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Marshmallow reviews The Color of Water by James McBride

Today Marshmallow is writing about The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, written by James McBride and first published in 1995.

Marshmallow reviews The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride. — Marshmallow reviews *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother* by James McBride.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like biographies that reveal nuanced stories about race, family, identity, and love, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): James McBride is a Black man with a White mother. Today, this would likely not be considered much of a big deal. After all, mixed race marriages are something relatively commonplace in the United States today and are the simple result of the fact that love generally does not see color. However, back in the 1960s, such relationships were demonized and the pair separated by all means possible; Loving v. Virginia, the landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on interracial marriage was only passed in 1967.

For James’ mother Ruth, this was yet another struggle in a long, seemingly endless line of strife. She was born in America to two Polish Jews and, due to the fact that her father was a “lousy rabbi,” her family had to keep moving to find new places of work for him. Eventually, they settled down in Suffolk, Virginia. There, Ruth felt discrimination firsthand constantly, with classmates calling her “Jew baby” or worse. But she also witnessed the overt racism directed towards Black people around her. Her first boyfriend, Peter, was a Black man and the young couple kept their relationship a secret out of fear of the KKK. Ruth also faced consistent abuse at home from a father that emotionally, physically, and sexually tormented her; yet, despite all of this, she persevered quietly and eventually built a family. She then kept rebuilding every time she was torn down.

In The Color of Water, the author James McBride tells the story of Ruth’s life intertwined with segments of his own autobiography in between. McBride describes his chaotic environment growing up as the eighth child out of twelve total. While he knew he was loved, there was unending pressure from Ruth to be academically successful, and within such a large family, there was not enough attention to go around. As James grew older, he started recognizing that his mother’s race was different from his own and that race was a construct that society unfortunately valued in countless ways. In seeking to uncover the details of his mother’s life, James simultaneously searches for his own identity and the role that race has in America. This likely won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but the answer is nuanced and riddled with mystery—much like Ruth herself.

Marshmallow is reading The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride. — Marshmallow is reading *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother* by James McBride.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother to be a very interesting book. As a mixed race bunny growing up in a quite mixed neighborhood and school district, I have never really felt any need to ‘discover myself’ because I already knew what I was. However, James’ identity quest is understandable, especially because race was even more central to society in those times. Today, of course, race is still an issue, but seeing the way our nation was back then gives you a better sense of the role of race over time.

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother examines race on a national scale by specifically analyzing its role within a family setting. James’ story is rather unique, but the themes throughout the book (abuse, race, search for security, selflessness, grief, etc) are representative of the general human experience in certain ways. I think the fact that his life is sort of a more extreme version of general experiences helps highlight how remarkable the people in his life—and most people in general—are.

The book is relatively easy to read and I think the author wrote it for a broad audience. There are mentions of sexual abuse, drug use, and violence, so some parts might make this better for older readers (maybe twelve and older?) But overall, The Color of Water is a very important book that reveals simple truths about love, humanity, and America—such as the obvious fact that race should never dictate anything, especially love.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother* by James McBride 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French

Today Marshmallow is reviewing The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French, published in 2026. The book bunnies are delighted to be reviewing this book as part of a Blog Tour for The Good Mother Test organized by WOW! Women On Writing.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family, love, and mother-daughter relationships, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Emily loses her house to the bank when she is eighteen. Her family is forced out, but not before she sort of attacks one of the people foreclosing on her home. Yet, she recovers and succeeds academically, refusing to let that loss stop her from becoming great. At her new high school, she meets Salina, who becomes her best friend. After graduation, the two go their separate ways but remain in each other’s lives. Salina works at a plant nursery and Emily takes a gap year, planning to start her freshman year at UCLA on a scholarship after. During her gap year, Emily gets a job working as an assistant at a company doing work she finds fascinating; as a result, she excels.

If it feels like I am speeding through these parts, it is because the turning point of the story happens once Emily starts UCLA. She eventually reconnects with her former boss and that changes their relationship status to a romantic nature. Unfortunately, they make a mistake and Emily ends up pregnant. They are delighted by the idea of a child, but Doug (the father) ends up feeling like Emily isn’t right for him. He takes good care of her during the pregnancy and makes sure she is supported after, but he leaves Emily to shoulder parenting mostly by herself. Emily—who had been feeling directionless—finds purpose in her ‘career’ as a mother. Their daughter Violet becomes her whole life.

As Violet grows, it becomes clear that she is a prodigy and Emily does everything she can to provide for her, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Doug re-enters their lives when Violet is relatively young and introduces his new girlfriend Amanda. Emily is immediately threatened as Amanda and Doug start to play larger and larger roles in Violet’s life. Amanda does seem rather benevolent in a way. She pays for clothes, education, and everything else Violet might need. Yet, something within Emily recognizes Amanda as a threat. Emily wants to be the best mother she can be, but how can she compete with someone who has everything?

Marshmallow is reading The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French. — Marshmallow is reading *The Good Mother Test* by Michael R. French.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found The Good Mother Test to be a very touching yet simultaneously strange book. The plot is very good and the story meaningful. I found the emotional connections and developments were very well developed. However, I did find certain lines throughout the book to be a bit off-putting. There were never any parts that were very disconcerting, but towards the beginning I found the characterization and treatment of a couple characters to be a bit bizarre. For example, Salina seemed sort of like a token who was treated and talked to in ways that weren’t right for a best friend. This problem was resolved very soon and other similar issues disappeared half way through the book. However, the book didn’t seem to recognize that some of these things were problems.

I found it interesting that all romantic relationships were devoid of emotion. The two main protagonists, Emily and Violet, are very detached from the men they are involved with. Speaking of which, intimacy is mentioned occasionally in a way that is more suitable for readers older than sixteen. The author luckily does not describe anything too inappropriate except for one time that was shocking to me when I read it.

The word I would use to describe this book is honesty. It feels as though it is written by a real person who went through a real story like this one. The author definitely deserves recognition for writing a book about motherhood while being a father. The style was starkly different from other fiction books I’ve read, more realistic and less focused on flowing rhetoric. This makes the world seem more grounded.

One thing that made it a bit difficult for me to relate to the characters in The Good Mother Test was the level of wealth they enjoyed. Amanda is incredibly rich and Violet, as a genius, eventually makes a ton of money on her own. As a result, they do a lot of things that are very difficult for most people to do. Jewelry, clothing, and lavish items are mentioned in almost every chapter. This was unusual (I am not sure how realistic their lifestyles are), but negligible.

Overall, I would recommend The Good Mother Test especially to mothers and daughters who are old enough to understand it and absorb its message. It is a very heartfelt book dedicated to the bond between mother and child, and reading this makes one realize just how beautiful that bond is.

Marshmallow’s Review: 97%.

Marshmallow rates The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French 97%. — Marshmallow rates *The Good Mother Test* by Michael R. French 97%.

Marshmallow reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Today Marshmallow reviews the very first prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, originally published in 2020.

[Marshmallow also reviewed The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition, and Sunrise on the Reaping.]

Marshmallow reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow reviews *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* by Suzanne Collins.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked the previous Hunger Games books or are interested in beginning the series, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Coriolanus Snow is better known as President Snow of Panem to most, but in this book he is little more than a student at the Academy. Though he comes from one of the most prestigious families in the Capitol, he struggles to make ends meet after the recent war.

During those Dark Days, the thirteen districts surrounding the Capitol rebelled against it—cutting off its resources to starve it into submission—and citizens of the Capitol experienced hardships that scarred all and killed many; Even though Coriolanus and his cousin Tigris survived the Dark Days (barely), they both witnessed horrific things that haunt them throughout the book.

At the beginning of the book, Coriolanus and Tigris are living with their Grandma’am in their once-luxurious apartment. Coriolanus’s parents died during the Dark Days, and their family’s lucrative munitions manufacturing business located in District 13 was destroyed when that district was obliterated by the Capitol as punishment. Even after the war ended (with a Capitol victory), the Snow family suffered. Without parents and their income, Tigris and Coriolanus are left to uphold the Snow reputation—even though they are no longer the rich family they were. Grandma’am trains Coriolanus and Tigris to maintain their dignity and they keep their economic struggles a secret, so the Snow family still seems powerful.

At his school, Coriolanus excels and hopes to be assigned as mentor to the tribute who will win the Hunger Games. One of the professors, a Professor Gaul, wants to make the Games into a spectacle and has a student paired with each tribute in an effort to help them survive or, at least, entertain Panem. Professor Gaul wants all of Panem to remember the war in this way, and she is hoping to make more people watch the Games (because many, of course, don’t love the idea of little kids killing each other).

At this time there have only been nine Hunger Games so far because the war was so recent. The Games have yet to become the extravagant extravaganzas seen in Sunrise on the Reaping or the trilogy with Katniss starting with The Hunger Games. The Capitol simply places the twenty-four children in an arena with a pile of weapons and watches them kill one another until only one remains.

While the Snow name is respected, Coriolanus does not have parents to bribe the school (while the other students do) and is assigned the worst possible tribute: the girl from District 12. This seems like an automatic loss because District 12 is full of weak, starving people, and the girls are presumed to be even weaker than the boys. However, when the Reaping occurs, Coriolanus realizes that this curse might have been a blessing in disguise; the girl, Lucy Gray Baird, becomes the most memorable tribute after some surprising events. While not physically threatening, Lucy Gray is charming and popular, both things Coriolanus can use to get her to victory. Her singing fascinates all of Panem and Coriolanus, who begins to fall for her. Luckily for him, the feeling is reciprocated. Unluckily for him and her, she is soon to be sent into the arena. And Professor Gaul is determined to make this year’s Games one that Panem will never forget.

Marshmallow is reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow is reading *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* by Suzanne Collins.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that The Hunger Games trilogy and specifically this book should be made required reading for high school students. This book continues Collins’ trend of examining human instinct, morality, violence, and more.

I think The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes can be a stand-alone if necessary or could be a great way to start reading the Hunger Games books. I wonder what it would have been like to read this book first and go through the series chronologically. Having read the other books first, I think both ways work well. However, this book stands out in its analysis of humanity because Coriolanus’s Academy setting facilitates discussions on these topics. For example, Professor Gaul has him and his classmates write essays about what they love about war. Such analyses make this a very deep and profound piece of work, something I believe could rival the works of Orwell and Huxley.

I think Collins also did an amazing job of writing this book from the perspective of a control-obsessed, self-promoting, yet initially well-intentioned young man. I knew that Snow was going to turn evil (because I knew his role in the other books), but watching the transformation was fascinatingly disturbing. He was manipulative and a bit narcissistic from the start, but watching the worst parts of him take over—especially at the end—was very strange.

The whole book is written in third person, but I read it in a flow state in which it felt in first person … until around halfway through when I felt a sense of disconnection from the character because I realized that something about him was no longer quite right. I am not sure how to explain this.

I would strongly suggest reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I will say that it might be too dark for younger bunnies though, so I wouldn’t read it until around twelve years old—appropriately, the age when children are entered into the Reaping. I was a bit confused on the ending, but the epilogue tied everything up with a link foreshadowing what is to come in Snow’s future.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* by Suzanne Collins 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Marshmallow has already read and reviewed the three main books of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay. Then last October she reviewed The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition, a visually striking adaptation of the first book. Today she reviews Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel to the trilogy, published in March 2025.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked the Hunger Games books or are interested in reading them, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Haymitch Abernathy has one of the worst birthdays that one could get in Panem; he was born on Reaping Day—the day when the tributes from each district are selected and sent off to their deaths in the Arena. On his sixteenth birthday, he mentally prepares for the worst but refuses to show his fear on the outside. His name is in the drawing twenty times because he has had to enter it in extra to get food for his mother and brother. This is especially inopportune because twice as many tributes are being chosen because it is the Second Quarter Quell: the fiftieth Hunger Games that marks the remembrance of the Dark Days and the failed Rebellion. With these horrific events, the Capitol reminds its twelve districts that their past uprising will continually be remembered and they will be continually punished by the loss of their children on livestream.

