Black Betty #3by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Betty goes home where she meets up with a frenemy, exchanges information with a ghostly girl, and tests out a mystic who may be able to help her with her absorption problem.I am totally disappointed that this Oak Ridge (her home location) does not appear to be the Oak Ridge (in Tennessee). Talk about a missed opportunity if it's not. This issue is not as action packed as the first two, but that's perfectly okay. It introduces two very interesting and intriguing characters. The frenemy, Jack, is both non-human and flirtatious, and he comes bearing an unusual gift. So much mystery and history in just a few pages. Betty's relationship with the ghostly girl is a full-out tease. The visions the girl shows Betty tease upcoming things Betty will deal with, and Betty breaks the fourth wall after their "chat" to tell the reader she'll explain more about this girl later. Betty's interaction with her landlady shows us how kind and generous she can be, which does wonders to round her out after we've seen the lengths she'll go to, to not be stiffed by her patrons. I like that Betty both embraces her strange power, making it work for her, while also wanting to be rid of it or at least understand it better. It makes her more realistic as a character -- less trope-y. Of course, with the plot underway, she finally finds a mystic who may be able to help. The foray into Betty's memories comes as a surprise ... but not as much as what is revealed in those memories. Dark stuff -- stuff that Betty doesn't want to explore even though it's tied to her power. I like how the writing tied together Betty's earlier story time with the ghostly girl, with one of the memories delved into here. Given the first memory we see and Betty's reaction to it, and the second memory starting, the cliffhanger is well-placed. Written: May 2, 2018
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