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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book taught me a few things about my own writing that I appreciate. I also appreciate the pace and the sequencing. A three-part structure really worked for the kind of story Whitehead was trying to tell. I also appreciate motifs a lot—you can ask my AP Literature teacher—so the reoccurring fire motif and the eventual burning down of Carney’s store was satisfactory in a major way for me. I was even more impressed by the foreshadowing that I didn’t recognize until the end. That’s good foreshadowing.
This book isn’t five stars for me because maybe I’m just not that interested in books where everything happens externally. There was lots of action, but my favorite kinds of books are the ones where the author lets the characters lament about how fucked up they are. I want fucked up characters to describe themselves with devastating metaphors. Very few of these characters were fucked up or used devastating metaphors.
Anyway, this book is second in a series, and I seem to accidentally read sequels a lot. Maybe I’ll read Harlem Shuffle. Maybe I won’t.
This book isn’t five stars for me because maybe I’m just not that interested in books where everything happens externally. There was lots of action, but my favorite kinds of books are the ones where the author lets the characters lament about how fucked up they are. I want fucked up characters to describe themselves with devastating metaphors. Very few of these characters were fucked up or used devastating metaphors.
Anyway, this book is second in a series, and I seem to accidentally read sequels a lot. Maybe I’ll read Harlem Shuffle. Maybe I won’t.
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book has its moments where it was brilliant. However, there were many times where I almost gave up. I enjoyed Harlem Shuffle so much. This was a bit of a let down.
Oh how I have loved this audiobook! The beautiful sentences, the startling, often laugh out loud humour, the exquisite dialogue and crazy, scary, break-necked roller coaster of a plot all so sublimely narrated by Dion Graham. Perfect!
(I now feel a bit like I did while waiting for The Mirror & The Light to be written!)
(I now feel a bit like I did while waiting for The Mirror & The Light to be written!)
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
tense
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In this story about 1970's Harlem Colson Whitehead focusses on Ray Carney a furniture salesman and ex fence for stolen goods. Set in three different years 1971, 1974 and 1976 the separate stories evoke a time when rubbish was on the streets, lights were failing and life was cheap. A really good read and Im looking forward to finding the first in the series.