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leanne_miron's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
hailstorm3812's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
This has such great characters and vibes that it carries it through a lackluster mystery. I love Louise and her friends and journey, and the rich painting the author set. I do wish structurally the second half had gotten another editing pass. It started to feel like things were just happening without adding more to the mystery or raising the stakes. I really don't think Celia had to die. Louise was already desperate to stop him and on to him, and didn't need extra motivation and her ouiji plan was so odd. I feel like we set up some mystery around Celia's boy and Josie's disappearances and her original kidnapping that we were going to play into but didn't. I think kidnapping one or both of the twins would have been better to up the stakes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Racism, Stalking, Murder, Violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Gun violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent
heather667's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Trafficking, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Rape
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War, Cultural appropriation, and Adult/minor relationship
thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’m obsessed with this world! Louise is known as a hero in Harlem after escaping her kidnapper in her teens. Life has calmed down for Louise until young girls are suddenly being left for dead outside of her workplace. In a turn of events, Louise is forced into investigating this case with local law enforcement and nothing is as it seems. This mystery is brimming with the charm of the Harlem Renaissance while delivering fast paced twists and turns. I love Louise and her band of misfits!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Murder, Child death, Alcohol, Death, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
danajoy's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed the setting of this book but I found the pace off. I struggled to really get into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Death
Moderate: Murder, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
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: Racism, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime
Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and War
emzhay's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The last 100 pages dragged on and really brought the overall story down. I also didn’t really like Louise, especially towards the end. She made so many decisions that made no sense and so many dangerous choices with no concern to anyone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity
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: Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Police brutality
mcdal's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Racism, Misogyny, Rape, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Blood, Stalking, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, and Homophobia
venetiana's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Great atmosphere and setup, loved the characters. Unfortunately very slow, and somewhat repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Racism, Alcohol, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs and Hate crime
Minor: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, and Stalking