Reviews

Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury

rigbymel76's review

challenging emotional funny reflective fast-paced

5.0

kimberly_levaco's review

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Act 1: appears to be a comedic family drama
Act 2: watches Act One
Act 2: pushes further into Act One and readies to drive it forward to make Act Three”

Enough Said

ghostgirlie's review

challenging 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

4.75

trendingline221's review

challenging emotional funny medium-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

3.5

maryg01d's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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

5.0

lilmissmalone's review

5.0

I’ll admit, the second act lost me a little until I was able to orient myself and make it make sense.

This is a story that is so ... familiar, but because it’s told in reverse (see the Fanon quote at the start) it is an instruction in revelation. The self that is lensed and fetishized, but is obscured because it has never been able to stand in the light.

I’d love to see this live.

ebunk's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bazils's review

5.0

so intensely fantastic

mahireads's review

4.0

I really liked this play! I'd love to watch it performed in person. There were just a couple tiny drawbacks that kept me from giving it 5 stars: the play is critical of how obsessed Americans are with race, yet it is a work obsessed with race. Also, it is a touch gimmicky, in that it breaks the 4th wall a lot and blurs the line between audience and performance. That being said, I love campy stuff like that, and I find that those parts functioned to balance out the somewhat tragic undertones of the book. A warning for those considering reading it: this book starts off very blandly, but it's worth sticking through. Once you hit the middle of Act II, it clicks in a super satisfying and intellectually challenging way. Happy brain. I also loved the ending. Definitely more of a conversation starter than a prescriptive conclusion.

If you want to read a more in-depth analysis, check out my review at www.croaker.blog :)

francis4ever's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0