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zoepagereader's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had high hopes for this going in, how could I not when it’s a historical fiction mystery set New York during the Harlem Renaissance? But unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I did not fully under any of the characters and felt that all of them had only been written at the surface of their stories. I still don’t really understand the motive for murder and still think it should have been someone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror
venusdapoopiehead's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
i could definitely tell that this was a debut novel, the writing felt very simplistic, and even a little flat at times. there was also some times where the author seemed to do more telling not showing, rather than showing not telling, which isn’t to say her writing was bad-i just think the author’s writing style is very typical for a new writer to have, however i definitely think she has room to grow and i might give her other books a try to see if her writing style may have improved. but overall tho, good story, good plot, just good, don’t really have much complaints. i loved the characters and they way they’re written, and even if the twist at the end was kind of predictable (atleast it was for me, cause sometimes i tend to somehow perfectly predict what’s gonna happen in a book) i still liked it. if you’re looking for a nice book that you can read when you just wanna turn your brain off and relax without thinking too deeply, this might be it for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Cursing and Alcohol
gothnailcare's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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
2.0
I so wanted to like this book. The characters were lovable and I admired the author's dedication to describing clothes and social spaces, but the book's pacing and the shifts in narrative style worked against the story, page after page. I am not the kind of mystery reader who makes demands of the author with regards to who knows what & when they're given the agency to figure it out. Is the reader given information to determine who the killer is before the detective? Or does the detective know something the reader doesn't? Whatever the answer, I am usually happy to be along for the ride and observing at any distance as long as the narrative plays these cards well, but I can't say I felt this book succeeded.
Additionally, there were a number of loose ends I assumed would be tied up at the end of the book, but explanations for these never materialized. I have to assume that some of this is done for the purpose of setting up the next book. But if I'm not sure whether a book is setting up a second novel or whether it's littered with red herrings, well...
Additionally, there were a number of loose ends I assumed would be tied up at the end of the book, but explanations for these never materialized. I have to assume that some of this is done for the purpose of setting up the next book. But if I'm not sure whether a book is setting up a second novel or whether it's littered with red herrings, well...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, and Police brutality
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Rape, Stalking, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
delphine_'s review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book drew me in immediately and I am happy it did.
I knew going in that there would be an established queer (wlw) relationship, and while it of course wasn't the focus of the book one bit, oh how their interactions made my heart soften and feel happy. The love they describe about each other. Perfect.
I loved the atmosphere. I loved Louise defying tropes and needing no one to save her but herself from the get-go. The prohibition, the speakeasies, the 20s, and all from the point of view of too forgotten Black people, but in a non-romanticised way, and still, very romantic. The book is beautiful, it's alive, it's people and pain and dancing until you forget everything at the Zenith, and it's familial issues led by a main character that's honest strong.
I'm a bit dissatisfied with the third act that I thought dragged on for way too long as there wasn't much else to figure out. A part of it hit me like a gut punch but I felt like it wasn't really in line with the rest of what we'd seen of the main character's spirit. I feel like more could have been done there so we reached a less heartbreaking and more interesting, more climactic ending.
That said I loved it, I'm just not sure I'll be in a hurry to pick up the next book because it didn't quite stick the landing for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Emotional abuse
alliereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Emotional abuse
tostita's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I found this book very engrossing. The setting was vivid and enthralling. I would have appreciated more exploration of the psychological consequences of some of the traumas that the main character experienced, though, and the ending was somewhat abrupt without much of a wrap-up. Still, I’m eager to read the next in the series when it comes out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse
jordan_fri's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Blood, and Alcohol
anovelbeauty's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Book TW: sexual assault, attempted rape, racism, emotional abuse
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
Dead, Dead Girls is the author’s debut novel and is the first book in a series of murder mysteries set in the Harlem Renaissance. While I enjoyed the book decently overall, and I adored the atmosphere that Afia created, there were some structural and style issues I had with it as well. The largest issue for me was a large overuse of foreshadowing that I felt undercut the mystery and tension of the book. It was largely foreshadowing using a future tense (I.e. she would regret doing this, this was the last time she would see ____ alive, etc). While I think occasionally using this literary device can actually increase tension, it was used so much that I figured out where the book was heading early on and then was just frustrated that Louise didn’t get there faster. I think without the extreme foreshadowing, my reading experience definitely would’ve been improved. Without getting into spoilers, I did also have a few problems with the twist and ending because it seemed somewhat inconsistent from the setup in my opinion and so I was expecting a further twist or reversal based on that... but then there wasn’t and I was just left a little like “well... alrighty then.”
I do generally like Louise as a character, and it’s kind of nice to have a character whose temper flaring is both helpful and harmful depending on when it appears.
Some of the side characters were a little flat, but I think they definitely have potential to be fleshed out in further installments as is common in mystery series. I think especially Rosa Marie could use with some development in future books. However, as this is both a debut and obviously a plot focused book, I’m not going to be nearly as harsh about flatter characters as I would be in an explicitly character focused novel. As I mentioned, the strongest aspect of the story was definitely the atmosphere and there were some genuinely heartwarming and tense moments as well. I think Nekesa Afia is definitely an author to watch as her writing and development grows over time. I may try this series again later, but I probably wouldn’t reread this specific book. If you want a fairly fast, straightforward murder mystery you may still enjoy yourself with this one.
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
Dead, Dead Girls is the author’s debut novel and is the first book in a series of murder mysteries set in the Harlem Renaissance. While I enjoyed the book decently overall, and I adored the atmosphere that Afia created, there were some structural and style issues I had with it as well. The largest issue for me was a large overuse of foreshadowing that I felt undercut the mystery and tension of the book. It was largely foreshadowing using a future tense (I.e. she would regret doing this, this was the last time she would see ____ alive, etc). While I think occasionally using this literary device can actually increase tension, it was used so much that I figured out where the book was heading early on and then was just frustrated that Louise didn’t get there faster. I think without the extreme foreshadowing, my reading experience definitely would’ve been improved. Without getting into spoilers, I did also have a few problems with the twist and ending because it seemed somewhat inconsistent from the setup in my opinion and so I was expecting a further twist or reversal based on that... but then there wasn’t and I was just left a little like “well... alrighty then.”
I do generally like Louise as a character, and it’s kind of nice to have a character whose temper flaring is both helpful and harmful depending on when it appears.
Some of the side characters were a little flat, but I think they definitely have potential to be fleshed out in further installments as is common in mystery series. I think especially Rosa Marie could use with some development in future books. However, as this is both a debut and obviously a plot focused book, I’m not going to be nearly as harsh about flatter characters as I would be in an explicitly character focused novel. As I mentioned, the strongest aspect of the story was definitely the atmosphere and there were some genuinely heartwarming and tense moments as well. I think Nekesa Afia is definitely an author to watch as her writing and development grows over time. I may try this series again later, but I probably wouldn’t reread this specific book. If you want a fairly fast, straightforward murder mystery you may still enjoy yourself with this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Torture
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