Reviews with content warning for Racism - My Monticello

I lost the ability to enjoy reading for a little while, sometimes I have anxiety cycles where it feels too hard? My brain is already too full and I spend my time unspooling things rather than attending to reading something. That happened right after I started this book, and it was the wrong book for the moment for me. But the fact that it took me a long time to finish is not a reflection on it, just on my brain! The stories are well done, moving, effective and clear eyed. The titular story could easily have been a novel of its own, but I liked where it left me, too

Content Warnings

sunah's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? No

5.0

I loved this, I was hooked from the very first page!

Content Warnings

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

3.0

Content Warnings

foreverinastory's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark 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

5.0

What an amazing collection of stories.

CWs: Racism, violence, death, gun violence, hate crime, slavery, grief, car accident, pregnancy, ableism, chronic illness (asthma), cursing, infidelity, police brutality, murder, fire. Moderate: Fatphobia, rape, sexual content, war. Minor: adult/minor relationship, sexual assault, blood.

Content Warnings

mmccombs's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

Johnson is an author I will be watching out for! Her language is deft and clear, I felt hope drip from each word. Even though every story was devastating in its own way, they also showed all the ways that things are worth fighting for. I kind of wish the main story, My Monticello, stood on its own, though I understand why it was included with proceeding, much shorter stories. I wasn’t as invested in the first handful of stories, it almost felt like it were just biding it’s time for the jewel of the collection, but I did enjoy how everything linked thematically. A truly fantastic debut!

Content Warnings