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rustbeltjessie's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book right before/during the scariest election of my lifetime. You'd think that would make it more upsetting, but it was oddly reassuring. Because it's about, amongst other things, the redemptive power of storytelling.
itsyourpaldave's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sophie275's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
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? Yes
2.5
marmarlad's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this book was poignant and genius. Spectulative memoir -- what a surprise of a genre, full of vulnerability.
amarhefke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.75
queersubtext's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcoholism
stephanieohdee's review against another edition
3.0
This book felt frustratingly disjointed. I typically love Tea's work and there were definitely compelling parts to Black Wave, but there were entire sections I had to re-read because they felt so suddenly frenzied that I was convinced I'd missed a few pages...
zoebaillie's review against another edition
3.0
I cringed, I laughed, I got intensely anxious and invested in this horrendous protagonist who was uncomfortably relatable.
claire60's review against another edition
5.0
Great dystopian book that made me laugh several times, with words of wisdom, like how LGBT people have PTSD from coming out and being treated less than well! Encouraging story about the power that is within the queer community even after the world ends!!
jentidders's review against another edition
4.0
Black Wave is a piece of post-modern, self-reflexive, autobiographical, literary/meta/science fiction, which you will either love or hate. And although it took me a while to get into, I ended up loving it.
It's an imaginative and unique mash-up of 90s nostalgia and apocalyptic dystopia. It is suffused with existential dread, addiction, and marginalisation. It's a contemplation of the process and ethics of writing a memoir. It's a love story with a sometimes unlikeable protagonist and a redemption arc.
Michelle Tea writes in a chatty contemporary voice, with stylised dialogue, and lush, beautifully descriptive prose.
Black wave is raw, unflinching, humourous and definitely worth a read if you're looking for something different and outside the norm.
It's an imaginative and unique mash-up of 90s nostalgia and apocalyptic dystopia. It is suffused with existential dread, addiction, and marginalisation. It's a contemplation of the process and ethics of writing a memoir. It's a love story with a sometimes unlikeable protagonist and a redemption arc.
Michelle Tea writes in a chatty contemporary voice, with stylised dialogue, and lush, beautifully descriptive prose.
Black wave is raw, unflinching, humourous and definitely worth a read if you're looking for something different and outside the norm.