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serranok's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
lchatham9's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
5.0
slaveryontatooine's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
0.25
Everybody in this book was dislikable except for Muna, who's ending I hated personally. I personally didn't enjoy Brittany-Rae, I thought she really ruined her life for no good reason. It was inexplicable to me honestly. And Kemi is a self-sabotager and neither of them are particularly likable. Also, the optics of the narrative being like Jonny was like this because he's autistic and nobody wanted to admit it, put a bad taste in my mouth. Even with the caveat that it's because he comes from a place of privilege doesn't really cancel out the implications of that. But what really dragged the book down for me was the ending. I truly disliked it to that much of a degree. But this is all a personal opinion, and so, can take it with a grain of salt.
popgoesbitty's review against another edition
2.0
I saw another review of In Every Mirror She's Black that said something along the lines of, "an ambitious book that didn't quite land," and that pretty much sums it up for me. The subject matter is unquestionably powerful, and along with some uniquely well-crafted characters, that's about the only thing that held my interest.
Despite what's promised in the blurb, the book is comprised of three loosely connected narratives that make a weak crossover early in the novel and then...don't go much further than that. Yes, there's an obvious yet less-than-palpable "link" between the three women, but it feels like the book is constantly tensing up toward an actual connection that never happens. One narrative, though heart-wrenching, is particularly weak and almost never centers itself on the core conflict despite comprising what feels like most of the pages of the book. The other two are a bit more compelling and feel a tad more focused, but still fail to nurture a cohesive plot.
Many endorsements for In Every Mirror She's Black promise a quick pace and, oddly enough, that's true. But quick-paced doesn't mean well-paced, and it doesn't always mean compelling. For most of the book, I had no idea if the narratives were on a linear timeline. In a few spots, I knew they weren't. An event would happen, then the perspective would switch and rewind a couple hours so we could see it from a different angle--a narrative style one rarely sees and for good reason. On some occasions one narrator's timeline jumps a couple months when the others seemingly don't? That observation could be inaccurate, but it gives you an idea of how scattered and incohesive this book is that I can't be sure...
An intriguing piece of the novel is the complexity of the antagonist. I appreciate that Jonny (rich white dude at the alleged center of the three women's narratives) isn't a "loud" villain. He could've easily been built as an obviously aggressive, violent, cheating man, but the subtlety of his antagonizing behavior is really, truly powerful. He also is neurodivergent and, according to some in the novel, autistic, which is another interesting layer of complexity.
Overall, I was just disappointed by this book. I moved all my other reads aside to dive into it, and it failed to deliver in almost every way promised.
Despite what's promised in the blurb, the book is comprised of three loosely connected narratives that make a weak crossover early in the novel and then...don't go much further than that. Yes, there's an obvious yet less-than-palpable "link" between the three women, but it feels like the book is constantly tensing up toward an actual connection that never happens. One narrative, though heart-wrenching, is particularly weak and almost never centers itself on the core conflict despite comprising what feels like most of the pages of the book. The other two are a bit more compelling and feel a tad more focused, but still fail to nurture a cohesive plot.
Many endorsements for In Every Mirror She's Black promise a quick pace and, oddly enough, that's true. But quick-paced doesn't mean well-paced, and it doesn't always mean compelling. For most of the book, I had no idea if the narratives were on a linear timeline. In a few spots, I knew they weren't. An event would happen, then the perspective would switch and rewind a couple hours so we could see it from a different angle--a narrative style one rarely sees and for good reason. On some occasions one narrator's timeline jumps a couple months when the others seemingly don't? That observation could be inaccurate, but it gives you an idea of how scattered and incohesive this book is that I can't be sure...
An intriguing piece of the novel is the complexity of the antagonist. I appreciate that Jonny (rich white dude at the alleged center of the three women's narratives) isn't a "loud" villain. He could've easily been built as an obviously aggressive, violent, cheating man, but the subtlety of his antagonizing behavior is really, truly powerful. He also is neurodivergent and, according to some in the novel, autistic, which is another interesting layer of complexity.
Overall, I was just disappointed by this book. I moved all my other reads aside to dive into it, and it failed to deliver in almost every way promised.
tbaileythomp's review
5.0
I’m giving 5 stars, because the characters were very unique. This story is about 3 black women, all with different ethnic, national, and cultural backgrounds, experiencing life in Sweden.
All 3 women feel lonely in this country that is projected to the rest of the world as perfect. Their lives intersect in sad ways, and I often wished throughout the story that the 3 would eventually form a bond and give each other the sisterhood support that all 3 needed in Sweden.
The character development was also interesting, and not too perfect as you find with most contemporary fictions. They didn’t automatically turn into perfect people, and get all of their desires. You could actively see their flaws and issues to the very end.
Brittany’s plot twist was crazy too. This was more heavy than I thought. I try not to read too many racial stories, where black people’s mistreatment is at the center of the plot. Dont read if you are looking for a happy ending/ pick me up.
Also wanted to follow up with that I couldn’t stop once I started. I actually enjoyed moving through this book.
All 3 women feel lonely in this country that is projected to the rest of the world as perfect. Their lives intersect in sad ways, and I often wished throughout the story that the 3 would eventually form a bond and give each other the sisterhood support that all 3 needed in Sweden.
