Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

63 reviews

m_papaya's review

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4.0

Bleak, violent, read in one sitting. 
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introvertsbookclub's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Adjei- Brenyah’s short story collection is the perfect blend of horror and dystopia. His writing is direct but suspenseful, chilling but intriguing. The cruelties of racism and capitalism might be familiar, but when transposed into fantasy worlds without rules or limits they become even more terrifying and unnatural.

The stories that make up this collection pull you in with questions and leave you reeling and unpicking their meaning. Every story is a hit, and while there are some overlaps, each is distinctly unique. At their core they explore the most human emotions - the desire to protect family, fear, anger, shame and hope. Each story is expertly crafted, the entire collection is unforgettable and the final page made me want to turn back to the first and read it all over again.
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kananineko's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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daniellekat's review

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

3.5

Like all short story collections there were a few misses here for me, but overall the writing was strong and thought provoking. Stand out stories include: The Finkelstein 5, Zimmer Land (my favourite), Friday Black, and Light Spitter. I disliked that a few stories were somewhat connected. Having read the author’s novel Chain-Gang All-Stars, you can tell that he has a lot he wants to say. For me, the short story collection was more successful in achieving that goal despite being more disjointed. Each story felt more focused on a theme or topic where the novel tried to take on everything. It’s obvious he is a talented writer. 
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seasonedreadings's review

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challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bookedbymadeline's review

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I was pulled in by the first story but there were a few afterwards that were just okay or I had no idea what was going on. I almost DNFd but the stories become more interesting again/less confusing and pulled me back 😁

Overall a dark and interesting read where I liked more stories than didn’t. It’s well written and uniquely told. Highly recommend for any horror or dystopian/speculative fiction fans!
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aubrey_cody's review

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Gripping. Gory. Immersive. Thought provoking. 
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hnagarne's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense 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

4.25

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lambchop12's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

It’s hard to find words for this short story collection, to be honest. It feels like what you’d get if you combined Sorry to Bother You and Black Mirror, and I mean that in (mostly) the best way possible. I can’t pick out a favorite story so I’ll just go through some of them and what I liked about them.

Made me the most emotional: “The Lion and the Spider” - I have a rough, weird relationship with my emotionally distant father who has left my family on multiple occasions so this story almost broke me, but also left me hopeful for a better future.

Left me in the most awe: “The Hospital Where” - I love me some good surrealism, okay? And this was just straight up “what’s going on” madness in a good way.

Had me thinking “oh jesus” the most times: “Through the Flash” - very very dark. Worth reading, but it was a smart move to put it at the end because by the time you finish it, you’ll feel a certain amount of emotional exhaustion from just thinking about the trauma the Flash and the following events have had on people. Also another one where the father/child relationship made me emotional.

Made me the maddest at society: “The Finkelstein 5” and “Zimmer Land” - I won’t spoil these, just know that they deal with racism and the unfair deaths of Black people (especially children). Heavy subject matter but meaningful.

Had me the most confused: “Lark Street” - this was the one story I disliked because I couldn’t tell if it was pro-choice or pro-forced birth lol. Interesting premise though.

The rest of the stories are interesting, I just don’t have much to say about them. Very good collection. 9/10.
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cyborgforty's review

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challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.5

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