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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Witness is a collection of ten stories set in New York City, predominantly in an around Brooklyn. All are told from the perspective of a character tangential to main action, a minor character or bystander who is witnessing the action. Some interesting topics were explored including police killings, mental illness, gentrification, the gig economy, friendship, and family secrets. I could see that this collection was well-written yet I found myself dispassionately observing each story rather than being thoroughly absorbed and emotionally invested, almost as if I was a witness to my own reading experience. I suspect this was a “me” problem - perhaps one of wrong time or wrong format. I listened on audio because that’s what my library had. Objectively a strong collection that didn’t work as well for me as I’d hoped and expected.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, and Racism
rei_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, and Grief
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