Reviews

Ayiti by Roxane Gay

teilorann's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

carlyxdeexx's review against another edition

4.0

Managed to get this at BEA this year—definitely the book I was happiest about snagging. Roxane Gay’s one of my favorite writers, and the first book I read by her was AN UNTAMED STATE. These stories are evocative of that novel’s themes and it’s style, and one of the stories in particular seems to be a seed of that larger work. To be clear, this collection was published before the novel, and is just now being re-released with a new (lovely) cover.

The stories are very short, short enough to make you want more from them in a greedy sort of way. The writing is evocative of prose poetry. I’ve always liked Gay’s depictions of sex and sexuality—there are stories here that showcase her talent for that. I’d be happy to read this again and could probably re-devour it in moments. It’s at once a personal and political collection—direct connections are drawn and redrawn between the two in each story, feeding into each other. The political is seen intimately, as it is often seen by those it affects immediately instead of from a spectator’s distance. The intimacy reveals nuance often missed, and we could always do with more nuance.

elizabethd28's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

It’s a series of short stories reflecting on the experiences of Haitian people. Great representation of queer women especially.

storeytale's review against another edition

4.0

 A poignant collection of short stories about Haiti and Haitians in America.

ingread27's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this collection. Roxane Gay has such a genuine, no-bs way of delivery that I enjoy, almost awkward at times. A couple of these stories i would have loved to see extended into novellas. But a fantastic collection.

krysnotchris's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

vyhurz's review against another edition

4.0

Many of these stories are brutal, and I believe all of them are shockingly explicit. It's amazing how Gay can write so plainly, to just lay the truth bare. It's hard to look at. I love everything she's written. The only thing that saddens me is that every story was about pain, and perhaps finding some small pleasure in that pain. I would have loved one story that focused on joy or pride in Haiti rather than just enending pain.

jess_mango's review against another edition

4.0

Ayiti (which is the Creole word for Haiti) is a stunning short story collection By Roxane Gay. The stories focus on Haitian immigrants in the US and Haitians still living in Haiti. The stories are often raw and disturbing as they portray the hardships that the characters are going through.

dinasamimi's review against another edition

5.0

Really loved this. This is a good collection, but a few were standouts: Sweet on the Tongue and In the Manner of Water or Light were so excellent and heartbreaking.

readingafrica's review against another edition

2.0

This collection of short stories was 'ok'. It narrated experiences in the Haitian diaspora, from the US immigrant experience to life in rural Haiti. There were tales of love, loss, and trauma. The stories were pretty inconsistent. I liked some a lot more than others, and none of them were particularly memorable except "Sweet on the Tongue".