Dancehall Rebel
Dancehall Rebel
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Lorimer Children & Teens
Annotation: A teen shares her dad's vibrant Caribbean musical legacy but is burdened by the homophobia that comes along with it. She needs to find a new path for the music and for herself.
 
Reviews: 1
Catalog Number: #384624
Format: Library Binding
Special Formats: High Low High Low
Copyright Date: 2024
Edition Date: 2024 Release Date: 08/01/24
ISBN: 1-459-41815-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-459-41815-8
Dewey: Fic
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews

A teen challenges family norms and navigates her sexuality in this novel centering on an Afro-Caribbean Canadian community.Denise, a Black girl born and raised in Ontario by Jamaican immigrant parents, is about to go away to college to study business. Her upbringing has been deeply entrenched in Jamaican culture, and she proudly possesses a deep love of the food and language-and especially dancehall and reggae music. She follows in her father's footsteps as a DJ and branches out into online streaming. Denise realizes she may be entering a new phase of her life in more ways than one. During one of her frequent visits to Jamaica, she spots a young woman and experiences an immediate attraction to her. But because she's from a religious Christian family, Denise's exploration of her feelings causes tension among a lot of her family members, who are traditional in their views and perceive this behavior as a harmful foreign influence. Denise must figure out how to stay true to her evolving sense of self while still honoring everything's that led to who she is today. Robinson's language and descriptions of the dual worlds Denise navigates as a first-generation Canadian are authentic in this work with reluctant reader appeal that explores important themes relating to family, community, and identity. Some important, poignant moments feel rushed and are therefore diminished in impact, however.An accessible, realistic cross-cultural coming-of-age novel about seeking a balance between tradition and change. (Fiction. 12-18)

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Kirkus Reviews
Reading Level: 5.0
Interest Level: 9-12
Lexile: HL820L

What do you do when the musical culture you love comes with a legacy of intolerance?

Denise is a teen who was raised on Jamaican dancehall music; her dad is a leading local DJ who has imbued her life with a love of music. Denise has aspirations to follow in her dad's footsteps, but there's a problem: Denise identifies as queer, and the music she loves often reflects homophobia. Her mother and relatives are also not accepting. But when she moves to Ottawa for first year university school, encouraged by a sympathetic cousin, she finds a community of like-minded kids who love and cherish both music and diversity.

This lively true-to-life portrayal of teen lives and relationships puts a contemporary spin on the cultural conflict often between more traditional families and their young family members. A groundbreaking novel portraying a Caribbean Canadian teen challenging the ongoing legacy of homophobia in her musical and cultural community. Dancehall music and culture is undergoing a large shift.


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