561 reviews for:

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf

Ntozake Shange

4.29 AVERAGE

jasmclay's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

katymichelles's review against another edition

5.0

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I’ve never seen this as a production because I wanted to read it first. This was a heavy, yet beautiful choreopoem and one of the most compelling works I’ve read this year. I recommend this for anyone who hasn’t quite found themselves or have found the beauty in themselves.

taraminter's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

auntienono's review against another edition

4.0

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Book #5 completed for Book Riot Challenge 2020: "Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author"
It definitely had powerful moments and powerful message. I could see the play vividly in my mind while reading. I got lost a couple times, but was always reeled back in.

radiodurans's review against another edition

5.0

emotional fast-paced

swilliamsj's review against another edition

5.0

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I am blessed to have seen for colored girls live at the VCU Singleton Center. The girl’s casted in the play gave a performance of a lifetime. I laughed, cried, and cheered to see Black girlhood on full display.

This choreopoem sticks out for a variety of reasons. First, it relies on Black vernacular spelling, performance, an rhetoric which builds a world straight from my neighborhood and childhood: There are girls who talk in ebonics and act in a grandiose way to take up space we’ve been long denied (I’m one of those girls!) and I appreciate Shange’s lyrical pen when writing these detailed scenes of love, lust, hurt, anguish, clarity, joy, and meditation.

Each of the poems flow together into one continuous piece but each verse contemplates a different part of Black girlhood. This play resonated with me and left a lasting impact. So much so that I ended up including many of its insights and passages into my Masters thesis. Overall, this is one of those texts that I must own and will come back to periodically for years to come.

astoldby_cece's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

cocoonofbooks's review against another edition

4.0

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This short book/play should not be mistaken for light reading. As the characters share Shange's poems, they talk about rape, abortion, and domestic violence as well as personal empowerment, female friendship, and sexual pleasure. Some parts were too dense for me to grasp (poetry was never my forte), but most of it was clear and evocative. I'm surprised that so many people are caught up on the atypical way Shange chose to write certain words, which did not disrupt my reading experience at all; if anything, it forced me to hear the words in a voice other than my own, as they should be. I would love to have the chance to see this performed live.

raven_ash's review against another edition

5.0

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Reading this and then watching the 1982 original creation of this incredibly written choreopoem was such an emotional, powerful experience. This choreographed written piece was so simultaneously painful and yet healing and such a representation of the abuses and trauma experienced by Black women and femmes within this society daily. I will definitely keep coming back to this one </3

b_readsalot's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A