Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I dnf’d the ebook version of this a year or so ago because the writing style did not mesh well with my brain, so I tried again with the audiobook. The audiobook was a lot easier to process although I’ve listened to much longer audiobooks that have felt easier to get through.
I normally like stories with multiple characters that ultimately come together, but the amount of characters and moving parts in this made it a little difficult for me to keep up with (especially as it took me a while to finish the audiobook).
Overall I did enjoy it, but the writing style wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea.
I normally like stories with multiple characters that ultimately come together, but the amount of characters and moving parts in this made it a little difficult for me to keep up with (especially as it took me a while to finish the audiobook).
Overall I did enjoy it, but the writing style wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea.
If I had to describe this book in one word, I’d say it’s complex — complex in the writing style, the characters, the stories they tell, the way in which each is connected throughout the novel. It pulls you into the minds and experiences of black British women from different backgrounds. This is not your typical, easy read and for that reason, I loved it! I do have to say I liked the 2nd half of the book better than the first half (probably because it took me a second to get used to the unique writing style and also connect the women’s stories to each other), so do give it a chance even if you’re not 100% hooked in the first few chapters. Worth the read!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For the most part, I loved this. It did go in on a bit too long and eventually felt like it was checking boxes. Could have been tighter but still really liked this one.
Loved to read the different live experiences and how the characters slowly connected. By the end I was dragging a bit, but that ending was so worth it!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
DNF: up to pg173. I struggled to get into this book and I really wanted to read it and support diverse texts and authors who are not white.
I'm conflicted about this book because there were a lot of things I really liked but also some things that bothered me. I also wish I hadn't read it over such a long period of time because by the end of the book, I barely remembered what had happened with the first characters which was such a pity because of how elaborately all of the characters are connected to each other. (I'm pretty sure there were a few vague references to previously mentioned characters that I didn't catch.)
A few things I loved:
- the writing style and especially how it changed between the different characters so they all had their own distinct voice
- the way the characters were connected in such surprising ways sometimes
- the epilogue really managed to tie a lot of things together that I was previously wondering about and gave it a very worthy ending
- the Grace chapter and how it really cleverly ties together all the previous chapters by delving into the past
A few things I didn't love:
- the misgendering and deadnaming in the Morgan chapter
- the way other characters later kept on misgendering Morgan (there really could have been other ways to point out the generational differences between the characters)
- the After-party chapter kind of failed to really tie everything together for me, I think because it was so focused on specific characters and that felt a little weird since previously all character had had roughly the same amount of text dedicated to them (but I did love the very last part of this chapter and how it really connected it to so many of the major themes of the book, like feminism and generational differences/bonds)
Overall, definitely an incredibly interesting and unique book. I already want to reread it because I feel like there's so much hidden inside of it that there still is to uncover.
A few things I loved:
- the writing style and especially how it changed between the different characters so they all had their own distinct voice
- the way the characters were connected in such surprising ways sometimes
- the epilogue really managed to tie a lot of things together that I was previously wondering about and gave it a very worthy ending
- the Grace chapter and how it really cleverly ties together all the previous chapters by delving into the past
A few things I didn't love:
- the misgendering and deadnaming in the Morgan chapter
- the way other characters later kept on misgendering Morgan (there really could have been other ways to point out the generational differences between the characters)
- the After-party chapter kind of failed to really tie everything together for me, I think because it was so focused on specific characters and that felt a little weird since previously all character had had roughly the same amount of text dedicated to them (but I did love the very last part of this chapter and how it really connected it to so many of the major themes of the book, like feminism and generational differences/bonds)
Overall, definitely an incredibly interesting and unique book. I already want to reread it because I feel like there's so much hidden inside of it that there still is to uncover.