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midnightmarauder's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
The Unfortunates follows Sahara Nwadike, a depressed college sophomore who no longer wants to live. Sahara attends an unnamed PWI that prides itself on diversity and inclusion, yet their black students are constantly dying, disappearing, or both.
There are many characters within the book that are unnamed, besides Sahara herself and Mariah, one of her close friends and also the girl she has a crush on. Everyone else is referred to by a pseudonym, like her best friend, ROD (which stands for Ride Or Die), her parents (only referred to as Mother and Father), and her brothers (aptly called B1, for Brother 1; and B2, for Brother 2), which I thought was interesting.
The book tackles many issues, one of the most prominent being mental illness in black people. Sahara suffers from depression (who she refers to as her "Life Partner", or LP, for short). LP constantly drags her down and convinces her that no one cares about her, and aids in her self-destruction throughout the novel. One of the things Sahara does to cope is drink and self-harm. Both LP and one of Sahara's friends, C1, help enable her addictions.
C1 is basically the human personification of LP. She is negative, self-hating, and a terrible influence on Sahara. She constantly encourages her to drink and do drugs with little regard to how it affects her. Once, as the pair are changing for a party, C1 noticesSahara's self-harm scars , and without asking her why she did what she did or caring about helping her stop, changes the subject back to herself. She was, by far, my least favorite character in the book.
Another issue that was tackled in the book was how black people (and people of color in general) often have a hard time finding community and support at primarily-white institutions. Sahara is one of many students at the university she attends that struggle with mental health issues. There is offered support for the students, but it is not enough and tends to be focused on the needs of white people. One of the people that fight to change the discriminatory practices at the institution is Mariah, who spent a lot of time at the head of different organizations on campus built to uplift and support other black students on campus whose voices were often ignored. Later in the book,it is revealed that she suffers from a health issue that she seeks help for from the university's hospital, but they constantly ignore her. Eventually, the issue is shown to be fibroids and she goes into emergency surgery, only to die from complications later.
Overall, I really loved this book. Sahara and I are very similar; we're both black women who struggle with depression and attended PWIs. I experienced very similar isolation and pain while I was on campus, with little to no support. I wished I had read this book while living on campus in order to be reminded that I wasn't alone and that there were other people out there dealing with the same issues.
There are many characters within the book that are unnamed, besides Sahara herself and Mariah, one of her close friends and also the girl she has a crush on. Everyone else is referred to by a pseudonym, like her best friend, ROD (which stands for Ride Or Die), her parents (only referred to as Mother and Father), and her brothers (aptly called B1, for Brother 1; and B2, for Brother 2), which I thought was interesting.
The book tackles many issues, one of the most prominent being mental illness in black people. Sahara suffers from depression (who she refers to as her "Life Partner", or LP, for short). LP constantly drags her down and convinces her that no one cares about her, and aids in her self-destruction throughout the novel. One of the things Sahara does to cope is drink and self-harm. Both LP and one of Sahara's friends, C1, help enable her addictions.
C1 is basically the human personification of LP. She is negative, self-hating, and a terrible influence on Sahara. She constantly encourages her to drink and do drugs with little regard to how it affects her. Once, as the pair are changing for a party, C1 notices
Another issue that was tackled in the book was how black people (and people of color in general) often have a hard time finding community and support at primarily-white institutions. Sahara is one of many students at the university she attends that struggle with mental health issues. There is offered support for the students, but it is not enough and tends to be focused on the needs of white people. One of the people that fight to change the discriminatory practices at the institution is Mariah, who spent a lot of time at the head of different organizations on campus built to uplift and support other black students on campus whose voices were often ignored. Later in the book,
Overall, I really loved this book. Sahara and I are very similar; we're both black women who struggle with depression and attended PWIs. I experienced very similar isolation and pain while I was on campus, with little to no support. I wished I had read this book while living on campus in order to be reminded that I wasn't alone and that there were other people out there dealing with the same issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racism and Eating disorder
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Blood, Body shaming, and Misogyny
tjminus's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.5
First, definitely check the trigger/content warnings before reading this book. It is a DARK comedy. The writing style/presentation was so unique and creative and I truly enjoyed it. I just felt like the last 80 or so pages rushed to complete the plot and the book easily could have gone another 20-30 pages to match the plot pace of the first 2/3rds of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Drug use, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Minor: Racism, Death, and Classism
dominmuenster's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Medical content, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit
seullywillikers's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Initial thoughts: raw, intelligent, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, beautiful.
Updated review: EVERYONE should read this book, but most especially, if you have anything to do with higher education AT ALL, whether as student, teacher, administrator, or volunteer, you must read this book. Obviously, as a white woman, I did not identify with all of Sahara's identities; I did identify with some of her story, though. This has got to have the most real portrayal of depression and suicidal ideation in a fiction that I have ever read. Throughout, Sahara's humor, sadness, and rage burn brightly, so that you are in the midst of it, and feeling it too. The POV of a Black woman in a PWI is poignant and important-you can logically 'know' a thing, but to see it through this window is another thing entirely. Certainly, I'll never understand on a fundamental level, but having the books and other media that represent these true stories (fiction as truth-teller) is so important for everyone in today's America.
The framework of a satirical Master's thesis is brilliantly conceived and executed in this book, and is well used to highlight the insufficient, ineffective, and hypocritical policies and facades of towering institutions that don't actually do the work to raise up anyone except their donors and benefactors. This book touched not only on systemic racism, but also everyday microaggressions, inequitable health-care and the dismissal of Black people's pain, trying to figure out your life as an LGBTQIA+ person, depression and self-harm, dysfunctional families (even if there is love there), and just trying to figure out yourself in college. That is SO much to cover, but this book doesn't feel bogged down, sloggy, or hindered in achieving to carry all of that.
