Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
2 reviews
ka_cam's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
Once I started reading this short story collection it was hard to stop! Quite varied in types but themes of connection, family, diaspora, and women’s relationships/desires (incl some casual queerness love 2 see it). Some of the stories read more like teasers or brainstorms for a longer story/novel, rather than complete short stories. All in all really enjoyed and am excited to read more by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, and Car accident
moonlitemuseum's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
The platter of misery served up by Lesley Nneka Arimah is so potent and rich that I could barely stomach it. It took me two tries to get through this anthology of short stories in full, but what a range! So many left me feeling haunted, empty, gnawing, but thoroughly sustained in spite of that.
I originally heard the titular "What It Means When A Man Falls from the Sky" on Levar Burton's podcast and it shook me to the core. A world where math=empathy, where our current climate troubles turn global politics inside-out, where grief is empirically indigestible—i loved everything about the anxious world she wove in this story. It hits like a bullet every time.
Most of the stories take a grain of sadness in the lives of women and inspect it under a microscope. How do they fail themselves? How are they failed by the societies around them? How do they continue on? I often dreaded the pause that signaled the end of the story, knowing its characters would be left there, suspended in their grief. It's incredibly effective work. I can't wait to read more from this author.
I originally heard the titular "What It Means When A Man Falls from the Sky" on Levar Burton's podcast and it shook me to the core. A world where math=empathy, where our current climate troubles turn global politics inside-out, where grief is empirically indigestible—i loved everything about the anxious world she wove in this story. It hits like a bullet every time.
Most of the stories take a grain of sadness in the lives of women and inspect it under a microscope. How do they fail themselves? How are they failed by the societies around them? How do they continue on? I often dreaded the pause that signaled the end of the story, knowing its characters would be left there, suspended in their grief. It's incredibly effective work. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, and Blood