The character development was also interesting, and not too perfect as you find with most contemporary fictions. They didn’t automatically turn into perfect people, and get all of their desires. You could actively see their flaws and issues to the very end.
Brittany’s plot twist was crazy too. This was more heavy than I thought. I try not to read too many racial stories, where black people’s mistreatment is at the center of the plot. Dont read if you are looking for a happy ending/ pick me up.
Also wanted to follow up with that I couldn’t stop once I started. I actually enjoyed moving through this book.
vvsmydiamonds's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read nearly 400 pages in hopes of a satisfactory ending for each of the hopeful protagonists— I was disappointed. As always, I wanted to love this book but it appears it wasn’t made for me.
Also, I strongly dislike the untranslated Swedish conversations, specifically those between Jonny’s family. How are you gonna publish a book in English and not make it a point to translate arguments between secondary characters? I had to pull out a pencil, paper, and good ol’ google translate multiple times.
Also, I strongly dislike the untranslated Swedish conversations, specifically those between Jonny’s family. How are you gonna publish a book in English and not make it a point to translate arguments between secondary characters? I had to pull out a pencil, paper, and good ol’ google translate multiple times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide attempt, Infertility, Abortion, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
dodosbookcorner's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thesoaresprotocol's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I had very high expectations for this story. As a champion for diversity and black women in literature myself, I was hoping this would be another addition to ambitious and multidimensional portrayals of black women all across the globe.
This wasn't. It was more of a marketing push riding that wave through a colorful cover and mainstream coverage/distribution.
At times, this novel felt like a bad TUBI joint. Stereotypical black characters (Jamal, the wealthy and short-tempered lawyer from Atlanta, a flight attendant that failed to pursue modeling, a powerful executive with the emotional intelligence of a 7-year old...) brought nothing new to diverse literature and proved once again harmful to our cause.
Both main black women were portrayed as unfaithful and lustful... The men in the story all have some form of mental illness or condition yet possess the charisma of James Bond in his prime.
Coming from a marketing background, I laughed at the fictional marketing campaign for the Bachmann account, set in motion by Kemi... "Dare to be different" This caption is so cliche and lacks subtlety; it would have never made it through the preliminary brainstorming stages in real life. And the symbolism was awkward and elementary.
Last but not least, the linguo... Oh my god. I grew up in the hood, raised by black folks, and we would never shout stuff like "I gotta represent" or "Gurrrlll"... This ain't TikTok! Those are grown women in their 30s, 40s...
The other black woman (Muna, a refugee) ends up being wanted for involuntary manslaughter in a far-fetched development. The ending lacked closure.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is proof that we have to support novels for their content and not their packaging, and champion the voices that truly contribute to improving diversity in the literary landscape (show some love to your indie authors as well).
This wasn't. It was more of a marketing push riding that wave through a colorful cover and mainstream coverage/distribution.
At times, this novel felt like a bad TUBI joint. Stereotypical black characters (Jamal, the wealthy and short-tempered lawyer from Atlanta, a flight attendant that failed to pursue modeling, a powerful executive with the emotional intelligence of a 7-year old...) brought nothing new to diverse literature and proved once again harmful to our cause.
Both main black women were portrayed as unfaithful and lustful... The men in the story all have some form of mental illness or condition yet possess the charisma of James Bond in his prime.
Coming from a marketing background, I laughed at the fictional marketing campaign for the Bachmann account, set in motion by Kemi... "Dare to be different" This caption is so cliche and lacks subtlety; it would have never made it through the preliminary brainstorming stages in real life. And the symbolism was awkward and elementary.
Last but not least, the linguo... Oh my god. I grew up in the hood, raised by black folks, and we would never shout stuff like "I gotta represent" or "Gurrrlll"... This ain't TikTok! Those are grown women in their 30s, 40s...
The other black woman (Muna, a refugee) ends up being wanted for involuntary manslaughter in a far-fetched development. The ending lacked closure.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is proof that we have to support novels for their content and not their packaging, and champion the voices that truly contribute to improving diversity in the literary landscape (show some love to your indie authors as well).
quenchy_cactus's review
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I really enjoyed reading a book about three black powerful woman. I know this might sound bad but I actually enjoyed that each ending was sad, it was the most realistic one 🤷♀️ I absolutely adore Muna and want to protect her with whole my heart. She just wants to get a friend and fika. 😭
cerisearies's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book frustrated the fuck out of me in a way I did not think it would upon starting it. I can sort of see what the vision was going for but the characterization of Kemi and Brittany and their choices was fury-inducing and Muna was done so dirtily in a way that was almost trauma-porn like. I wish it had gone a different way. I hate finishing a book disappointed.
Also I immediately clocked that the author was trying to write Johnny as autistic but mannnn did that portrayal read sourly. I can think of a plethora of psychological disorders that provide better explanation for his fuckass behavior that can coexist in conjunction with his autism instead of using it as the sole reason for his struggles & shortcomings, it just did not work at all. All of the characters desperately required more nuance
But am I going to read the sequel I just found out about? Yes.
Also I immediately clocked that the author was trying to write Johnny as autistic but mannnn did that portrayal read sourly. I can think of a plethora of psychological disorders that provide better explanation for his fuckass behavior that can coexist in conjunction with his autism instead of using it as the sole reason for his struggles & shortcomings, it just did not work at all. All of the characters desperately required more nuance
But am I going to read the sequel I just found out about? Yes.