Honestly, this was a fabulous book! I was intrigued by the protagonist's story and how she learned more and more about her family's history. I also adored her relationship with Simone, and how it grew. There was a great sense of LGBTQ the community and their joy, even living in a very conservative area. 5 stars for sure. I can't wait for Jas Hammonds' next book!

This book tackles some complex issues and is thus important to read.

The book starts out quite slow, with Avery's arrival in Bardell and some elements of backstory and because the first scene is her arrival, it meant that I struggled to get started within the book. However, it quickly picks up as key characters are introduced, so the slight dip in pace at the beginning of the novel does not affect the story too much.

Avery was well fleshed out -- her frustration, confusion, anger and joy were all well developed. Her slow navigation of her breakup and her questioning over whether or not her feelings for someone new were requited or not were all visibly new processes for her and it was wonderful to see her grow.

The side characters were less fleshed out and thus came off as irritating sometimes; some of their decisions would seem unreasonable and at times they just seemed stubborn for no reason. However, Avery's family, friendship and relationship dynamics made all of it worth it.

Grief plays such a large part within this book that it felt as though it was a character itself. I think it was wonderfully written; I nearly cried several times. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I loved the structure where in there are interval chapters.

However, the places within this book struggles are in relation to the plot itself -- a lot of it is so intricately woven that it becomes confusing. Sometimes things are only hinted at but hinted at in such a way as to still be vague or hinted at in such an obvious manner that you start questioning yourself. There were also quite a lot of different subplots which meant that the story seemed to jump from one thing to another sometimes.

Overall, a great book with some minor issues that honestly do not detract from the enjoyment of the book to much. If you are someone who does not get irritated by people behaving irrationally easily, this will be a 5 star read for you.

There is so much I loved about this--truly one of the best YA books I've read in a long time! The authors weaved together so many different storylines seamlessly. Somehow this is a coming-of-age novel that is about queerness and first love and also tackles issues of intergenerational trauma and legacy and racist violence head-on. It's a gut-punch of a book in the best possible way. I cannot believe this is a debut and I am so excited to see what Jes Hammonds writes next.

My Thoughts:

This story is about dysfunction and secrets. The passive but supportive peace makers seem to be the two men, but Avery's dad is always gone playing music and her grandfather has been dead since Avery's mom was a little girl.

The women, Mama Letty, her mom and Avery all have their own demons to tackle in order to better understand each other. Added to that is the pressure of taking care of Mama Letty and getting to know her before she dies. She is hard to get close to, but I found the Mama Letty character as misunderstood and grieving. Unfortunately, Avery's mother pays the price for her mother's pain.

Although the three friends, Avery, Simone Cole and Jade Oliver represent a more contemporary friendship that bridges race and class, this little southern town is still ensconced in racism, classism and homophobia. It is not safe for any one as the family in power, the Olivers still have all the power. For Avery, who did not grow up in the south, this is a jarring way to live and she has difficulty filtering the truth. The question from the publisher is a great anticipation question prior to reading this book.

Next read could be Where the Crawdads Sing.

From the Publisher:
What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace?

Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two.

While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family―whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.

As the three girls grow closer―Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance―the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell―or if some things are better left buried.

Publication information:
Author: Jas Hammonds

Publisher: Roaring Books Press

Publication date: November 29, 2022

So many layers to this book. Mama Letty is hilarious and I can picture my own grandmother saying many of her lines. It made me consider the varying relationships family members have with our elders, many of which are survivors of trauma. So take that, alongside a cute queer love story and grief and joy woven together beautifully.

First, thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Now onto it! Two words: heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved the writing style and plot development as well as the way generational trauma is addressed. While, yes, this book has a couple flaws, the good far outweighs them, and even then, they aren't even remotely overwhelming. I think the flaws that are there make it more real, more raw. Jas Hammonds handles everything with such care, such reverence, and that really comes across when reading. This one is a re-read for me.

5/5

This is a moving YA novel about intergenerational trauma. Avery is distraught when she has to move, in her senior year, from D.C. to Georgia to help care for her dying grandma. Avery does not have a relationship with her prickly grandparent, and as the story progresses, the mystery of Mamma Letty's past becomes clear and the reader understands how racism in the past continues to impact Black people today. A sweet Sapphic romance adds to the story. Recommended for high school and up.

A very moving book.
This was a bit of a tough read for me to get through but the Romance and the mystery ended up being well worth it.
It is a light sapphic romance that has me crying at parts.
There are some trigger warnings: homophobia, murder, cancer

I had a feeling this book would be a tough read, but I had no idea I would be ugly crying for half of the book. If you are going to read this book, then I highly recommend keeping a box of tissues next to you.

I loved this book. I was sobbing at the end of it. Super well plotted and I enjoyed the way the family relationships/secrets played out.

A tough but thought provoking read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its themes of family, friendships and buried secrets. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery and how Avery navigated the layers of generational trauma to get to the truth. We Deserve Monuments holds up a mirror to anti-blackness, homophobia, love and unearthing small town, family secrets. Highly recommended read for all ages.

In her senior year of high school, Avery must leave her DC home and friends to move to Georgia with her parents to care for her terminally ill and estranged grandmother. It's an unhappy situation, because not only does Avery dislike the idea of small town living, but her mother and grandmother have a toxic relationship with constant fighting. Told mostly from Avery's point of view, we are with her as she makes two good friends, one of whom becomes a serious romance, and as she persists in establishing a relationship with her curmudgeonly dying grandmother. Painful family secrets from the past are at the heart of the family discord as well as the stressors on Avery's relationship with Simone, but Avery persists in uncovering them. This novel reminds us of the tragedies of racism and violence, and the impact that they carry into the future. The narrative moves along quickly without being heavy-handed about issues, and the few post-pandemic references will not relegate this story to being dated.

"Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations. "

Avery feels like her life has changed (for the worse) when she is forced to move from her home in Washington DC to a hostile southern town. Here Avery finds friendship in the most unsuspecting people; here grandma "mama Letty", Simone the next door neighbor, and Jade an heir to the towns most prosperous family. Avery faces many hard truths that not only make her question her identity but also the identity of those around her. A slow burn murder mystery entangled in all the stereotypical problems of a teenager, and some not so stereotypical situations of how COVID has effected the characters, and deep grief. Hammonds has a unique set up where we are seeing many of the problems of our youthful main characters mirrored with similar experiences by the adults in the family.

Hammonds has wrote a book that is so needed in the young adult book sphere. There are so many strong topics in this book that are handled with so much care, love, and attention! This is one of those books where I wish every young adult had an opportunity to read this book especially the minorities that Hammonds has focused on.

I received a free copy of this book and am choosing to leave my own honest review.

This book is everything. The characters, endearing (even the ones you're supposed to dislike) the complexity and realistic nature of the family, friend, and romantic relationships. Look forward to more from this author.

Avery is a remarkable protagonist who is both so certain and so uncertain at the same time about who she is, about the people around her, and about the future. She is perceptive, relatable, and curious. This book shows family trauma and abuse in a more nuanced and intricate way than I have ever read before. This book will also make the reader ask a lot of questions about both the story and the world beyond the story. We’ll written.

We Deserve Monuments deserves all the praise. A timely book about how our past ancestors' actions can effect us today. The main character, Avery, is a strong biracial teen who stops at nothing to unravel a family secrets that have been buried for many years.

I love Avery's story and how she navigates her various family relationships and friendships. This book is extremely well-written. I was kept on the edge of my seat many times waiting for the secrets to reveal themselves.

Avery Anderson’s family has just relocated from Washington, DC, to rural Bardell, Georgia, and she is none too happy about it. The pandemic robbed Avery of many classic high school moments, and she has recently broken up with her first serious girlfriend. Now her maternal grandmother has terminal cancer, and over Mama Letty’s objections the Andersons are moving in to be present for her final months. Avery starts her senior year at Beckwith Academy and quickly bonds with her next door neighbor, Simone, and her bestie, Jade. Meanwhile, things remain tense at home. Avery’s mom and grandmother clash constantly and Avery has questions about her grandfather that no one will answer. Avery’s motto (“Get in, get out, no drama, focus forward”) becomes more difficult to maintain as a crush on Simone blossoms into a secret romance. Brief interstitial chapters from an omniscient point of view add depth of perspective on Bardell and its inhabitants throughout the years. Add in two unsolved murders and this debut novel undeniably has a lot going on, but Jas Hammonds pulls it off beautifully. We Deserve Monuments offers a timely commentary on racism and homophobia as well as the unparalleled joy of first love, intergenerational connections, and the cost of keeping secrets.

THIS BOOK. This is an astounding book of family history, generational trauma, the intersection of identities, and self-discovery.
It's one I want on my shelf for my children to randomly pick up and then be astounded by ... the type of book people pass along because it's just so good and that's all they can say. It's one that I, for sure, will be recommending to anyone who simply wants a book that they can't stop thinking about.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad I read this book! I've been moving away from YA in the past year, but this book really sucked me into the story. I loved how it handled and balanced the combination of a sapphic romance and such an intriguing mystery that kept you interested in the story the whole way through (I usually like having an extra element to the plot rather than just a romance, so this was perfect!) It was also extremely hard-hitting and dealt with a lot of important and difficult conversations. A very complex story that I feel lucky to have read.

A story of grief, generational trauma, and learning that you don’t have to have everything figured out or fixed to live a full life.

This is beautifully written and an interesting story that came together perfectly. Hammonds is a writer to watch.