Reviews with content warning for Miscarriage - Brown Girls

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Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades

4 reviews

hollyd19's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

4.5

This book is a symphony.

Evoking a strong sense of place in the "dregs of Queens" and told from the plural perspective of the eponymous brown girls, Andreades’s debut novel is gorgeous and gratifying. The book’s short length belies its power and range. Lively vignettes narrated by a collective voice articulate the nuances & complexities bound up in the lived reality of brown girls in Queens. Andreades highlights the tensions of growing up within this community: balancing expectations and gratitude, ambition and rootedness, confidence and humility. The tone is unfettered, honest, and compassionate.

Particularly notable is the way Andreades rejects the idea of caricature while also managing to tell a story from a collective narrator. In fact, this writing device turned the disconnected girls and women Andreades wished to represent into a tapestry. I never got the sense that she was flattening or stereotyping, rather imbuing with humanity and value every varied experience, saying, “This? This is us. Oh, and that? That, too.”

Brown Girls would be an excellent choice for those who enjoyed Girl, Woman, Other or Infinite Country. I strongly recommend the audiobook thanks to masterful narration by Tashi Thomas.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really loved Brown Girls. It’s the story of second-generation immigrant girls growing up in Queens. The book follows them from early childhood through to the end of life, but the emphasis is heavily on their teens and twenties, the key coming-of-age years. What immediately stands out is that this novel is told in the first person plural, “we”. This does mean the reader never gets to know any of the girls individually, but I found it really drew me into the story as a reader, making me feel as if I was one of the group, or at the very least a fly on the wall as a group of girlfriends got together. The collective voice vividly highlighted the universality of some of their experiences like sexism, racism, and balancing the expectations of immigrant parents with the realities of life in America. Yet the diversity and individuality of their different experiences came through clearly as well. Some girls were encouraged by teachers; others were put down. Some went to college and achieved professional success; others did not. Some became parents; other aborted unwanted pregnancies, struggled with fertility, or chose to remain childless. Some escaped Queens; others remained there their whole life. The writing was lyrical, while still feeling rooted in reality. I’ve never been to Queens but this depiction feels vividly authentic. It’s easy to believe I’ve been transported there and given the opportunity to share the lives of this group of Brown girls. A unique book that is sure to stick with me.

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rachreads925's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

This isn't a book meant for everyone, and I'm counting myself in that. The writing is good, but the usage of the collective We negatively affected my experience of it. The story loses some effectiveness through the method of trying to tell the story of everyone, and absolutely everyone who is a woman of color (Asian, Hispanic, Black, etc.). At one point, I thought it was finally giving us some characters names but then you aren't sure what's happening to whom. Despite the usage of the collective We, the story focuses on a certain kind of experience - those young women who make it out of their immigrant neighborhoods, become white collar professionals, and more affluent lives. There is no emotional connection to any characters, because there are no characters - at least whose names you know. I appreciated the story of the children of immigrants who straddle two worlds, but I wanted something more than good writing. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House who provided me with a free e-copy of the book.

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qace90's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.25

I received an advance copy from the publisher Random House via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.

Brown Girls is a fascinating, think-y story. It isn’t wholly clear who the main character(s) are and is told entirely with the pronoun tense of “we.” This is a super interesting, compelling read that I found difficult to put down. And the writing style flows beautifully, adding to the emotional impact. It is a story of growing up as a brown girl in Queens, NY, a story of friendships, and a story of family. Of figuring out your place in the world and finding connections to roots and community. It was a little shocking when Trump’s presidency and the Covid pandemic became a part of the book, but I think it added to the realism of the story and the experiences it was representing.

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