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readingwithgoose's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This was one of those rare cases where I found all of the short stories in a collection to be really good. Not stinkers, no duds, this one was incredible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Excrement, Infidelity, Body horror, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and Slavery
noahsingh's review
fast-paced
5.0
Loved loved loved this! Highly recommend for any fans of horror, anti-colonial, feminist literature. I hope Yvette Lisa Ndlovu can publish another book soon, very excited to see what she writes in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, and Gun violence
Moderate: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Addiction, and Death
Minor: Fatphobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I got a taste of Ndlovu's writing from the anthology, Africa Risen, which featured one of her short stories from Drinking from Graveyard Wells. While that particular story wasn't a favorite, I did enjoy the depth of her writing. This short story collection was a fascinating one, taking a speculative approach to immerse the reader into (primarily) Zimbabwean culture and history.
Overall, the collection addressed dark themes, especially to think about the oppressed (broadly speaking). I wouldn't say that these stories were pessimistic in nature, though, and still had glimmering moments of hope. I also found it interesting how Ndlovu navigated contending with the past and traditions through her characters living in modern times.
Really thought-provoking collection. Some things flew over my head, mostly because I'm not very familiar with Zimbabwean culture and history, but it was an opportunity to learn more and be immersed in some well-crafted stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Body horror
Moderate: Racism, War, and Violence
booktribe's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is one of my favorite, if not my straight up favorite, short story collections of all time! Most short story collections are usually hit or miss with each story, but not this one! I enjoyed basically every story. There was one that was just okay to me, but there were NO BAD STORIES! The writing was so beautiful. The stories made me feel such a wide range of emotions, such as sadness, excitement, anger, and more. My favorite stories were definitely Water Bites Back, Red Cloth White Giraffe, and Plumtree: True Stories, but I loved so many! I would love to see this as a series, an episode for each story. Yvette Lisa Ndlovu has gained a new fan in me! I cannot wait to read more of her writing! Everybody, go pick this up!
📚Red Cloth, White Giraffe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Second Place is the First Loser: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: colonizing ass mfers)
📚Home Became a Thing With Thorns: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: suicide)
📚The Carnivore’s Lollipop: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: police violence)
📚Swimming With Crocodiles: ⭐️⭐️ (TW: sexual assault mentioned)
📚Ugly Hamsters: A Triptych: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Plumtree: True Stories: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: intense misogyny, sexual assault; this one is WILD & very heavy so read this one with caution)
📚The Friendship Bench: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’d choose the resilience aura; I wish this one was longer)
📚Water Bites Back: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Turtle Heart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚The Soul Would Have No Rainbow: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚When Death Comes To Find You: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Drinking From Graveyard Wells: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (interesting but I wish there had been closure or explanation at the end)
Average rating: 3.8 stars
Overall rating: 5 stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Police brutality and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
nini23's review
5.0
After reading a sample of the first story Red Cloth, White Giraffe in this Zimbabwean collection, I wanted to get my hands on a copy. Incidentally the sample ended with the sentence "All I feel in this moment is rage," which is very apropos because incandescent rage runs throughout the stories. Some of these short stories have been published in various journals and magazines before. Through it all, rage at the lack of agency over women's bodies, corruption, injustice, poverty, colonization blazes through. In the stories that had justice served, I felt a vicious vicarious satisfaction. The pace and feel is hard-hitting throughout, quality consistent across the board. With powerful Zimbabwean/pan-African mythology and folklore, the message is accessible, blunt and forceful.
In Water Bites Back, we are introduced to the concept of ubuntu which the author also mentions as central to her work. Such a humanistic all-encompassing concept. From Wikipedia Ubuntu Philosophy: "In the Shona language, the majority spoken language in Zimbabwe, ubuntu is unhu or hunhu. In Ndebele, it is known as ubuntu. The concept of ubuntu is viewed the same in Zimbabwe as in other African cultures. The Shona phrase munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu means a person is human through others while ndiri nekuti tiri means I am because we are."
Highly recommended, I can't think of a better book than this for women's history month.
In Water Bites Back, we are introduced to the concept of ubuntu which the author also mentions as central to her work. Such a humanistic all-encompassing concept. From Wikipedia Ubuntu Philosophy: "In the Shona language, the majority spoken language in Zimbabwe, ubuntu is unhu or hunhu. In Ndebele, it is known as ubuntu. The concept of ubuntu is viewed the same in Zimbabwe as in other African cultures. The Shona phrase munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu means a person is human through others while ndiri nekuti tiri means I am because we are."
Highly recommended, I can't think of a better book than this for women's history month.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual violence
starrysteph's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Black mermaids defend their home by taking on environment-destroying politicians.
Flesh-eating ants … may just consume a billionaire.
Corrupt gods are stuck within capitalist power structures.
And that’s just the smallest peek into this PHENOMENAL collection.
Ndlovu writes fables, nuanced pieces that vary in style but craft powerful messages. The stories are very short: we’re looking through windows & witnessing bursts of life. The work is often surreal and takes inspiration from southern African mythology.
It’s frequently fantastical & magical, sometimes deeply intimate, and often veers into what feels like social horror.
Black women are the focus here. Drinking from Graveyard Wells honors and celebrates the magic of these women, but doesn’t shy away from their pain. The writing is gripping, empathetic, and intimate.
I was afraid and enamored and very moved.
Pre-order this collection ASAP. Or you’ll miss out on freedom-fighting shapeshifters and time traveling students and (rightfully) furious spirits … and just a whole lot of incredible content.
CW: death (including child death), murder, racism, colorism, genocide, war, colonization, sexual assault, body horror, pedophilia, abuse (emotional and physical), sexism, gun violence/mass shooting, war, classism
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Racism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Rape
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