Juniper Leaves” is ultimately a remarkable story that will inspire other young Black women to discover their magic and become something great

Coined by Aunt Peebz, the phrase "Black girls are magical" has become one of the most powerful phrases in recent years. While it is usually evoked to celebrate the small and big achievements of black girls and women, some black creative people have incorporated this phrase into making black girls who are literally magical. The latest example of this is the book for young adults "Juniper Leaves" by the writer and comedian Jaz Joyner.

Titled as "Juniper Leaves: The Otherworldly Tale of a Solitary Magical Girl," the book tells the story of a 15-year-old black girl named Juniper Bray. After his grandmother dies, Juniper Bray goes to a farm for his father's research trip. There, she discovers a portal that leads to a magical destination that involves another world called Cantatis.

One of the most remarkable things in this book is how blatantly black and rare it is. The author is a non-binary black trans type and Juniper, the main protagonist of his book, is black and weird. This not only makes Juniper authentic, but she and her creator offer a voice for black gay people that may seem rare in speculative fiction.

While Juniper Bray is clumsy and introverted, she also feels very comfortable with her blackness and rarity. Juniper's complexity is manifested through his internal dialogue, which serves as the narrator of the story.

A particularly entertaining train of thought says: "While my father would go out discovering cures, I would be cultivating." The last time I checked, black families who worked in the free fields was something I would like to call slavery, I wrote directly to my parents a document entitled "Slavery happened, let's not forget about that."

Another way in which this book presents Blackness and Queerness is through its secondary characters. Of all the characters, Bree Mckinney stands out more. Bree is a noisy, intelligent and rebellious black teenager who ends up becoming Juniper's game cousin and joins her magical adventure. Bree's boisterous personality makes Bree more daring as a heroine and teenager, resulting in good and disastrous events that are part of Juniper's maturity.

Other interesting secondary characters include the Japanese androgynous female love interest of Juniper, Sen, the genderless species called Beyans, and the family of Bree and Juniper. Bree's family will be especially recognizable to anyone with black families, from the annoying nosy sibling to the oldest member of the family who can jump into the kitchen.

Rounding out all this is the magic of the alternative world of Cantatis. In this world, Juniper and Bree are trained by the fairy Harmonia and the warrior Beyan Aggro to save the world. While part of the world construction may have been more consistent and some of the magic may have been less cheesy, the action and adventure of the Juniper and Bree experience makes up for the lack of polish.

By believing in the magic she possesses, Juniper Bray becomes a brave heroine and young woman. Like the plant that gives it its name, Juniper gradually becomes something that honors its roots with its grandmother while diversifying as its own person. While it has its flaws, "Juniper Leaves" is ultimately a remarkable story that will inspire other young black girls to discover their magic and become something great.