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miarose_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.75
A dozen interconnected stories thoughtfully played out across only 464 pages. I really enjoyed Evaristo's fluid experimental style, it felt very natural, with no disruptions despite being so unconventional.
I read a hard copy of the book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Anna-Maria Nabirye (who was fabulous). This helped hugely with keeping up with the fluidity of the prose and would recommend doing this if you're unsure about this aspect of the book. Overall it was a tender, honest, whirlwind that speaks to the spectrum of black British identity, sexuality, intergenerational struggles and how the character's relationships with themselves, their world and the people in it grow apart and reconnect.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Racism, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Islamophobia
avacate9's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.25
Moderate: Drug use, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia
dre721's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Brb literally in tears_aine_16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia, Deadnaming, and Toxic friendship
cristinareading's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Drug abuse
kalira's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
There were some content notes I would have appreciated knowing about beforehand, honestly (infidelity, drugs, quite a few sexual violence happenings or references, some of which were handled in such a way that skirted very near triggers for me).
The poetry-prose hybrid style gave it a unique feel. Personally the lack of any full stops anywhere in the book, and the likewise lack of anything to denote beginnings or ends of sentences, made it tiring to read at times. The use of linebreaks midsentence and as a stylistic point was really well done practically everywhere it was used and had a good impact.
I didn't like the book, but it was interesting. I winced through some portions of it (large swathes of Morgan's story, for example) and while sometimes the uncomfortable or bigoted/judgemental views seemed true to characters' perspectives, sometimes there seemed to be something bleeding through from the author's perspective herself.
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship