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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This interconnected anthology based off of an album is mind-blowing. Some of the stories resonated with my soul and life experiences and others left me lost and confused. All in all a great anthology that’s thought provoking, relevant, and necessary.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Listen to Dirty Computer over and over while you read these stories!
The writing is pretty simple and tropey at times, but the world building is charming nonetheless.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
I was drawn to this as a big fan of Janelle Monáe and was intrigued by the world stemming from Dirty Computer. I was interested in finishing the book to understand the context and taking it in as part of that world she had built. If Janelle Monáe wasn’t behind this, I may not have maintained interest long enough to finish it out. I liked the variety between the short stories and the ways in which they all fit together in the larger world of the album and associated concepts.
Overall a three star read, bumped up to four for the last story, because I really needed some utopia this week.
This is an intriguing exploration of the world built in Monáe's Dirty Computer emotion picture (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdH2Sy-BlNE&t=1s) and previous albums. I'd suggest the Dirty Computer video as part of your experience with this book, as the story told there is a direct prequel to one of the stories in Memory Librarian. I also recommend her other music/videos on general principle, and there are a lot of references/connections with her music across the collection, but I don't think being familiar with her entire body of work is required to enjoy the collection.
I liked seeing a more fleshed-out version of the world and characters across these five stories, but the most compelling aspect to me was actually the emotional arc of the collection, ending in a really sweet utopian story co-written with the legendary Sheree Renee Thomas.
I also enjoyed the narration of the audiobook, provided alternately by Monáe herself and Bahni Turpin.
I won a print ARC of this book in a GR giveaway, although I first read it as an audiobook from my library.
This is an intriguing exploration of the world built in Monáe's Dirty Computer emotion picture (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdH2Sy-BlNE&t=1s) and previous albums. I'd suggest the Dirty Computer video as part of your experience with this book, as the story told there is a direct prequel to one of the stories in Memory Librarian. I also recommend her other music/videos on general principle, and there are a lot of references/connections with her music across the collection, but I don't think being familiar with her entire body of work is required to enjoy the collection.
I liked seeing a more fleshed-out version of the world and characters across these five stories, but the most compelling aspect to me was actually the emotional arc of the collection, ending in a really sweet utopian story co-written with the legendary Sheree Renee Thomas.
I also enjoyed the narration of the audiobook, provided alternately by Monáe herself and Bahni Turpin.
I won a print ARC of this book in a GR giveaway, although I first read it as an audiobook from my library.
challenging
hopeful
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The concept of this book is so good and powerful. It was hard to grasp the initial concept at first and then by the time you were invested, wait started a different storyline. Being cow rotten by many authors makes it difficult to read as a book, and I wish it was structured more for each story to stand on its own, with more of a string attaching them all. Loved the theme!
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes