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fowvee4's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Loved this book and the stories, the diversity of the stories in terms of topic, theme, people, but centring on the stories of women and the diaspora.
bmnayr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This collection of short stories came on my radar as a result of Levar Burton Reads. (podcast) A wide swath of genre is covered in a relatively short time. Fantasy and fiction and mythology and biography all jumbled together. Really fun and inspiring.
_chaoticbooknook's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The long and short of it is - read this book.
I haven’t had such visceral reactions while reading a book in a long, long time. So much so that I looked up buying the book outright after the first two stories (literally 10% in).
“The Future Looks Good” rendered me speechless. “Light” had me almost in tears. “Windfalls” made my heart ache. I could go on and on. Almost every story left me slackjawed at the end.
Arimah gives us a lens to explore intergenerational trauma, family relationships, first generation immigrant tensions while allowing us to glimpse and better understand the Nigerian experience. Each story follows a female POV. A couple featured elements of magical realism, but otherwise they felt very real and very fraught in complicated ways.
This is a short collection of short stories, and I am in awe of how Arimah consistently emotionally reels us in with her quiet, sparse yet evocative prose. I felt that the stories centering on mother-daughter relationships were particular highlights for me.
If I’m truly nitpicking, some stories felt a little flatter than others. But that’s about the only criticism I can muster.
Read it. I haven’t been so in love with a short story collection since EXHALATION, but I’m about to buy two physical copies of this: one to annotate and another to lend out.
rosiefpb's review against another edition
3.0
Very weird collection of short stories. No cohesion between them. Some normal life stories and some really random science fiction metaphors. Didn't like those ones very much but the others were OK I guess.
alisarae's review against another edition
5.0
Some of these stories have a touch of the fantastical. Others are allegories. All of them tap onto the depths of the wellspring within us.
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
Now this is a short story collection! I read this on Roxane Gay's recommendation and am so grateful. The freshest, most exciting fiction is definitely coming from Nigerian writers.
shailydc's review against another edition
3.0
Like most short story collections, some stories stood out while others were forgettable. Overall, I don't remember much as I forgot each story as the next one began.
nuru's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved the book here are stories i loved
Second chances, redemption,Glory and what it mean when a man falls from sky
Second chances, redemption,Glory and what it mean when a man falls from sky