magic, detail, and courage, I absolutely adored Black Girl Unlimited! Next on deck: Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford!