Book Review: Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne

‘Vinyl Moon’ by Mahogany L. Browne was published in 2022. It is a novel-in-verse that follows Angel, a teenage girl uprooted from her immediate family unit in California and moved to Brooklyn at her family’s behest after a violent fallout with her boyfriend, Darius.

Throughout the story, readers get a chance to understand more about Angel and the circumstances that brought to her new school in Brooklyn. While the book is short, you don’t come to understand the extent of her trauma and the fallout of what happened between her and Darius.

Angel’s story was one of self-discovery, finding your feet and your voice, she found a group of people that understood her, and found a way to express her emotions through music. Prior to being uprooted and sent away to move in with her uncle, Angel was raising her younger siblings while her mother worked hard to put food on the table, but this was thankless work. She was a parent, even as a child, and while Angel wanted freedom, she rarely got it, and when she was able to just be a teenager, she was in the company of her boyfriend Darius, whose love was wrought with jealousy and violence. He wasn’t a good partner and Angel hadn’t realised how vast that cruelty could be.

I loved the way Browne was able to rehash ideas and motifs through Angel’s story, and explored the idea of various notable books by influential black writers. The character of Ms G was a powerful, confident voice that guided Angel to find her footing among her new peers and engage in literature through the lens of music. I adored the idea of Ms G likening books such as ‘The House On Mango Street’ to moods and styles of music from artists that her students could access. Therefore, allowing her students to access literature they will relate and resonate with.

Angel’s journey of becoming a reader was compelling and engaging. I related to the idea of falling in love with reading and suddenly feeling like you are starving for more, as that is how I felt once I finally broke free of a years-long reading slump.

I really enjoyed this story, and I would definitely recommend it, especially as a reader who came to explore literature and voice myself.