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calamityin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One possible theme is that one cannot stop, but must always keep moving, something Brown directly challenges with her character who questions why the movement is necessary. Much of this questioning rings into suicidal ideation, with detachment, confusion, and resignation all seeping into the words, and the main character's consideration of her cancer diagnosis further bolsters this idea.
As the book came to a close, I was left with the distinct impression that this book was supposed to be a speech more than a novel. It was saying something not about a narrative story but about experience on the whole, which I can understand turns many readers away when they find they cannot connect with the characters. I, however, thought this worked beautifully and could feel myself aligning with an orator who can tell the audience is not getting what they should from the presentation. By the end, I was drawn back to the early image of a talk at a school for young girls, encouraging them to pursue the life of the MC, while the MC herself is questioning if she wants to continue pursuing this life.
Altogether a beautiful book that I will be buying a personal copy of so that I can make my own annotations to the text on my next read.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Deportation
Minor: Body shaming, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
felicityebhaslin's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, and Colonisation
Minor: Racial slurs
sangsmiles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Hate crime, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Deportation
oxfordcomer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Slavery
happilyeveralli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This is an impeccable novella. I think that a work should always aim to unsettle the current worldview of its readers, but the number of my review reflects my indecision about how I felt about the ending. The novella touches on dread, and that’s how the ending made me feel. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, I just think that I’ll have to sit with this one for a while.
Graphic: Cancer and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation
sophiaroesler's review
Moderate: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment
sektaufeis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
So scharf und zielgerichtete geschrieben - wow.
Graphic: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Racial slurs
fiaharringbook's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Minor: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Deportation
oywiththepoodles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Slavery and Colonisation
sakisreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A Black British woman navigates the white world around her and my oh my, it’s not a pleasant place to be 🙄 I highlighted so many quotes from this book, one of which was:
‘Best case: those children grow up, assimilate, get jobs and pour money into a government that forever tells them they are not British. This is not home.’
How Natasha Brown managed to capture SO MANY EXPERIENCES (and nuances) into a 112 page novel I will never know. I thoroughly appreciated it though 🫠
4.5 out of 5 stars from me, thank you ✨
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation