Reviews with content warning for Violence - Friday Black

A brilliant surrealist, satirical exploration of racial suffering, resistance, consumerism and economic materialism. I'm looking forward to picking up Chain-Gang All Stars after this experience.

The Finkelstein 5 - 4.5 stars

Things My Mother Said - 4.25 stars

The Era - 4.5 stars

Lark Street - 4 stars

The Hospital Where - 4.25 stars

Zimmer Land - 4.75 stars

Black Friday - 5 Stars

The Lion & The Spider - 4 stars

Light Spitter - 4.25 stars

In Retail - 3.75 stars

Through The Flash - 4 stars

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megansoetaert's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved Chain Gang All-Stars so much that i had to pick up Adjei-Brenyah’s first book. I’m normally not a huge fan of short story collections, but this was actually really well done!!

The stories flowed very well, and I didn’t feel jolted out of the book each time I started a new story. I felt connected to each character + story even in so few pages. I think the dystopian elements were well done, but I do feel like the social commentary leaned a little more Black Mirror lol (still good! just not the most poignant to me)

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literaryintersections's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

A lot of this I loved:

The finklestein 5 is an unbelievable story. Heartbreaking and sad. Feels realistic and also highlights the ends people will go to try and get some kind of justice. To get people to say their names.

Lark Street was WEIRD but also sad. Maybe a take on abortion overall but more a take on how women are impacted by abortion.

Zimmer Land was disgusting and horrifying and felt like the early stirrings of Chain-Gang All-Stars. The idea of doing something good when really it’s stripping of humanity.

Friday Blsck - capitalism and materialism.

Light Spitter - honestly heartbreaking all around.

Some were so strong and others not as strong. But overall, such a great read. I want a full Finklestein 5 and full Zimmer Land story.

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wanderingtones's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
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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madsmacmath's review

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challenging dark reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t read a lot of short stories, and they’re a unique genre in their own right. It took me a second to get the feel and cadence, and to realize my criticism, that the stories felt like they were ripping off real life, is the whole damn point. These stories feel like looking at an uncanny valley image; they’re just different enough for you to see the story but so hauntingly and eerily familiar. It’s like everyone else has said - dystopian, sci-fi, selective realism. Like a Black Mirror episode on the page.

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readingwithgoose's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

4.0

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