Since the publication of their first book, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey (2021), comedian Ruffin and her sister Lamar have received lots of feedback. Some readers rejoiced in the catharsis of calling out horrific and absurd instances of everyday racism. Other responses were less glowing, as folks created new racist stories for the sisters while trying to understand the existence of a book of racist stories. So the hilarious Amber and Lacey are giving the people what they need with this new collection of bigotry tales, delivering a fresh dose of their candor, wit, and smarts. Readers will be happy to see the authors' parents and siblings, beloved characters from the first book, also starring in these stories. Like the one about a white colleague who thought he "won" diversity training by having the highest score for privilege. Older sister Angie, a pastor, once fielded a complaint from a white congregant about her use of "brothers and sisters" while addressing the pews. Having faced racism that will make readers' skin crawl, the authors offer humor in a riotous tangle of rage, disbelief, amusement, and frustration but never lose their underlying message: racism is harmful, pervasive, and always wrong.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey was a runaway success and readers will clamor for another book with the authors' name on it.

A perfect follow-up to the authors' You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey. Ruffin and her sister, Lamar, describe their second collaboration as a collection of stories not just about the two of them, as in their previous book, but "about our whole family, all our siblings and even some friends." Here, the tone is heavier than You'll Never Believe; the authors note that the text is roughly "50/50 silly/scary racist stories." Their tales range widely--someone using a ridiculous racist phrase at work that required research to understand; a jaw-dropping example of "why we need diversity training at diversity training"; and a heartbreaking yet poignant account of Lamar leading a Zoom-based Q & A session regarding the first book with several "boys and girls homes across the US"--and offer a pleasingly diverse array of different generations, occupations, and environments. As in the previous book, the banter between the sisters is consistently funny, but the underlying social commentary remains incisive. Among countless others, standout pieces include Lamar's description of an incredibly awkward first date and a story about a Black mother who was informed that when her children registered at a new school, they would need their pictures taken and "show it to all the students so they don't get scared." Though obviously upset, the mother made the pictures because, as the authors write, "if these people need to see Black people in order to not feel scared, then there's no telling what the fuck these little monsters are capable of." Ultimately, Ruffin and Lamar provide a much-needed wake-up call for anyone who still doesn't believe the severity of anti-Black racism in America. "What is a racist?," they ask at the beginning. "Is it just a confused person who means well but blah blah blah? No. A racist is a turd." Well said. An excellent look at lived experiences of Black Americans that should be required reading for all Americans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.