Scan barcode
bchatelain's review against another edition
4.0
Gory but very interesting. Some parts were hard to read but that was clearly the point.
unknownbooks23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
nickiitay's review against another edition
3.0
Similar to Black Mirror I couldn't handle more than two or three of these stories in a day.
The writing is brilliant and complex. The concepts of these stories are eerily familiar to our reality which makes it horrifyingly uncomfortable to read. Lark Street and The Finkelstein Five stand out as Adjei-Brenyah's strongest stories out of the collection in my personal opinion.
I’d never chose something like this for myself but I’m glad joining a book club has me reading outside my preferred genres.
The writing is brilliant and complex. The concepts of these stories are eerily familiar to our reality which makes it horrifyingly uncomfortable to read. Lark Street and The Finkelstein Five stand out as Adjei-Brenyah's strongest stories out of the collection in my personal opinion.
I’d never chose something like this for myself but I’m glad joining a book club has me reading outside my preferred genres.
nonesensed's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
5.0
Friday Black is a collection of short stories that vary from slice of life based in the 'real world' to the more fantastical kind of tales. Thus you get a number of different experiences while reading them. All the stories are worth a read, but some of them pack more of a punch than the others.
The Finkelstein 5 is the story in this book that I suspect will stick with me the longest. It takes a real world horror and exaggerates it, though even with that exaggeration it sadly doesn't feel unbelievable, which makes it extra horrifying. Very well written, the best kind of gut-punch Through the Flash is also compelling, leaving you wanting more without feeling unfinished.
Highly recommended reading, but be aware many of the stories deal with heavy subjects like racism, suicide, death, torture, and the list goes on.
The Finkelstein 5 is the story in this book that I suspect will stick with me the longest. It takes a real world horror and exaggerates it, though even with that exaggeration it sadly doesn't feel unbelievable, which makes it extra horrifying. Very well written, the best kind of gut-punch Through the Flash is also compelling, leaving you wanting more without feeling unfinished.
Highly recommended reading, but be aware many of the stories deal with heavy subjects like racism, suicide, death, torture, and the list goes on.
molten's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
melst's review against another edition
medium-paced
0.5
This is a collection of weird stories that don’t make sense. And the added graphic violence is ridiculous
alicebme's review against another edition
4.0
Disgusting humans of the future (THE PRESENT) are the most terrible but also not all bad.
shbeezen's review against another edition
4.0
here's my overall ranking of the stories based on absolutely no professional thoughts just how much i liked them. if you read any you have to read the first five- and ABSOLUTELY the finkelstein 5
the finkelstein 5
through the flash
light spitter
zimmer land
friday black
in retail
the lion & the spider
how to sell a jacket as told by ice king
the hospital where
things my mother said
lark street
the era
the finkelstein 5
through the flash
light spitter
zimmer land
friday black
in retail
the lion & the spider
how to sell a jacket as told by ice king
the hospital where
things my mother said
lark street
the era
miriamreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
5.0
This collection of short stories was hard hitting, it addresses racism, classism and consumerism through a dystopian lens. The first story of this collection took my breath away and I sat stunned after reading it, I also really loved the title story of this collection. My goodness there were some real gems in this collection but it was still clearly a first work of an author. I am excited to try future books by them.
lovemilkytea's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5