Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

6 reviews

2treads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The ways in which Spires tackles the issues of race, class and preferences here aren't new but there is a certain spin that she has brought to each character and their story which makes them fresh and lends a certain resonance as the reader interacts with and responds to each person and their individuality within their environment. She is allowing her characters to be themselves in all their beauty, with all their flaws, either reckoning with or accepting themselves as they are.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Grief, Body shaming, Bullying, Self harm, Stalking, and Police brutality

happyblkhippie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a random pick of short stories that was meant to help break up the heavy, dense sociology books I've been reading recently, but ended up being different than I thought. However I enjoyed it more than thought I would. It's fairly quick and what I really like about it being short stories is you can read them in any order if you want. A few of them do have some overlap with characters. 

It's definitely witty, dark, satire and makes you laugh, but not in a hahaha way more like a snicker. I found the characters to be quite the bunch of irreverent, sometimes cringe, insufferable and beautifully flawed people. 

My Fave shorts

• Fátima: The Bilquist: A Transformation Story 
• Suicide Watch
• Belles Lettres
• The Subject of Consumption 
• Whisper to a Scream

I enjoyed how the author showed a range of different nuanced experiences of Black people and the Black experience from a middle and upper class perspective. It does tackle some heavier topics in a satirical way, but check the trigger warnings. Overall it's a good niche selection of shorts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Classism, Gaslighting, Body shaming, and Bullying

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Infertility, Medical content, Torture, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity

madelinequinne's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. It was very informative about the lives of black people in this day and age, and I feel like I learned a lot from it. I definitely recommend to anyone interested in reading about the experiences of black people in the modern world

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Mental illness, Police brutality, Suicide, Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Chronic illness, Classism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Child abuse, Child death, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

leahb88's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

I loved the writing style of this collection and found the voice to change a bit, depending on who was narrating. Each story building on each other and the ways that they became connected as you read was super interesting. I found the stories to read as very introspective and kind of live within the minds of the characters, but taken together this collection is a reflection on the ways that Black bodies exist in society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gun violence

foxowl2005's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Racism, Police brutality, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Ableism, and Child abuse

readerette's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I felt these were beautiful, human stories about the intersection of identity. They are mostly about daily suffering and trials, but not overly dark except perhaps the final story on the collection.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Mental illness

Minor: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence