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Reviews tagging 'Death'
Blackout by Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson
20 reviews
midnightmarauder's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Blackout is a collection of short stories written by a multitude of black female authors, including Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, and Tiffany D. Jackson. The book follows a group of different characters in New York City as they navigate being stuck in a blackout.
There are six stories that make up the novel, each with characters who are trying to get to a block party in Brooklyn. The following stories are:
There are six stories that make up the novel, each with characters who are trying to get to a block party in Brooklyn. The following stories are:
- A Long Walk by Tiffany D. Jackson, which follows two exes who find themselves battling for the same job position. This story is the central story of the novel.
- Mask Off by Nic Stone, which follows a bi teenage boy trying to explore his sexuality through an underground masquerade party.
- Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk, that follows a girl who longs for a relationship, and unexpectedly meets the perfect girl who fits her dreams.
- All the Great Love Stories... and Dust by Dhonielle Clayton, that follows two best friends stuck in a library during the blackout. One of them has a crush on the other and struggles to tell them.
- No Sleep Till Brooklyn by Angie Thomas that follows a group of southern high school students who find themselves stuck in the blackout while on their way to New York for a school trip. One of the characters is caught in a love triangle between her boyfriend and his friend, and spends the story trying to decide what she wants.
- Seymour and Grace by Nicola Yoon, which follows a Grace, a passenger in a Ryde (a fictionalized version of Lyft), and Seymour, her driver, who walk to the block party together after his car runs out of gas.
I enjoyed this novel so much! My personal favorite stories had to be Made to Fit and Mask Off. I love anything that includes lesbian/gay characters, and I felt that both Nic and Ashley handled the portrayal of being a gay/bi teenager very well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Dementia, Death, Emotional abuse, and Chronic illness
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The biggest drawback is the amount of time you spend with each character. I wish there was more of several characters and really dig in how they know others well enough to show up at this party. There are plentiful good poignant moments for most of the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia, Death, and Cancer
mel_muses's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
This was so good, I didn’t expect to like it this much! One of my favorite anthologies! Every story was strong on its own, and I loved spotting the connections between them. I'm definitely gonna have to look into a lot of these authors' backlists because they were all so phenomenal and some were completely new-to-me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Grief, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Death, and Cancer
kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this one. Loved. It. A ton of short stories with a thread of everyone being in the same city during a blackout? That’s so amazing. The stories were poignant and fantastic. Some stories are still sticking with me. Excellent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Abandonment
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Homophobia, and Death
taylorleilani's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Cancer, and Death
laurataylor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Cancer, and Death
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a cute collection of short stories about young love and discovering who you are—all set against a blackout in New York City.
For being short stories, they were all connected and worked well together; these characters are all unknowingly trying to get to the same block party, which made for a fitting finale. I loved how much we learn about each character even though we don't spend a ton of time with any of them—it was great writing! I loved that NYC felt like its own character; it's always fun when authors do that.
Overall, these were sweet stories celebrating young Black love that made my heart happy and hopeful. Definitely recommend if you enjoy YA romance or if you just need a lighthearted pick-me-up book.
For being short stories, they were all connected and worked well together; these characters are all unknowingly trying to get to the same block party, which made for a fitting finale. I loved how much we learn about each character even though we don't spend a ton of time with any of them—it was great writing! I loved that NYC felt like its own character; it's always fun when authors do that.
Overall, these were sweet stories celebrating young Black love that made my heart happy and hopeful. Definitely recommend if you enjoy YA romance or if you just need a lighthearted pick-me-up book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Death, and Cancer
mandkips's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Bullying
Minor: Homophobia, Cancer, and Death
amivireads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, and Bullying