Complicated mother/daughter dynamics grounded in an even more complex family history drive the decisions of Noni and her mother Radiance in Tangleroot. An uncomfortable and rather bland beginning, where 18 year old Noni is forced to set aside her dreams by her mother’s decisions for her, develops into a well-told tale of the search for ancestral identity. As Noni discovers early on, Radiance’s southern Virginia hometown has more than scars rooted in antebellum slavery, but raw wounds from lingering racism and resentment as the power balance finally starts shifting more toward equality. Through her own historical research, Williams uses Noni to confront the abhorrent ideas some cling to today to defend slavery and inequality. At the same time, she explores the difficulties of trying to find and corroborate evidence from people who were prevented from leaving behind much more than an oral history. Similar to Jas Hammonds’ We Deserve Monuments, this is a story that peels back the layers of the past to help forge a way forward.


Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this novel.

This book was half modern day storytelling half historical fiction. One of the best parts of this book were the diaries and stories from the past. They were an unflinching look at the horrors of the past that we never need to forget. Mimi was a complicate character who I just felt for. Even though she could be rude and annoying at times I could understand how an 18 year old going through the trauma of the move and parents divorce could be this way. What I did not understand was why Radiance was so cruel to Noni. And I felt that was never truly addressed or resolved.

Tangleroot was built by slaves in Virginia. Noni’s mother has bought it – one her ancestors built it and she believes he was also the founder of Stonepost College, where she now works. Noni is not interested in all the tangled roots of her family tree and those who also live in this town, but she cannot escape them. The multiple ancestors’ stories could get a little confusing in the e format, but I just could not put this book down. Don’t forget to read the author’s not at the end!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
#Tangleroot #NetGalley

I initially was drawn to Tangleroot because of the beautiful cover design. The story itself delves into the topic of racism--past and present iterations of it--as the reader gets to see the complexities of Noni's life, her relationship with her mother, conflicts in the parent-child relationship, and this deep exploration of her roots. Overall, it was a really good book.

Content warning: racism, descriptions of enslavement, physical abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, hate crimes, murder, microaggressions

So, Dr. Radiance Castine is a piece of work, right? While I understand why she is the way she is (especially by the end of the novel when Noni learns the ugly truth of her mom's time in rural Virginia), I had a really hard time getting over how horrible she was to Noni. It seemed like she was doing everything possible to kill Noni's dreams and career opportunities all because it wasn't a path she understood or respected.

With that being said, I thought Noni's journey at Tangleroot while she explored her family history was really interesting. I didn't see all the twists coming either, which was exciting. Overall, this is not an easy book to read as Noni faces a lot of tough situations from everyone from family, to friends, to coworkers, to townsfolk. Williams does a really good job of illustrating how complicated the past can be and how people may be more connected than they thought.

I think this will do well with older teens who may want to explore the tough topics that are covered in this book and might open a conversation about identity and legacy.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Macmillan Kids for the ARC! For the most part I really enjoyed it - I think I guessed one of the twists but definitely not all of them. Some of the time jumps were confusing as the orienting details weren’t brought in until a couple paragraphs in, but overall I liked the book.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Tangleroot gathered my interest when I first saw the cover, but the story was SO good. It was an amazing coming-of-age with a complex MC that's coming to terms with her roots. This was a great novel, and I honestly didn't realize this was even a debut until looking into the author more! Highly recommend. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I'll be honest, I requested this book because I love the cover. But I listened to the audiobook and found it to be absolutely captivating. Tangleroot is a YA coming-of-age novel that is largely about what it's like to do genealogical research as an African American.

Noni has grown up in her mothers shadow and feels kind of suffocated by the expectation that she follow in her footsteps. Her mom is a well-respected scholar of African-American history & literature and has just taken over as the head of a small liberal arts college in her hometown. So the summer before Noni is set to begin college, she is dragged away from her home in Boston and a desirable internship in costuming to live in the plantation house where her ancestors were enslaved. And she hates it. But as time goes on, she begins to do her own research into her family history and the history of the people who owned the plantation. Along the way she uncovers long held, sometimes painful secrets, but also finds her place in the world as a young woman.

