Scan barcode
theeuphoriczat's review
3.0
The Last Suspicious Holdout is a collection of 12 powerful domestic stories that explore relationships existing in a Black neighbourhood over a couple decades (1992 to 2007)
These story capture Black lives & bodies that have been overshadowed and gnawed by the failures of society, government and the haunting predilection of the government for throwing Black men in prison. Each story poignantly explores the defining moments in sub-culture from 'welfare queens' to 'crack babies' and the fateful emergence of the Black middle class in the wake of Obama's inauguration.
From fathers who have just come back from prison re-entering society to women barely holding their home together; Ladee Hubbard has done such a great job painting a portrait of Black resilience and excellence in the face of post-slavery oppression.
It is a short but punchy collection.
These story capture Black lives & bodies that have been overshadowed and gnawed by the failures of society, government and the haunting predilection of the government for throwing Black men in prison. Each story poignantly explores the defining moments in sub-culture from 'welfare queens' to 'crack babies' and the fateful emergence of the Black middle class in the wake of Obama's inauguration.
From fathers who have just come back from prison re-entering society to women barely holding their home together; Ladee Hubbard has done such a great job painting a portrait of Black resilience and excellence in the face of post-slavery oppression.
It is a short but punchy collection.
vintagebookardor's review
4.0
I have never heard of Ladee before, I got this book when B&N was having there 50% off hard covers book and it sounded interesting to me. I do not steer away from any books unless it is educational books about thing I’m not interested in. However, I realized that I do not have a lot of short shorty books “on my shelf.” I started this book not remembering much as I just read the cover, bought it, and it sat for a few weeks. The first story had me hooked on it. The descriptive way she goes about the story telling keeps you reading and hold onto every person, place, and events. I think she buttoned up a lot of the stories to, so though I could/wanted to read whole books of some of these stories, I was’t left with questions. I will admit that there are some stories I didn’t enjoy as much as others but the ones I did kept me around. It’s definitely an easy read!
apieceofjaaay's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Of the 13 stories, I only thought one was 5/5 (Bitch) but there’s were several others that I thought were good. The stories were mostly interesting and highlighted the nuance in various situations. I love that the nuance was mostly in varying perspectives. I did find myself perplexed at the ending of most of the stories but they still entertained me.
supernumeraryemily's review
dark
reflective
slow-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
3.5
These interconnected stories about Black Americans span decades, characters, and subject matter. They take care to follow the point of view of a wide variety of different speakers, fleshing out motivations and hopes and conditions, causing the reader to empathize with a great range of unique--sometimes otherwise unsympathetic--characters. Hubbard is a skilled storyteller, describing a scene closely, never failing to observe small details. Her stories are at once deeply personal and also about larger, systemic themes--they illuminate grief, pain, distraction, work, and life in the era of mass incarceration, corporate greed, and racist policies. And they also depict complicated characters who the reader comes away seeing never as wholly good or wholly bad but somewhere in the vast grey in-between that we'd like to pretend doesn't exist.
My favorite by far was the longest story--the title story--for its combination character development, sharp critique, and poignant imagery.
I listened to the audiobook and found it difficult to notice the common characters between stories since I couldn't easily flip back and forth. I also was frustrated occasionally with how abruptly some of the stories ended.
My favorite by far was the longest story--the title story--for its combination character development, sharp critique, and poignant imagery.
I listened to the audiobook and found it difficult to notice the common characters between stories since I couldn't easily flip back and forth. I also was frustrated occasionally with how abruptly some of the stories ended.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting collection of #ownvoices short stories told from a variety of African American characters over the span of two decades. Each story is set in a new year, ranging from 1992 to 2007. A wide range of topics are covered from the mass incarceration system, to more lighthearted ones about the love of condiments. I really enjoyed the narration by Adenrele Ojo. This would be great for fans of short story collections by authors like Toni Morrison, Danielle Evans or Leesa Cross-Smith. I loved the cover but the stories overall were just okay for me (but I'm definitely not the target demographic).
kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I think I was confused at first. I wanted more from each story. They were all just enough to get me invested . . . and then they ended
rizzfitz's review
5.0
I didn't read fully or chronologically, I started from the titular story and was really interested in its themes: strategies employed in limited-option environments, who can make change and when and how, and frankly, why in the world a black woman might rightfully immerse herself into a corporation! With any story collection that's about my actual people I'll skip around and go back and forth with each story and read them over time, when I can deal with each of the different things. This book is like taking the time to collect my own histories; I can't just do it on any given Tuesday without the hundred yard stare starting every once in a while. It may be a bit close to home for many other readers but I like any collection that makes me think so hard.
euniceroh's review
4.0
Overall I thought this was very well written, full of absorbing narratives. I did have a hard time tracking all the characters and storylines, so I’m not sure I fully got the interconnectedness of it all. But some stories really stuck out to me, like the one about Byrdie’s Burgers, whereas others was a bit more forgettable.
zellm's review
3.0
I love a good short story collection that touches on important topics, and this collection definitely did that. However, I felt that some of the stories felt cut off partway through, and the interconnectedness felt more confusing than helpful sometimes. But the characters were vivid and interesting, and the plots of the stories were fantastic.