Reviews

An Autobiography of Skin by Lakiesha Carr

midnight_toker's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

sittingwishingreading's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

mcalle's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

therealcubcake's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

3.25

mommyincolorreads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.25

This book started off really strange. It was choppy in places but it fell into place in the middle/end. I liked the idea of fighting with your past and how it can create a ghost. I love that these each had their own "ghosts" though only one of them had sort of manifested itself. LOVED the joining together of Black women facing head on with pain and heart ache as a way to exorcise their ghosts

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Sexual assault

larosareads's review

4.0

Out of Carr’s debut novel emerges the narratives of 3 Black women whose lives are interwoven in profound ways. Broken down into 3 parts, each woman shares her raw truth as she’s positioned to explore, identify, and reckon with hard truths that are reflected in their bodies.

Our bodies feel trauma in numerous ways. The interconnectedness between emotional and physical pain is real. Each of these women demonstrate the rawness of this reality in different, yet relatable ways. I personally was drawn to Nettie’s story, which happened to be part one of the novel. I enjoyed experiencing a day in her life. Carr’s written expression of Nettie made the mundane a lyrical, deeply immersive journey. Maya’s gripping struggle with postpartum depression was achingly difficult yet important to read about. Ketinah’s story is a generational exploration. This third and final part went a bit long for me whereas I felt part one wasn’t long enough. I found myself desperately yearning to spend more time with a character, or being exhausted from too much time spent with the other. While pacing was an issue for me, Carr more than makes up for it with her excquisite writing.

Carr is definitely an author who is just getting started. I have a feeling she will be offering us many more gems in the future.

bookofcinz's review

3.0

I am always looking to read books about generation of Black Women and this one I immediately took a liking to.

We meet three women who are connected in some way, we follow their stories, their traumas and how they are navigating life. I felt the first two stories about the older woman and the new mother were very strong but the last story I felt lost the plot.

I did enjoy being in the world that was created by the writer and I look forward to what she writes next.

lulureads365's review

4.0

This was another heavy read looking into the lives of black women and their grief. Told in three novellas, the stories are well written and very relatable.

bookedandfrizzy's review

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.0

ferris_mx's review

3.0

I'm not the right reader for this & didn't really get it.