Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

63 reviews

emory's review

challenging dark reflective tense

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, and Gun violence

readinghavoc's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective 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? No

5.0

Phenomenally written. Super immersive and innovative world building, great pacing, fantastic. Handles incredibly difficult subjects compellingly. Everyone should read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Torture, and Murder

lain_darko's review

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture and War

rickstadt's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.75

Some of the stories in this collection are a bit dark and can be a little depressing to sit with afterwards, but nevertheless the messages behind them also sit with you - poignant in a meaningful way. Some of the short stories were more gripping than others.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Medical content

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

 Friday Black is a fierce,unflinching expose of racism, classism and capitalism in the United States. The best stories to me were based firmly in fact yet the details are such that they feel dystopian. Take the opening story, The Finkelstein 5, where the protagonist struggles to accept the exoneration of a white man charged with killing five Black children. The defence felt sadly recognisable - the Black children’s very existence made them a threat- and even the over-the-top nature of the murders did not seem as far-fetched as it should. The protagonist also talks about dialling his Blackness up or down, depending on the situation- a sad reflection that being Black puts people at risk. Similarly the titular story Friday Black is an exaggerated look at that madness that is Black Friday retail while Zimmer Land is set in a theme park where patrons pay to pretend to shoot Black and Muslim characters in role playing scenarios. Most stories highlight the alienation and desperation their male protagonists experience.; hyperbole and satire common tools. Not every story hit the mark for me but ove rall this is a truly powerful collection.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Violence

mackinseyjoy's review

challenging dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, and Murder

viaviaggi's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Murder, and Abandonment

gattolino_nn's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed each of the story stories. They were really attention grabbing and different from one another, but still displaying similar messages to the reader.
I'm not often drawn to short stories and if this wasn't a group read, I don't think I would have found and read this. I'm glad that I did get a chance to be introduced to this book and will have to keep an eye on the author for any upcoming writing he has.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse and Racial slurs

emily_mh's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Gore, Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Lynching, colourism, loss of a loved one (including a child), eugenics, menstruation, trampling, sick parent, homophobic slur, nuclear bombing

amykuc's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book was unlike any I've ever read before. The writing is tight and the stories are often difficult to look into. We start off with The Finkelstein 5 where a trial beyond understanding ends with a horrific verdict. And once you're in, it's impossible to climb out. Amusement parks, retail shopping, and school shootings are all written about from a voice we have never heard before. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Toxic friendship