DANCEHALL REBEL

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.