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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
Have your translator app handy! Unless you can read Swedish. The writing style is what really kept me reading. The stories were sooo good but they just, ended. Like we were running at a great pace with some hills and valleys and then dropped. It was one of those reads where I’m actually upset with the author because why would you give me that bland ending???
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
“In Every Mirror She's Black" captivated me with its unique narrative approach. The author skillfully maintains the distinct individuality of the three characters, allowing their paths to intersect only sparingly. What stood out to me was the writing style's refusal to succumb to cliché Black Joy stories, instead fearlessly delving into the profound challenges faced by Black women and the attempts of liberating them.
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I only read this book because it was a part of a challenge that I was doing. If it hadn’t been for the challenge, I would not have finished this book. As a black American woman, I was a bit disappointed in this book. I have other thoughts, but I don’t want to get banned from StoryGraph. I also skipped over Muna’s parts as I found her story to be dreadfully boring.
The author brings up a lot of topics that are interesting to explore and I love the premise of the book -- showing us the different forms racism can take when it's targeted at a black woman (fetishism, microagressions/discrimination in the workplace, ostracism, control, verbal abuse, being pigeonholed into doing diversity work) BUT imo she took on waaaaaayyy too much and unfortunately stumbled.
I feel like all of these characters stories would've benefitted with more care, thought and research, particularly Muna's. The endings for all were disappointing at best and at worst infuriating. i don't feel like the muslim immigrant story was handled with enough thought and care -- it descended into trauma porn at the end.
This is the first time i've read fetishism touched on in a book though and why that might be appealing to a black woman so there's that.
I feel like all of these characters stories would've benefitted with more care, thought and research, particularly Muna's. The endings for all were disappointing at best and at worst infuriating. i don't feel like the muslim immigrant story was handled with enough thought and care -- it descended into trauma porn at the end.
This is the first time i've read fetishism touched on in a book though and why that might be appealing to a black woman so there's that.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was almost four stars for me, the beginning really drew me in, but it dragged a little in the middle and I couldn't help be annoyed with some of the characters decisions. Kemi was well rounded and I understood her mistakes but Brittany on the other hand I really couldnt relate to, even though I tried.also I couldn't fathom how totally swayed Brittany and Kemi were by sex/sexual attraction. I just don't get how you can ignore all those red flags from Jonny and his family!!! Run girl!! And what was Kemi thinking with Ragnar?? I'm much more like Muna in my feelings towards men
Since this is a book that is almost entirely character driven without much plot, my investment in the characters was super important. I saw what the book was trying to do but it fell slightly flat for me at the end. Similar books I've read do an even better job of making you invested in the characters.
As a white Swede this book felt like a sucker punch at times. It's a very unflattering but very accurate portrait of the segregation and isolation black women face in our society. None of it surprised me, but it still crushed me to read about it. I'm hoping I can be more like Gunhild and less like... All the other white people in this novel oh my god...
All in all I liked this book and am interested to see what Lolá Ákínmádé's other books are like.
Since this is a book that is almost entirely character driven without much plot, my investment in the characters was super important. I saw what the book was trying to do but it fell slightly flat for me at the end. Similar books I've read do an even better job of making you invested in the characters.
As a white Swede this book felt like a sucker punch at times. It's a very unflattering but very accurate portrait of the segregation and isolation black women face in our society. None of it surprised me, but it still crushed me to read about it. I'm hoping I can be more like Gunhild and less like... All the other white people in this novel oh my god...
All in all I liked this book and am interested to see what Lolá Ákínmádé's other books are like.
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In Every Mirror She’s Black is like watching three women walk into a very Nordic bar—and realizing too late it’s actually a maze with no exits, only mirrors.
Kemi? A standout. Sharp, funny, real. Her character arc had me nodding and sweating (Ragnar, you chaotic Nordic snack). Brittany? Oof. Watching her was like screaming “Don’t do it!” during a horror movie—then she does it anyway. She’s the poster child for palatable Blackness… until the mask slips. And Muna? Heartbreaking, but her story felt more like a sketch than a portrait—still powerful, but less defined.
Jonny? The human embodiment of “I have a Black girlfriend, I can’t be racist.” Complex, unsettling, and deeply uncomfortable. His final twist? Whew. I gasped, then immediately needed a shower.
Åkerström doesn’t hold back. This book dives into race, tokenism, and the exhausting performance of “fitting in” across borders. It asks the quiet part out loud: Are Black women being seen—or just being used?
Unflinching, layered, sometimes triggering—but gripping till the end. Not every thread tied neatly, but worth every page.
I wasn’t in the mood, plus a 3 person POV? Puh lease
This book kept me engaged and interested. Each of the three female characters had their own interesting and compelling story. The inside scoop on life in Sweden was particularly interesting to me since I always put that part of the world on a pedestal. I also found the life of the refugee particularly insightful and very upsetting. And the very timely look at a diversity marketer was very nuanced and thought provoking. And of course the issue of race in a homogenous country was especially complicated. The writing pulled me in and I was curious and invested in the characters and the storyline.