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threewomen's review against another edition
2.0
Ehh idk maybe this wasn’t for me. Someone from tiktok explained the plot in a way that sounds like there was gonna be a twist ending so I went into it with that mindset. I think the writing is beautiful, but not something I planned on or wanted to read atm.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Well-intended but reads like a dull essay rather than an engaging story, Assembly is an authentic overview of contemporary British society, through the eyes of a middle-class Black woman. Focus heavily on societal commentary, the novella touches on topics such as sexism, racism, and the inherited aristocratic values. While I appreciate some of the artistic choices, such as the intentional fragmentation and mixing of literary format, the sterile, depersonalized writing style keeps readers at arm's length, never fully involved emotionally with the protagonist's circumstance. Overall Assembly succeeds as a comprehensive record of an experience belonging to an often under-represented individual, but unfortunately I can't say it's anything close to a compelling read.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Well-intended but reads like a dull essay rather than an engaging story, Assembly is an authentic overview of contemporary British society, through the eyes of a middle-class Black woman. Focus heavily on societal commentary, the novella touches on topics such as sexism, racism, and the inherited aristocratic values. While I appreciate some of the artistic choices, such as the intentional fragmentation and mixing of literary format, the sterile, depersonalized writing style keeps readers at arm's length, never fully involved emotionally with the protagonist's circumstance. Overall Assembly succeeds as a comprehensive record of an experience belonging to an often under-represented individual, but unfortunately I can't say it's anything close to a compelling read.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
buggirl48's review against another edition
5.0
The definition of a tiny but oh my god level mighty book is Assembly, and I don't think there's much contest. In 100 or so pages we follow a British black woman who seems to have so much going for her. She's made a name for herself in the firm she works for, has a loving boyfriend and in her eyes views herself as successful, but even with all that going for her she contemplates throwing it all away. A breathtaking debut from Brown that on the surface is a quick literary/contemporary fiction read, but its so much more. Its a look at the history of race and colonialism in Britain, centuries upon centuries of heinous crimes and activity, and how they still present themselves today, some in blatant ways and others in daily microaggressions that many don't see a problem with. There's so many books about race: fiction, nonfiction, memoir, essay collection, poetry, it's all been written and its necessary, but this is the one that stuck with me the most. How Brown tackles this ginormous and multi leveled issue in this tiny neat little book that will make you say "holy s**t" when you finish the last sentence. MY personal pick for what should've been at least a Booker longlist title, it's eye opening, anxiety inducing at times, addicting to read and leaves you thinking about so much more than what you started the book with.
mayaleighreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
09hanser's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
lit_laugh_luv's review against another edition
1.0
Surprised to see such favourable reviews on this. While Natasha Brown raises some good points about the intersection of race, privilege and gender (though nothing novel about them), the writing felt like all style and no substance. The fragmented and disjoint style of the book really didn't work for me - it felt impossible to keep a coherent understanding of the plot given the constant tangents. People compare this to [b:Luster|51541496|Luster|Raven Leilani|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568668703l/51541496._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71146734], which I also didn't love, but felt that was much more successful at conveying a coherent narrative and better managed a depersonalized narrator. This just felt jumbled and melodramatic.
If this was any longer I would have given up on it - which I don't do often at all. It just felt like an absolute chore to get through with minimal payoff.
If this was any longer I would have given up on it - which I don't do often at all. It just felt like an absolute chore to get through with minimal payoff.
readingwithgoose's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
kateander's review against another edition
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kimisaboss123's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0