For a teen navigating complex family secrets, serious illness, and first love, this book explores identity, belonging, and confronting uncomfortable truths.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is navigating a complex family situation, perhaps involving a seriously ill relative or long-held secrets. "We Deserve Monuments" follows seventeen-year-old Avery as she moves to rural Georgia to care for her terminally ill, estranged grandmother. As Avery uncovers the painful history that tore her family apart, a history entangled with racism and a town's buried secrets, she also finds first love with her neighbor, Simone. This powerful novel explores intergenerational trauma, queer Black identity, grief, and the importance of confronting uncomfortable truths to find healing. It is an excellent choice for mature teens ready to discuss difficult topics like systemic racism, mortality, and the complexities of family love.
Depicts systemic racism, historical racial violence (lynching), and homophobia.
Romantic ContentModerate
Features a queer romance with kissing and some sensual, non-explicit scenes.
LanguageMild
Some instances of profanity are present.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly and realistically with terminal illness and death. Mama Letty's decline is a central, unflinching part of the narrative. Racism and homophobia are also direct themes, portrayed through historical violence (a lynching), microaggressions, and interpersonal conflicts. The resolution is realistic rather than idealistic; the family finds a path toward healing and truth, but the broader societal issues remain. The approach is secular.
Ideal Reader
A mature teen (15-18) who appreciates character-driven stories that blend social justice, mystery, and romance. A great fit for a reader grappling with their own family's unspoken history, navigating a relationship with a difficult grandparent, or exploring their intersecting identities.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared to discuss heavy topics including terminal illness, grief, systemic racism, historical racial violence, and homophobia. The romance includes kissing and intimacy, though it is not graphic. Providing historical context about racism and lynchings in the American South would be beneficial for some readers. A parent hears their teen expressing frustration about their family's past: "Why won't anyone talk about what happened?" or notices their teen is trying to understand the roots of a difficult family relationship, especially between a parent and grandparent.
Age Experience
A younger teen (14-15) will likely focus on the poignant romance and the immediate family drama. An older teen (16-18) is better equipped to appreciate the nuances of intergenerational trauma, the commentary on how history is remembered (or erased), and the complex morality of the characters' past actions.
What Makes It Special
This book's unique strength is how it masterfully weaves together three distinct threads: a tender queer love story, a tense multigenerational family drama, and a gripping historical mystery. Unlike many books that focus on one of these elements, this novel shows how personal identity, family history, and social justice are inextricably linked.
Read plot summary
Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson moves with her parents from Washington, D.C. to small-town Bardell, Georgia, to care for her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. Her mother is deeply estranged from Mama Letty, and Avery soon begins to investigate the reasons why. Her search uncovers a decades-old murder, a hidden family history of racial violence, and the town's buried secrets. While navigating her complex family, Avery falls in love with her neighbor Simone and befriends Jade, Simone's ex, exploring her own identity as a Black, queer young woman in the rural South.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Avery's mom, Zora, tried to protect her by keeping the family's painful history a secret. Do you think this was the right choice? When is it better to share difficult truths versus keeping them secret?
2
The title is "We Deserve Monuments." What do you think this means in the context of the story? Who are the people who deserve monuments but don't have them, and why is remembering them important?
3
Mama Letty is a very complicated character: she is loving but also sharp-tongued and has made painful choices. How did your feelings about her change throughout the book? Is it possible to love someone while holding them accountable?
4
How did the setting of Bardell, Georgia, influence the characters' actions and the story's central mystery? How might the story have been different if it were set in a large city like D.C.?
