Reviews

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America by Ibi Zoboi, C. N. C., Coleen Booth

indydc's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

alifeofherown's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

rachelbaack's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This aptly-named collection of short stories provides a look into the varied experiences of several Black teenaged protagonists. It offers stories of joy, of sorrow, of the exciting, of the mundane, and of everything else in between. 

dscfrazier's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this compilation of short stories. It was refreshing to read stories about black youth experiencing the same "mundane" life experiences as everyone else rather than the stereotypical depressing story of the pregnant teen or one where the setting takes place in impoverished or drug and crime infested environments. You have the black nerd, the upper middle class city girl, the rural town horse lover, and the metal rock band listener. This is a book I will definitely be adding to my class library.

theintrovertsbooks's review

challenging 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

3.75

readingrobin's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pitbulls_and_prose's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This collection of stories and essays captures some perspectives of what it's like to be young and Black in America. These stories range from family dynamics to new relationships to friendships. Perspectives come from young folks who grew up wealthy, poor, and everywhere in between.

I listened to this audiobook for the Diverse Baseline August prompt of "An anthology by BIPOC authors". I really enjoyed this one. Every essay was a bit of a slice of life story. I appreciated that some stories were about struggle, yes, but just as many were about finding joy. Because there's more to reading diversely than just reading about folks' hardships!! More than anything, I found, I appreciated being reminded what it was like to be a teenager. While every generation has their own take on things, the basics of being a young person are more universal and relatable. 

witchintherain's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad

3.75

gfoe107's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.0

sporkus's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0