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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
lilythebibliophile's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
First off, if you are reading this book, know that there is a scene where the main character is sexually and physically assaulted and almost R worded, and there is no trigger warning for that scene. Yes, it is still sexual assault even if she is not R worded, and yes, that needed a trigger warning. My discussion of how victims of assault were poorly depicted in this story is at the end, so scroll down if you want to read it first.
There are so many amazing aspects of this novel, and I will start with listing those:
- Nekesa Afia's writing style is transportive. The narration and dialogue in this novel is swift and quick, similar to the dialect of characters in old Hollywood movies. I felt like I was in the 1920s while I was immersed in the story. I've seen other people saying, "the 1920s wasn't just about wearing cute dresses and drinking and dancing," and I understand where they're coming from, but Afia's writing felt authentic to the time period to me. Glitz and glamour is fun to read about.
- While there were tragic events happening in the story, Afia balanced this with moments of lightheartedness and hope in a way that felt natural. Within the larger plot of the book, you can find a tender found family story. It made my heart burst to read about Louise and her girlfriend, specifically. Their ability to love each other despite the danger it put them in was beautiful.
- I find that the main characters in mystery novels tend to be one-note, a mere vessel for the reader to witness the plot through. The main characters in detective novels feel especially detached from the crimes that are taking place. In this novel, however, our main character Louise was a dynamic heroine with strong motivations. I could tell that Louise wanted to solve these murders because she yearned to bring justice to the victims and their families.
- The author's note at the back of Dead Dead Girls is one of my favorite parts of the book. Nekesa Afia wrote about how she could have set this story in the modern day, and nothing would have changed. The atrocities that were committed against the black women in this book, the uncaring and racist attitude of the police, and the racism that Louise and her friends faced would remain unchanged. This makes Dead Dead Girls transcend time and act as an indictment of our society in the present and the past.
I also appreciated that Nekesa Afia chose to set this novel during the Harlem Renaissance because it was a time period that she was curious about, and that writing this book helped her to feel closer to her culture. I'm really glad that I got to have a window into the Harlem Renaissance while reading such a well-told and captivating novel.
- There were a few moments in this book that were particularly impactful to me. In one instance, Louise is talking to the head detective on the case, and she asks him why he cares about these girls. He says that he fell in love with a black woman, but she died. He said it was foolish of him to think their relationship would work out, since he was white, but that "you love who you love", so it shouldn't have mattered. Louise thinks to herself that the detective would not say the same thing if he learned about Louise and her girlfriend. It highlighted that just because someone is slightly open-minded, it does not prevent them from being bigoted.
- I am someone who can always predict the plot twist at the end of a mystery, but in this book, there were so many suspects, and each one was equally creepy, so I had no idea where the story was going. The killer reveal was satisfying, too; I did not feel cheated.
- I Googled Nekesa Afia and found that she is a sewist, which makes sense, because the dress descriptions in this book were wonderful.
There were two aspects of this book that made me bump my rating down a star.
- First, the story was oddly structured. Louise would make a breakthrough in the case, and then it would cut to her doing something unrelated, like dancing in a speakeasy. It was so disrupted that I would end up forgetting about what was going on in the plot until it was brought up again a chapter later.
- The killer in this story kills several women, and then there is a moment where he attacks a woman and she manages to escape from him. When Louise learns of this, she thinks, "that girl was braver and stronger than the other girls, and that's why she got away."
I find this rhetoric to be present in a lot of books that claim to be empowering to victims, and I'm tired of reading about it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: someone does not become a victim because they were not strong or smart or brave enough, they become a victim because someone chooses to hurt them. If you experience any type of assault or violation, that does not make you weak or unintelligent. If anything, experiencing and overcoming trauma makes you smarter, braver, and more resilient.
Also, at the beginning of the story, Louise is kidnapped, and she manages to escape and save her fellow captives. At one point farther into the story, Louise thinks that "she was stronger than the other victims [her kidnapper took]" and "she wasn't going to let the killer hurt her". This again implies that victims are weak and allow traumatic things to happen to them. How dare Afia imply that. Victims, myself included, already blame ourselves enough for the violations and trauma we have endured.
This was especially hurtful because Afia was writing a book with such strong social commentary up to that point, and then managed to fail the whole "who is to blame, the perpetrator or the victim?" conversation so completely. In reading the discussion questions at the back of this book, they ask about the implications of Louise being "Harlem's hero", and how that speaks to the burden people place on black women to save and take care of others. Clearly, Afia was intentional about bringing the injustices and problems with our society to light, yet she still wrote lines akin to "I'm not like other victims".
