bibliophage_teamage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lspmmc15's review against another edition
3.0
Some stories made me laugh, others made me uncomfortable. Overall, a decent read.
emmaoswald's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-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
3.25
jordanrisa's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A unique set of short stories that showcase the various experiences of the Black middle class in America, more specifically in the suburbs near Los Angeles. I actually grew up very close to the cities mentioned in these short stories, which made me feel more connected. The stories highlight a range of black identities and the tensions that come with each one, while covering so much — social media obsession, code switching, self-hatred and internalized racism, police brutality. While it wasn’t my favorite book, I do appreciate the author’s ability to humanize her characters.
gabriellejane's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Some stories really worked well for me, some not so much. A few endings left me perplexed. I enjoyed the stories that were interconnected and built off of one another the most.
abbiegregory's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
heybrownberry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Ableism, and Gun violence
alexwatsonreads's review against another edition
5.0
A master class in short story craft - the stories treat mundane moments, like waiting in frustration at the DMV, as opportunities for revelations about pain and identity. It takes a deft hand to use humor while also treating seriously issues of mental health, grief, and black trauma in particular. I especially liked the stories that clustered around a set of characters, like Fatima, who is one of two black girls at her high school and who is deeply self conscious about what it means to be black and (upper) middle class in the contemporary U.S. It was intriguing to follow the bread crumbs to see how different characters fit together - I would have been happy with even more of that overlap. It makes me excited to read more fiction from the author.