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mackenzi's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Contemplative and sad. There are a lot of very relateable moments which made me feel hollow, though on some level much of Assembly seems so distant and out of reach. More than anything this book highlights the feelings I've had of trying to reach out and show my perspective, illustrate the magnitude of institutional racism, built into the system from the ground up, to people in my life, and have them unable to see beyond their individual selves, unable to see the systems that build every part of society. That gap sometimes seems insurmountable. And how do you construct an identity in that world, in their world, when you have that knowledge? Trying to force oneself into that worldview means you're sanding yourself down from a full human being into a shadow of one. Both pain and pleasure leech away until there's nothing of either. At their refusal or inability to see, you have to pretend along with them if you want to have a personal relationship. You have to pretend to enjoy being hollow. And Assembly is a story of someone who has done that for her whole life, even while feeling how soulless and impersonal it is, how deeply depressed she's become, while feeling how she's still a part of that imperialist, colonialist machine, be she successful or failing within it.
It's prettily written and I enjoyed the style. The jumping between the present moment and thoughts of other events, the past, summarizing feelings, drawing conclusions, all in an uncertain voice which halts and interupts itself frequently. It's an easy style for my brain to read, very similar to my own thought process. And the style conjures a distant, detatched, anxious yet resigned perspective. It's very well constructed.
I thought it was funny how most of the top reviews for this book on Goodreads are white men. How they praise it.
It's prettily written and I enjoyed the style. The jumping between the present moment and thoughts of other events, the past, summarizing feelings, drawing conclusions, all in an uncertain voice which halts and interupts itself frequently. It's an easy style for my brain to read, very similar to my own thought process. And the style conjures a distant, detatched, anxious yet resigned perspective. It's very well constructed.
I thought it was funny how most of the top reviews for this book on Goodreads are white men. How they praise it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Classism
sangsmiles's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Hate crime, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Deportation
ssinforshort's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
This was unique, super short, but also packed with so much.
This stream of consciousness book kept me interested, and included a lot Black British history that I wasn't aware of. I will definitely be doing more research after this.
I do think this would have been better if it was told fully in verse. The even shorter form would have made it easier to dissect. Though, this may have been the authors intent.
This stream of consciousness book kept me interested, and included a lot Black British history that I wasn't aware of. I will definitely be doing more research after this.
I do think this would have been better if it was told fully in verse. The even shorter form would have made it easier to dissect. Though, this may have been the authors intent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, and Colonisation
happilyeveralli's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Fans of Ling Ma’s SEVERANCE will likely enjoy the prose of this pounding and reflective analyzation of racism.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation
typedtruths's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism
sophiaroesler's review
challenging
reflective
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment
sektaufeis's review against another edition
challenging
informative
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? No
5.0
Hat mich tief beeindruckt und ein must-read für weiße Männer. Als weiße Frau konnte ich teilweise relaten, aber es war eine sehr unbequeme Erfahrung so eine allumfassende Schilderung vom durchdringenden Rassismus nur für ein paar Seiten auszuhalten.
So scharf und zielgerichtete geschrieben - wow.
So scharf und zielgerichtete geschrieben - wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Racial slurs
peachmoni's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Cancer
fiaharringbook's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
leoniefnk's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This is the definition of literary girl dinner. The tangibility that Brown paints into my ears is at times gorgeous, but mostly a source of unease. Everybody should read this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, War, and Deportation