A review by hollydyer328
New People by Danzy Senna

challenging funny mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

Strangely enough, I liked this one. Story moves quick with good writing and VERY complex characters. Maria is definitely strange, and there are some big cringe moments, but as a mixed-race person I could understand where her motivations were coming from. Danzy Senna does a great job of writing about the mixed-race experience and the nuances and complexities around identity and belonging in a binary Black/White America, and she embraces the messiness of that reality while also tipping into craziness! The ending was more ambiguous than I’m willing to go and I wish she added an extra 50 pages to resolve what ends up happening. But I get that the point isn’t what happens in the end but how we got there.