Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Encontro

This is one of my favorite reads of the year. For how short this one is, it manages to pack in a lot of worthwhile meditations on race and gender and class and the fallout of colonialism. The writing style is unique but accessible. I would highly encourage just about anyone to read this.

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emzireads's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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alenabaggins's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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amy_park's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

5.0

A small slip of a thing that's utterly breathtaking. Only 100 pages long, spanning across 24hours, the importance of reading this novel in today's climate is undeniable. The range of topics touched upon as well as the undercurrent of mortality was superb, it put everything in perspective. Also personally for me, a guilty pleasure of a secret garden reference, wonderful. Everyone should read and I feel you would get more and more things out of it with every re-read, highly recommend!

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

brown's assembly is so effective in achieving its goals that it's akin to a manifesto, a subdued rallying cry of exasperation, exhaustion, rage, and detached numbness of those who are black and british.

there's not a whole lot of plot here, merely different contexts and scenes from the narrator's life that eventually come together to form a finished puzzle and allow the reader to understand the reasoning behind her ultimate choice.

the novel's very reflective and introspective, and straddles the border of being almost preachy at times, but somehow it works: one couldnt possibly understand the narrator's current circumstances w/o being aware of the larger historical and political forces that precede her, shaping britain and its ppl into what they are - and how they act towards her and those like her - today.

i have to say brown does a stellar job of depicting what it's like to be a black british woman, even one on the ascent. i felt claustrophobic, exasperated, constantly judged simply reading abt the narrator's daily experience. the lie of being taught to always strive and be better so things can get better, but in reality it's never enough no matter what one does, white ppl will always deem minorities as outsiders granted unfair advantages. no wonder the narrator's seemingly bone-deep exhausted; the clownery rly never ends.

while the narrative can feel disjointed at times bc of the frequent, abrupt changes in setting, assembly is nevertheless an impactful book.

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nikki_silk's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

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notellawilliams's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-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

4.5

such a fascinating and political book, about race, love, abuse, power, class, and success. completely obsessed with it, though found the book got a little too prescriptive and plain towards the end.

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