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absolute_bookery's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
Read this in one sitting and wow wow wow, what a book. An informed, brutally honest portrayal and narrative on race, class, conformity and choice. Excellently written and emotion provoking, can't believe this is a debut.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
ymorii's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
bookswithhan's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
I wasn't sure what to expect when I delved into this book. It was one I'd seen floating around on here and so I snatched it up in the half price sale to deal with my FOMO.
Assembly is beautifully written as a fractured narrative. The story jumps between different parts of a black woman's life; one part being where she is getting ready for her white boyfriend's family party and her daily life of work. This is interspersed with the revelation that the woman has cancer that she is seemingly trying to avoid and put to one side. She begins to question the cost of her ascending career alongside a life with a white man whilst dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
The writing, whilst beautiful, is angry and impactful and delivers a profound indictment of racism and classicism in Britain. Natasha Brown makes clear and raw observations of society through the woman's eyes that is done so with such majestic poetry.
This book may be short in length but is extremely rich and deep.
Assembly is beautifully written as a fractured narrative. The story jumps between different parts of a black woman's life; one part being where she is getting ready for her white boyfriend's family party and her daily life of work. This is interspersed with the revelation that the woman has cancer that she is seemingly trying to avoid and put to one side. She begins to question the cost of her ascending career alongside a life with a white man whilst dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
The writing, whilst beautiful, is angry and impactful and delivers a profound indictment of racism and classicism in Britain. Natasha Brown makes clear and raw observations of society through the woman's eyes that is done so with such majestic poetry.
This book may be short in length but is extremely rich and deep.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
ashleyann's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racial slurs
balkeyeston's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.5
In less than 100 pages, Natasha Brown has given us a finely calculated portrait of Blackness being wielded by white people as both a blessing and a disease. I'll refrain from spoilers here, but the extended metaphor of disease in particular is just *chef's kiss*. While Assembly is yet another book on the brutality of post-Brexit/post-Trumpian racism and nationalist denial, it lays bare the wounds of racialized microaggression, inherent class privilege, and nationalist stereotyping.
It's really difficult to go into further detail about this without spoilers--especially because the novella is so short I'd essentially be quoting from the whole book. All I can settle with for now is that Assembly is "The Yellow Wallpaper" of our social undoing.
It's really difficult to go into further detail about this without spoilers--especially because the novella is so short I'd essentially be quoting from the whole book. All I can settle with for now is that Assembly is "The Yellow Wallpaper" of our social undoing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer
I am absolutely obsessed with how Brownshelfofunread's review
challenging
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, and Colonisation