khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Homophobia, Death, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Suicide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abortion, and Self harm
hollyd19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book is a symphony.
Evoking a strong sense of place in the "dregs of Queens" and told from the plural perspective of the eponymous brown girls, Andreades’s debut novel is gorgeous and gratifying. The book’s short length belies its power and range. Lively vignettes narrated by a collective voice articulate the nuances & complexities bound up in the lived reality of brown girls in Queens. Andreades highlights the tensions of growing up within this community: balancing expectations and gratitude, ambition and rootedness, confidence and humility. The tone is unfettered, honest, and compassionate.
Particularly notable is the way Andreades rejects the idea of caricature while also managing to tell a story from a collective narrator. In fact, this writing device turned the disconnected girls and women Andreades wished to represent into a tapestry. I never got the sense that she was flattening or stereotyping, rather imbuing with humanity and value every varied experience, saying, “This? This is us. Oh, and that? That, too.”
Brown Girls would be an excellent choice for those who enjoyed Girl, Woman, Other or Infinite Country. I strongly recommend the audiobook thanks to masterful narration by Tashi Thomas.
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Classism and Grief
Minor: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Self harm
empeeeeee's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Brown Girls is transportive, beautiful, enjoyable, a musical and fast-paced read. It's all feeling and rhythm. As a brown girl, as a Pilipina with immigrant parents, even though my context was/is in some ways very different, there were so many moments where my heart sang and ached (sometimes my heart sang to Aaliyah and Mariah. :)). I felt seen in a way I don't often get in novels, even as the book spoke to so many different kinds of brown girls, brown lives.
I think its form and concept is a true feat. That balance of the collective "we" voice with just enough specificity to still be real and personal rather than theoretical; the ooze of place and senses and emotion in a wide swath; the rhythm, the deft control of how the reader runs alongside pace then slows down, or turns focus one way, then the other...
I found some of the prose itself to be cliché, and some moments to feel a bit forced, which is why I didn't give this a higher rating myself.
I read this in about two days! If you're the type, I think it would be a great one to read in one sitting and just let wash over you.
I think its form and concept is a true feat. That balance of the collective "we" voice with just enough specificity to still be real and personal rather than theoretical; the ooze of place and senses and emotion in a wide swath; the rhythm, the deft control of how the reader runs alongside pace then slows down, or turns focus one way, then the other...
I found some of the prose itself to be cliché, and some moments to feel a bit forced,
Spoiler
including the inclusion of COVID-19 as another reviewer mentioned and the last chapter in general,I read this in about two days! If you're the type, I think it would be a great one to read in one sitting and just let wash over you.
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Racism, Sexual harassment, Abortion, and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, and Suicide
bekkah3's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Abortion, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
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