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madisone's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Honestly, the introduction was almost as good as the story itself. This was my first Toni Morrison read and I am not disappointed by it in the slightest. The way these characters were written, you just keep trying to guess which girl is which race, but you can’t. The story, while very short, was impactful and showed off the true genius that Toni Morrison had. You will be left wondering about the girls and Maggie for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Ableism
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Homophobia
bi_n_large's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia, Classism, and Racism
charlottejones952's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I feel so mixed about this book. The introduction by Zadie Smith was more interesting and impactful to me than the story itself. There are nuances that maybe I would only notice on a reread but to me, if the introduction wasn't there to discuss the genius of the story, I wouldn't have been looking so hard for those things...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Homophobia
jojo_'s review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Ableism, and Racism
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Homophobia
readingatthemuseum's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Ableism
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
⚠️ i recommend reading the story before Zadie Smith’s introduction.
the story itself was thought provoking, really no flaws, it just wasn’t the most engrossing thing i’ve ever read, but i want to talk about the introduction. at first i was reluctant to read it because i thought it would contain spoilers (it kinda did) and because it’s as long as the short story itself. but after finishing the story i needed some context and explanation, and the introduction came through (without offering some “definitive answer”). it was interesting and insightful and made me appreciate even more the ever-purposeful Toni Morrison (this is her only short story?!), and the excerpt from her speech listing the steps for a racist society really resonated with me. most of all, i enjoyed the new perspective it gave me on the story: the “somebody” in everybody, the value of racially-defined experiences, and the commonality we all share as humans. here’s my take, for what it’s worth: the point is that Twyla’s and Roberta’s respective races are not meant to be concluded (that much is obvious), but overtly interchangeable—not just that readers may interpret it either way, but they should interpret it both ways, in every scenario, and see how the meaning changes. very good
the story itself was thought provoking, really no flaws, it just wasn’t the most engrossing thing i’ve ever read, but i want to talk about the introduction. at first i was reluctant to read it because i thought it would contain spoilers (it kinda did) and because it’s as long as the short story itself. but after finishing the story i needed some context and explanation, and the introduction came through (without offering some “definitive answer”). it was interesting and insightful and made me appreciate even more the ever-purposeful Toni Morrison (this is her only short story?!), and the excerpt from her speech listing the steps for a racist society really resonated with me. most of all, i enjoyed the new perspective it gave me on the story: the “somebody” in everybody, the value of racially-defined experiences, and the commonality we all share as humans. here’s my take, for what it’s worth: the point is that Twyla’s and Roberta’s respective races are not meant to be concluded (that much is obvious), but overtly interchangeable—not just that readers may interpret it either way, but they should interpret it both ways, in every scenario, and see how the meaning changes. very good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Death of parent
f-slur out of nowhere
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