Afia was somehow empathetic towards the victims in this book and judgmental towards them at the same time, and since this topic is near and dear to my heart, it makes this book difficult to rate. I am keeping it at four stars, but I am getting sick and tired of reading about how you have to be a model victim and escape your abuser in order to be considered resilient and clever.
There are so many amazing aspects of this novel, and I will start with listing those:
- Nekesa Afia's writing style is transportive. The narration and dialogue in this novel is swift and quick, similar to the dialect of characters in old Hollywood movies. I felt like I was in the 1920s while I was immersed in the story. I've seen other people saying, "the 1920s wasn't just about wearing cute dresses and drinking and dancing," and I understand where they're coming from, but Afia's writing felt authentic to the time period to me. Glitz and glamour is fun to read about.
- While there were tragic events happening in the story, Afia balanced this with moments of lightheartedness and hope in a way that felt natural. Within the larger plot of the book, you can find a tender found family story. It made my heart burst to read about Louise and her girlfriend, specifically. Their ability to love each other despite the danger it put them in was beautiful.
- I find that the main characters in mystery novels tend to be one-note, a mere vessel for the reader to witness the plot through. The main characters in detective novels feel especially detached from the crimes that are taking place. In this novel, however, our main character Louise was a dynamic heroine with strong motivations. I could tell that Louise wanted to solve these murders because she yearned to bring justice to the victims and their families.
- The author's note at the back of Dead Dead Girls is one of my favorite parts of the book. Nekesa Afia wrote about how she could have set this story in the modern day, and nothing would have changed. The atrocities that were committed against the black women in this book, the uncaring and racist attitude of the police, and the racism that Louise and her friends faced would remain unchanged. This makes Dead Dead Girls transcend time and act as an indictment of our society in the present and the past.
I also appreciated that Nekesa Afia chose to set this novel during the Harlem Renaissance because it was a time period that she was curious about, and that writing this book helped her to feel closer to her culture. I'm really glad that I got to have a window into the Harlem Renaissance while reading such a well-told and captivating novel.
- There were a few moments in this book that were particularly impactful to me. In one instance, Louise is talking to the head detective on the case, and she asks him why he cares about these girls. He says that he fell in love with a black woman, but she died. He said it was foolish of him to think their relationship would work out, since he was white, but that "you love who you love", so it shouldn't have mattered. Louise thinks to herself that the detective would not say the same thing if he learned about Louise and her girlfriend. It highlighted that just because someone is slightly open-minded, it does not prevent them from being bigoted.
- I am someone who can always predict the plot twist at the end of a mystery, but in this book, there were so many suspects, and each one was equally creepy, so I had no idea where the story was going. The killer reveal was satisfying, too; I did not feel cheated.
- I Googled Nekesa Afia and found that she is a sewist, which makes sense, because the dress descriptions in this book were wonderful.
There were two aspects of this book that made me bump my rating down a star.
- First, the story was oddly structured. Louise would make a breakthrough in the case, and then it would cut to her doing something unrelated, like dancing in a speakeasy. It was so disrupted that I would end up forgetting about what was going on in the plot until it was brought up again a chapter later.
- The killer in this story kills several women, and then there is a moment where he attacks a woman and she manages to escape from him. When Louise learns of this, she thinks, "that girl was braver and stronger than the other girls, and that's why she got away."
I find this rhetoric to be present in a lot of books that claim to be empowering to victims, and I'm tired of reading about it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: someone does not become a victim because they were not strong or smart or brave enough, they become a victim because someone chooses to hurt them. If you experience any type of assault or violation, that does not make you weak or unintelligent. If anything, experiencing and overcoming trauma makes you smarter, braver, and more resilient.
Also, at the beginning of the story, Louise is kidnapped, and she manages to escape and save her fellow captives. At one point farther into the story, Louise thinks that "she was stronger than the other victims [her kidnapper took]" and "she wasn't going to let the killer hurt her". This again implies that victims are weak and allow traumatic things to happen to them. How dare Afia imply that. Victims, myself included, already blame ourselves enough for the violations and trauma we have endured.
This was especially hurtful because Afia was writing a book with such strong social commentary up to that point, and then managed to fail the whole "who is to blame, the perpetrator or the victim?" conversation so completely. In reading the discussion questions at the back of this book, they ask about the implications of Louise being "Harlem's hero", and how that speaks to the burden people place on black women to save and take care of others. Clearly, Afia was intentional about bringing the injustices and problems with our society to light, yet she still wrote lines akin to "I'm not like other victims".
Afia was somehow empathetic towards the victims in this book and judgmental towards them at the same time, and since this topic is near and dear to my heart, it makes this book difficult to rate. I am keeping it at four stars, but I am getting sick and tired of reading about how you have to be a model victim and escape your abuser in order to be considered resilient and clever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Police brutality
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
mcdal's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
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