Review Detail

SONGS OF IRIE is a heart-wrenching and beautiful historical fiction read about politics, friendship, and music. Irie is graduating from high school in the 1970s in Jamaica, where political unrest is rampant. She will be staying on the island as she cannot afford to go to college and will be working for her father as his record shop. They live and work on the poor sides of the island, where the unrest and violence has been growing.

On the other side, Jillian, Irie's best friend, lives a life of luxury but at her parents' whims. Now that she has graduated high school, they have plans for her future, including college and marriage to a political ally's son. Jilly misses Irie and tries to keep the connection during the summer - something that seems to be growing more impossible by the day due to the political violence and her family's role in the political landscape.

What I loved: This was an absolutely compulsive read, and I found myself absolutely devouring it. The story is told primarily from Jilly and Irie's points-of-view, with glimpses into a few other characters later in the story. The setting in the 1970s Jamaica was well chosen and came to life amidst the debates and fighting occurring due to the socioeconomic disparities and rival political factions. The arguments were playing out in the streets where Irie lives and works with death following the unrest and food shortages.

The story does a fantastic job of setting the landscape for the reader and for bringing them into it all. The debates and challenges of the conflicting parties really came to life in the story through discussions between characters. The addition of the power of music, reggae in this setting, was also key to the story and added another layer of complexity. Irie has a talent with music, and given the things that she has witnessed, she also has a story to tell and express through it.

Beyond these political and musical themes, freedom is a major topic in the story, shown as a multi-faceted element that many seek but which seems unattainable due to socioeconomic status, political challenges, and family obligations. Irie and Jilly are seeking their freedom in different ways, and their journey during this summer is one of upheaval and coming-of-age as they decide who they will be and how they will let the events happening change them. They both undergo this turmoil differently, but their stories were both really powerful and showed them both beginning to come into their own.

Other themes around friendship, romantic love, parental expectations, loss/grief, fear, trauma, human trafficking, and prejudice were also really thought-provoking and powerful. Irie and Jilly were both really compelling characters, and although it was not allowed, they are beginning to realize the heavier feelings behind their close friendship. Although they come from different worlds, the exposures they have to each other's worlds during the story are transformative for each. The romance was really lovely, and each of their personal journeys was really powerful.

This was an incredibly emotional story, and I would definitely recommend having some tissues handy. It was moving and beautiful, but also raw and devastating. This is a heavy read, but so very worth picking up. I would definitely recommend for a book club/group as there would be a lot of discussion topics and much to process that would make it a great pick.

Final verdict: SONGS OF IRIE is a moving and emotional YA historical fiction that I highly recommend picking up! It is raw, heartfelt, and absolutely devastating - a beautiful read that will stick with the reader long after the last page is turned.