A review by deedireads
Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana

emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Stories From the Tenants Downstairs is a buzzy recent release with a premise that caught my eye: eight loosely connected short stories, each told from the perspective of a different person living in a single Harlem highrise. Many of them are facing eviction as rapid gentrification prices them out of homes they’ve lived in for years, sometimes decades.

I’m so glad I pulled this to the top of my TBR pile; this is character-driven short story writing at its best. Every character was just so deeply human, with such distinctive, strong voices. This paired really well with the full cast of audiobook narrators, who quite literally bring the collection to life. “Little Feet,” which takes the form of a letter penned by a 12-year-old boy to his friend’s mother, was possibly my favorite. (Oof, that one hurt.)

This is a collection that goes deeper than the primary themes of class, race, gentrification, and the cyclical trap of financial struggle. It’s about people, and choices, and survival, and humanity, and community.

What an impressive debut. No skips.
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