Reviews

Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

feglet98's review against another edition

3.0

I thought this was an interesting story but it was bit hard going and slow in places. Also the characters were not particularly likeable and I felt the whole time I was reading it that I was missing something.

deviki's review against another edition

3.0

Books I've read and provided detailed reviews over the years but all data is lost after accidental deletion and GD refuse to restore it back.

Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes

katymvt's review

challenging sad slow-paced

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

2.25

elingunnar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

carrix2's review against another edition

4.0

An interesting story of two girls who room together at college in the 1970s, one white and one black. While it peripherally touches on race, it is not actually the focus of the book. The black girl, Minette, is standoffish and progressively more odd. She does not want or try to make any connection to anyone, including her roommate. The white girl, Generva (Genna), comes from a wealthy family and emotionally unavailable parents. All she wants is to be accepted, especially by her roommate, and for no one to find out she is the descendant of the college's founder.
The book is written as Genna's memoir, documenting the tumultuous year leading up to her nineteeth birthday.

ventellina's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

amethyst_hearts_books's review against another edition

1.0

I want to meet J C Oates so I can look her in the eye and say "what the hell?"

Why did she make Minette so unlikable?
Why did she make Genna so unlikable?
Why did she make it seem like Minette's death had an interesting reason?
Why did she make it seem like Minette was actually faking her "harassment"?
What the hell was the point to this book? It was so incredibly unsatisfying. I read all the way to the end because someone recommended it to me, and I was just... disappointed.

fedytsubasa's review against another edition

1.0

Boring... I kept on reading it just to now how the girl died, like " I wonder what will happen!" and then that!! -.-"""

accioanna's review against another edition

3.0

Genna Meade är den vita flickan och Minette Swift är den svarta flickan. Tillsammans delar de rum på Schuylers college. Genna Meade blev intresserad av Minette Swift redan första gången hon såg henne på skolans öppet hus - hon gör allt för att vara vän med Minette och förstå sig på henne. Genna är den enda Minette har på colleget. Genna är den enda som förstår hur svårt Minette har det. De är nästintill systrar. Eller? För Minette är totalt ointresserad av Genna. Hon är otrevlig, nonchalant och illa omtyckt av alla på Schuyler. Och hennes mående tycks bli allt sämre och sämre. Ett antal rasistiska attacker riktas mot Minette men ingen vet vem som står bakom dem. Jag tyckte att berättelsen om Genna och Minette var väldigt intressant. Genna är så jobbig, naiv, irriterande know-it-all med white savior komplex. Och Minette är otroligt unlikeable. Alla karaktärer är det. Men hela Gennas konstiga bild av Minette är intressant att läsa om. Suckade högt flera gånger. Historien om Gennas far var inte lika intressant. Lite rörigt blev det ibland.

maureenmcc's review against another edition

3.0

Drew me in, getting deeper and deeper into the characters and their themes of loneliness, separation and redemption