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kimavi8's review against another edition
3.0
This was just ok. Admittedly, I was unaware that it was comprised of 6 short stories. The Control Negro and My Monticello grabbed me the most.
megbee95's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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? Yes
3.5
ben_r's review against another edition
4.0
Corralled by white supremacists, a group of Charlottesville residents take refuge at Monticello where the ghosts of the past meet the ghosts of the present.
rpych2's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite thing about this was its indictment of race relations in the modern day United States, which is something that is touched upon so well in these stories. But I’m not sure that I loved the fact that it was a short story collection and a novella, mainly because it’s not what I was anticipating.
As for the novella, I enjoyed the concept. A near apocalyptic future where black residents of Virginia are taking refuge at Thomas Jefferson’s famous estate Monticello is such a cool idea. It started out with a bunch of action and ended pretty abruptly with more, but in the middle it was pretty slow. I liked a lot of things about it, but there were unfortunately too many things I didn’t as well.
As for the novella, I enjoyed the concept. A near apocalyptic future where black residents of Virginia are taking refuge at Thomas Jefferson’s famous estate Monticello is such a cool idea. It started out with a bunch of action and ended pretty abruptly with more, but in the middle it was pretty slow. I liked a lot of things about it, but there were unfortunately too many things I didn’t as well.
leslied628's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
megim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Such a beautifully written book.
jbriaz's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars. My Monticello comprises a handful of unrelated short stories and then the titular novella at the end. I found two of the short stories to be terrific: "Buying A House Ahead of the Apocalypse" and "Control Negro." Johnson used unique and interesting backgrounds to construct these stories, melding real world issues with speculative fiction. I also found her prose style to be strong throughout these stories and others. Unfortunately, I found the other short stories wanting in different regards, not exactly hitting the point. The worst for me was "Virginia is Not My Home," which seemed to be a retread of so many other fiction stories that came before it. It added nothing that a 100 other authors haven't done already.
As for the novella, My Monticello, I have to say this is the rare book where it could've used more length. This would've allowed Johnson to grow out the world and flesh out the characters. It also would've allowed her to build in more plot, which is pretty lacking in this story. As to the strengths, Johnson's prose style remains strong as discussed above. And she uses our real-life political and racial situation to create a dystopic world in Charlottesville set in an unclear year in the 2030s where white supremacy and climate change led to the "Unraveling," which is basically the end of society. I found these portions of the novella to be enrapturing, and I wish she had used more pages to build this out. Overall though, the novella kept me hooked from beginning to end; perhaps Johnson can explore this all-too-possible dystopic hellscape in a future novel.
As for the novella, My Monticello, I have to say this is the rare book where it could've used more length. This would've allowed Johnson to grow out the world and flesh out the characters. It also would've allowed her to build in more plot, which is pretty lacking in this story. As to the strengths, Johnson's prose style remains strong as discussed above. And she uses our real-life political and racial situation to create a dystopic world in Charlottesville set in an unclear year in the 2030s where white supremacy and climate change led to the "Unraveling," which is basically the end of society. I found these portions of the novella to be enrapturing, and I wish she had used more pages to build this out. Overall though, the novella kept me hooked from beginning to end; perhaps Johnson can explore this all-too-possible dystopic hellscape in a future novel.
emilydiane8's review against another edition
5.0
What a debut! I listened to the short stories on audiobook last year, then bought a hardcover to read the novella. Even if you are not tied to Charlottesville, this book speaks to a wider cultural moment outside of our city. It is dystopia, but what spoke to me most was the coming of age element that happened over a period of only 19 days. To take such large threats and distill them in to the experience of one young woman and a period of a little over two weeks but still capture so much complexity, horror, and dynamics was remarkable to experience as a reader!