Noni is a complex and well-drawn character. She's not perfect, but you viscerally feel her anger and frustration at her moms control of her life. And yet, there's a lot she doesn't know and lot she needs to learn. This book tackles racism of varying degrees both historically and in the modern day. It lays out a lot of important history that is sometimes glossed over because it's painful or difficult. And it pushes back on false narratives of enslaved people being treated kindly or like "family". And the messiness of family trees when you look at too common occurrence of sexual assault and unequal relationships.

This is an incredibly impressive debut novel and I could not put it down. I hope it gets into the hands of many young people! The audio narration is excellent and engrossing. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thank You to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the Arc
Tangleroot is as loving as it is heartbreaking; Kalela Williams tells the story of the African Diaspora and what it means to piece together your history from scraps. In her desire to escape, Nani is a vibrant protagonist who begins to uncover her connection to the Tangleroot plantation and the College that sits on its land. Williams writes a world and history that sucks you into the story while still leaving more mystery to uncover.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to recommend it to my teens who love historical fiction/fantasy. This story is one I think a lot of teens can relate to (i.e. Noni growing up in her mom's shadow & handling race relations). Fans of Kindred will also fall in love with Tangleroot and I can't wait to read more of Kalela Williams' work!

Noni has dreams for her life, sewing and costume designing is what her future holds. She is well known in her hometown for her amazing and talented costumes. So much so that she is offered a once in a lifetime internship. Eager to take it she tries to discuss it with her mother Radience but she is quickly shot down. Radience see's a different future for her daughter. One that will take her back to her roots at Tangleroot. Radience is working hard to bring to light that their ancestor is the reason that the school located in her hometown even exists.
Noni wants none of it, she doesn't care about where her family's roots came from or what her ancesters endured at the hands of the plantation owners. That is until she begins to unravel the story of a white gir whos room she now stays in, at the home that her mother has reclaimed for themselves.
Sometimes the parts of ourselves that we hate, those around us that we strongly dislike are more apart of us than we even realize. Our past and our histories are tanged in unimaginable ways as Noni soon will find out. Can she uncover all the secerets that Tangleroot has to offer?

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #Tangleroot by #KalelaWilliams in return for a fair and honest review

Unfortunately, this was a read i couldn’t really tap into at this time. I’ve come back to it and tried to push through, but I found myself struggling with it. I do love the idea of the book but something was really stopping me from truly enjoying it fully and keeping me 100% interested. I think anyone who loves this type of genre, will definitely like this book and how this story all unfolds. It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay.
3 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers of this book for giving me a chance to read this early. I’m very thankful!

This was such an interesting book. Having a move from the north to the south is daunting for anyone, but especially so if the person is a black girl moving onto a plantation. There is so much nuance to this story and it was interesting to see Noni's journey with her move.

Character development is a strong suit here; the protagonist’s journey is both personal and epic, filled with challenges that test their resolve and character. The interplay between various characters adds layers of complexity and richness to the plot.

Tangleroot stands out for its atmospheric prose and its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and unease. It’s a captivating read, offering a story that’s as haunting as it is enthralling.

This book was pretty mid for me. There were a ton of things I liked, including the MC being very relatable. As a POC from a colonized country I understand where the MC came from, considering her roots and trying to find where she came from. But this aspect of the plot made the story go haywire in my opinion and I wasn't as interested anymore. What intrigued me was Noni's relationship with her mother, their dynamic and conversations. But again, this isn't my go-to genre or type of book, so others may have different understandings.

Tangleroot follows Noni a talented and upcoming fashion designer. She is planning on staying in Boston and attend BU and getting a dream job. Her parents are just divorced and her mom has just accepted a fabulous new job as president of a small private college in Virginia which was founded by one of their enslaved ancestors. Meanwhile her dad doesn't know where he's going to end up. Instead of getting to do what she's planned Noni is guilted/forced to go to Virginia with her mom for the summer--COMPLETELY what she doesn't want to do. There is a lot of tension between she and her mom as she resists making friends and just doesn't care about her mom's historical research on their family.

But then she gets drawn into a mystery of a tombstone that has her own first name and birthdate on it...but in a white graveyard! There is a lot of mystery and diving into history and it's many ripples to future generations in this book.

While the writing was done well, I just didn't care for the book myself.

DNF. I gave this book six chapters worth of time. I kept hoping that something creative and unique would happen. Alas, it did not. Perhaps after six chapters things magically cease to be absolutely stereotypical. Perhaps all the tropes we’ve seen a thousand times before in young adult literature in the last five years disappear. Before people come at me for reviewing a book I didn’t finish, remember that I’m a teacher. There’s no way my students would give this book six chapters worth of time. They recognize shallow and tired plots and characters much faster than I do. In the interest of time…I am moving along.

From reading the blurb about the book, I expected a more straightforward trajectory for the story. However, this was not straightforward at all! It had all the dips, twists, and turns of a rollercoaster. And yes that is a good thing. I really enjoyed Noni as a character. She was very well developed.

3.5 stars

Received an ARC to read Tangeroot. I wasnt sure what to expect but the cover was beautiful and the book was definitely not what I expected. A journey of a girl navigating through a new life when her mother makes you move and give up some important dreams. A journey of navigating herself while dealing with deep rooted family history and racism.

I loved this book! Noni is a relatable protagonist and it's easy to sympathize with her as her parents' divorce throws a wrench into her summer plan to pursue her dream internship. Noni's career goals are odds with her mother's plans for her, and being forced to move only widens the rift between them.

Moving from Boston to a rural, conservative town is a big change, and Noni finds herself struggling to adapt. And while she deals with racism, she also has to confront her own prejudices against the people in her new community. I appreciated the nuanced, complex conversations about topics such as race, prejudice, and identity.

Noni's investigation of her ancestors and the history of Magnolia was really interesting. I loved following along with her research, making connections, and, in the process, watching her grow as a person. This book addresses the messiness of ancestry and its impact on self identity, and explores how burying uncomfortable truths can affect relationships.

I also loved that this story, while fictional, draws on historical events and the experiences of real people. It's clear that the author did her research to build a story that feels grounded in reality. I hope to read more by this author in the future!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams is a first person-POV YA contemporary. Noni and her mother, a scholar of Black literature and president of Stonepost College, move to rural Virginia, away from everything Noni had been planning for herself. With her dreams of going to Boston University and studying fashion and design put on hold, Noni looks into the owners of the home she now lives in, a home that used to be a plantation and a family that had enslaved Noni’s ancestors.

I loved the nuance that Kalela Williams threaded into this and how she posited a lot of difficult questions. When Noni sees that an exhibit in Philadelphia is purposefully leaving out minstrel shows, she clearly states that they are racist and offensive, but asks if it’s right to ignore that they happened. The narrative doesn’t provide a clear answer here, but it does ask the reader to ask themselves that question. Noni also deals with a lot of racism in her new community but she shows that she has a bit of classism herself in calling the people around her ‘hicks’ to a coworker who had been very kind to her, which greatly insults this coworker.

Noni’s mother, Radiance, can be very controlling when it comes to what she thinks is best for Noni’s life. Radiance not only removes Noni from New England, she also takes away Noni’s chance of going to BU and forces Noni to sign up for classes at the local community college, work, and tutoring lessons. What’s worse, many of the courses are decided by Radiance and they are not what Noni is interested in because Radiance believes Noni has a bright future in literature and history. The ironic thing is, Noni does love history, fashion history, and she’s great at research; she’s just not given the chance to focus on the topics she likes. Despite this, Radiance is displayed loving her daughter very deeply, she just believes she knows best and doesn’t really listen sometimes.

Any book that takes place on a plantation is going to have to reckon with racism and the history of enslavement. Kalela Williams handles the topic with nuance, depth, and with complete honesty in depicting the South’s racist history and present. There are some very uncomfortable moments and some very period accurate racist beliefs. This is far from the first book I have read depicting racism in the South, past and present, and I was shocked at some of what was on the page even if I one hundred believe that did happen and still happens.

Content warning for period accurate racism, depictions of enslavement, mentions of sexual assault and child abuse.

I would recommend this to readers looking for a YA book discussing anti-Black racism with honesty, fans of YA that has a strong focus on mother-daughter relationships that also want a focus on social issues, and those looking for a contemporary YA to open up discussions in their in-group about today’s political climate.