Also, Sahara has awesome taste in music. 5 stars.
Updated review: EVERYONE should read this book, but most especially, if you have anything to do with higher education AT ALL, whether as student, teacher, administrator, or volunteer, you must read this book. Obviously, as a white woman, I did not identify with all of Sahara's identities; I did identify with some of her story, though. This has got to have the most real portrayal of depression and suicidal ideation in a fiction that I have ever read. Throughout, Sahara's humor, sadness, and rage burn brightly, so that you are in the midst of it, and feeling it too. The POV of a Black woman in a PWI is poignant and important-you can logically 'know' a thing, but to see it through this window is another thing entirely. Certainly, I'll never understand on a fundamental level, but having the books and other media that represent these true stories (fiction as truth-teller) is so important for everyone in today's America.
The framework of a satirical Master's thesis is brilliantly conceived and executed in this book, and is well used to highlight the insufficient, ineffective, and hypocritical policies and facades of towering institutions that don't actually do the work to raise up anyone except their donors and benefactors. This book touched not only on systemic racism, but also everyday microaggressions, inequitable health-care and the dismissal of Black people's pain, trying to figure out your life as an LGBTQIA+ person, depression and self-harm, dysfunctional families (even if there is love there), and just trying to figure out yourself in college. That is SO much to cover, but this book doesn't feel bogged down, sloggy, or hindered in achieving to carry all of that.
Also, Sahara has awesome taste in music. 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Blood
abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for my free digital ARC in exchange for a review!
Boy oh boy was this book an emotional rollercoaster! I need to preface this by saying that I highly recommend it but if you are currently struggling with depression and/or self-harm, please take care of yourself if you read it!
Boy oh boy was this book an emotional rollercoaster! I need to preface this by saying that I highly recommend it but if you are currently struggling with depression and/or self-harm, please take care of yourself if you read it!
.
The Unfortunates is told in the style of a thesis written by Sahara, a queer, half-Black half-Nigerian sophomore who is in the grips of debilitating depression. As well as her depression, Life Partner or LP as she refers to it, Sahara is also grappling with all of the exhaustion that comes from being a young Black woman in an Ivy League college entrenched in institutionalised racism. Other Black students are ‘graduating early’ at an alarming rate, driven to suicide, dropping out, or failed by the medical professionals supposedly charged with their care. Courtney @busyblackbookworm put it perfectly in her review - the racism Chukwu exhibits in her book is not explicit, but rather the focus is on the everyday micro-aggressions and ignorance prevalent at mostly-white institutions. Slowly but surely, this form pervasive racism wears down the Black students (and other students of colour, as briefly explored with Sahara’s best friend, but the chief focus is on Black students), forcing them to drastic, devastating measures.
.
Chukwu does an incredible job of showing the oppressive reality of being a Black depressed woman in a mostly white sphere. At one point Sahara despairs over how to explain to her parents ‘why [she is] incapable of simply learning for four years’. When in reality there’s nothing simple at all when your depression is making existing seem like an impossible task, coupled with fighting back against an institution that is doing its very best to erase Black students.
.
There is some also humour through the despair, as well as intriguing zine illustrations which I mostly felt too dense to ‘get’. Overall a candid & challenging read and I look forward to what’s next from debut author J.K. Chukwu!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
tigger89's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is not a particularly uplifting book. It may be cathartic or validating, but I want to be clear that, if you're currently struggling with anything that seems adjacent to the plot summary of this book, you should tread carefully. It gets very dark. Check the content warnings.
That said, it was very well done. Sahara's perspective was in turns frustrating, heartbreaking, infuriating, and all too real. There's very little plot that goes down in this story. Instead, it's almost entirely about the characters, whether they're sympathetic, antagonistic, or somewhere in between. This worked incredibly well to paint a complete, empathetic picture of the suffering students of color undergo while surviving — or not — in racist institutions, as well as to underscore the vital importance of community and showing up to support one another.
The gimmick of the novel, that it was an academic thesis, was a mixed bag for me. While it's addressed to the thesis committee and has frequent footnotes, it doesn't read like academic writing at all. Of course that subversion is the point, but it's still disconcerting as a reader to have been sold on one thing only to discover it's something else entirely. I think if I'd known what I was in for up front I would have appreciated it much more, rather than being disappointed about what I'd thought I was getting. I also want to note that, according to her author bio, Chukwu is a visual artist, and there's many instances of art throughout the novel. Consequently, this may be a title that's best enjoyed in a physical or e-book edition, rather than on audio.
That said, it was very well done. Sahara's perspective was in turns frustrating, heartbreaking, infuriating, and all too real. There's very little plot that goes down in this story. Instead, it's almost entirely about the characters, whether they're sympathetic, antagonistic, or somewhere in between. This worked incredibly well to paint a complete, empathetic picture of the suffering students of color undergo while surviving — or not — in racist institutions, as well as to underscore the vital importance of community and showing up to support one another.
The gimmick of the novel, that it was an academic thesis, was a mixed bag for me. While it's addressed to the thesis committee and has frequent footnotes, it doesn't read like academic writing at all. Of course that subversion is the point, but it's still disconcerting as a reader to have been sold on one thing only to discover it's something else entirely. I think if I'd known what I was in for up front I would have appreciated it much more, rather than being disappointed about what I'd thought I was getting. I also want to note that, according to her author bio, Chukwu is a visual artist, and there's many instances of art throughout the novel. Consequently, this may be a title that's best enjoyed in a physical or e-book edition, rather than on audio.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Medical content
lettuce_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Body shaming, Alcohol, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Racism, and Drug use
Moderate: Racial slurs and Medical trauma
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