Community

The importance of community and the desire to belong to one is a core part of the novel. Kiki begins the novel as a self-proclaimed antisocial young woman who has no desire to intermingle with her peers at Whitewell College. Although she loves running her radio show, Brown Sugar, Kiki prefers to only have a close friendship with Aminah: “Life was far easier when I didn’t talk to anyone but Aminah—unless it was unseen and through a mic and about what it means when a guy doesn’t like your pictures” (308). Because of the way in which Kiki has been hurt by friends in the past, she prefers to keep to herself to avoid the potential of any pain.

When Kiki starts pretending to date Malikai, who is super social and involved in the community, Kiki must come out of her shell and venture...