Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

23 reviews

jdamae11's review

challenging dark funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, and War

hnagarne's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Murder

cyborgforty's review

challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Police brutality

jessthanthree's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Racial slurs

glf's review

dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Every story had me putting the book down and staring into space. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Sexual violence

j_m_alexander's review against another edition

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

 Biting, gut-punching short stories that are frighteningly sad and darkly humorous at times. Like all short story collections, this collection is a bit of a mixed bag, some nearly perfect, others falling a slightly short by comparison. The collection started and finished particularly strong - that first short story was a haunting and powerful statement to start with, the final story while similarly startling finished with more of a lingering bitter-sweetness; truly perfect choices to book-end the collection. There were a few others in the latter half that I felt really built on one another in a way I really liked as well. Adjei-Brenyah makes an undeniable impact in a short amount of pages/words, leaning toward dystopian of the rather violent variety. Not every story hits quite a perfect balance but when they do, it's a real triumph and will keep you thinking about them long afterward.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

bay22's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia

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