Luckily, neither Haymitch nor his brother are pulled from the bowl of names. Haymitch’s girl Lenore Dove is also not selected. The odds seem to have favored them, until the second male tribute Woodbine Chance runs away and is killed by the Capitol’s Peacekeepers. Drusilla—the selfish, careless woman who draws the names—scrambles to find a replacement for him and chooses Haymitch when he tries to protect Lenore from the Peacekeepers during a struggle for Woodbine’s body (she was trying to help his mother have a few last moments with her son before they took his body away). All of a sudden, Haymitch is made a tribute even though he was not actually selected the right way. It does not matter though because the broadcasters rearrange the production so that Woodbine’s death is erased and it seems that he was never selected at all. In his place, Haymitch has to step up to the stage and prepare to leave to the Capitol to compete.

Haymitch knows that the Games are essentially a death sentence and, as a competitor from District 12 (a coal-mining district described as “nothing but coal dust and miners soaked in rotgut liquor”), he realizes the odds are stacked against them. (Other districts like 1, 2, and 4 prepare their children and often have less poverty and starvation, meaning their tributes are stronger and more likely to win; these tributes are called Careers.) However, he promises to his brother he will try and he also self-assigns himself as the protector of Louella McCoy, a little girl he thinks of as a sister who is also sent as a tribute for District 12.

The other two District 12 tributes are Wyatt, whose father orchestrates the gambling for the Hunger Games in District 12, and Maysilee, who comes from a richer family and seems very snobbish. Wyatt’s family’s disregard for the violence in the Games and Maysilee’s better-than-thou behavior makes Haymitch disgusted. But eventually, the four grow closer and start to ally with tributes from other districts that, like them, seem to be equally disadvantaged in comparison to the Careers. Their alliance is called the Newcomers and, for the first time, Haymitch (blissfully and perhaps willingly forgetting that they might eventually have to kill one another) begins to feel hopeful. But he is not an ordinary tribute because he is not just there to survive, he is there to fight the Capitol and everything they have done. Tragically, the Games themselves serve as foreshadowing that no resistance comes without punishing loss.

Marshmallow is reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow is reading *Sunrise on the Reaping* by Suzanne Collins.

Marshmallow’s Review: Sunrise on the Reaping is a very good book. It is set around twenty four years before the Hunger Games that Katniss Everdeen first competes in. I read the original Hunger Games series a while ago, but I recalled the name Haymitch as he was the alcoholic mentor of the District 12 tributes. This made me guess that the story in Sunrise on the Reaping was unlikely to end well, and unfortunately I was proven correct. However, the book is very well written and holds up to Collins’ previous standards of success. It is touching and disturbingly realistic, painting a world that I hope never comes to pass.

Sunrise on the Reaping returns the reader to Panem and reveals links to the original series that I only just caught. The subtlety in the connections is both annoying and simultaneously awe-inspiring. I think that Sunrise on the Reaping could be read either before or after reading the original Hunger Games trilogy. It provides good context for the character of Haymitch and sets up the world shown later on. So if there are any bunnies out there who have not yet read the original three books, they could really begin with this one; it would work well.

I did find that Sunrise on the Reaping greatly deepened my view of Haymitch and I think this is a piece of heart-rending art for showing the exact process in which he was broken as a person and in such a perfectly-executed manner (both his torture and the way Collins describes the plot). His transformation is very thought-provoking and shows how he became the lonely drunk we are introduced to alongside Katniss in The Hunger Games.

This book, like Collins’ others, is violent and is not appropriate for younger bunnies (say eleven and younger). Collins’ use of verse and song is remarkable and I thought that set this book apart from most other violent books because it highlighted the depth and meaning of the violence, giving the reader time to pause and reflect on the implications of such pain. I liked how Collins used Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and how stanzas were woven throughout the book showing how Haymitch’s story aligned with the poem in more ways than one.

Overall, this was a very well written book. I am now looking forward to reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, another prequel to the series that was published about five years ago and retells the backstory of Coriolanus Snow, who was the president of Panem in the original trilogy. I hope that it, like this book, will be a meaningful addition to the Hunger Games series.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Sunrise on the Reaping* by Suzanne Collins 100%.