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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly one of the best reads so far this year. The diversity of the characters and their complexities inwhich reflect the intricate nuances of feminism, womanhood, identity and time was so raw and interesting. At first it felt as if every character was going to suffer a sad storyline but I promise you, it isn't some trauma dumping anthology. There are happy moments , poignant and sad moments. Lots of twists and turns that end in a soft beautiful revelation.
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book tells the stories of individual women who differ in age, location (though all in the UK), profession, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation but who are all black. I enjoyed the writing style very much. It was vibrant and engaging and every woman had a different voice. I found the end a little disappointing as I expected closer links between the women to develop but the link was tenuous for most. A most enjoyable book though.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Woah the threads that connect everyone in this book!! Each individual is tied to the other characters in such unassuming, but also enveloping ways. At the end of the day, everyone was family or a friend. This was a phenomenal audiobook read - the narrator did everyones' accents well (as far as I could tell) and really breathed life into each and every character. This is truly a great book to read if you want to better understand how perspectives from every walk of life interact with each other in all of our day to day lives, whether that be young or old, immigrant or not, straight or LGBTQ+, etc. The main theme of the book is of course different lived experiences of Black women and one nonbinary person in the UK, but it goes beyond that. This is a story that lives and breaths. Overall, I think my favorite storyline was Dominique's. The strength that it must have taken to break out of that horrible relationship?? Insane. Highly recommend this book, but make sure to look up trigger warnings before reading it!
I read this in the physical form many years ago so it nice to listen to it in the audio book!
Is this a good book yes. Is it written well yes.
It is always difficult to have uni students/ teenagers voice and have them using slang from 2019 because it can really date a book! Especially when it is like look at how woke this teenager is with the language they use
What I found difficult was how the chapter of Morgan was written as I found parts uncomfortable especially as nb person
I really didn’t like how Morgan was talking about their surgeries their own uni lecture - again I have my own personal issues/ histories with this especially in a uni lecture format!
It just seem like an odd choice to have it written into a uni lecture format? As why would you be talk about your surgeries to a class of random students you never met before that is so deeply personal!
I hate trans and nb people feel that they have to talk about their surgeries to legitimised themselves as trans - again I don’t think the author meant to do as the book is so well written and nuance it just fell a bit short here for me
Is this a good book yes. Is it written well yes.
It is always difficult to have uni students/ teenagers voice and have them using slang from 2019 because it can really date a book! Especially when it is like look at how woke this teenager is with the language they use
What I found difficult was how the chapter of Morgan was written as I found parts uncomfortable especially as nb person
I really didn’t like how Morgan was talking about their surgeries their own uni lecture - again I have my own personal issues/ histories with this especially in a uni lecture format!
It just seem like an odd choice to have it written into a uni lecture format? As why would you be talk about your surgeries to a class of random students you never met before that is so deeply personal!
I hate trans and nb people feel that they have to talk about their surgeries to legitimised themselves as trans - again I don’t think the author meant to do as the book is so well written and nuance it just fell a bit short here for me
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I think this is the only book I own with a truly diverse group of people being portrayed.
Or maybe I’m saying that because it’s about queer women of colour.
Regardless, this book has set the standard for diversity against which I will measure all other media I consume.
Lovely, deep, and a true exercise in ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’
Will definitely read it again
Or maybe I’m saying that because it’s about queer women of colour.
Regardless, this book has set the standard for diversity against which I will measure all other media I consume.
Lovely, deep, and a true exercise in ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’
Will definitely read it again
My low rating is not due to the quality but rather my own personal enjoyment of this genre.
Bernardine has written a beautiful story with encapsulating women. But it took me a long time to get through this book. Normally I like a narrative, normally fantasy when I read so I struggled but I’m glad I persevered. The ending and seeing how the stories intertwined made it very worth it and it each women/ persons story gave me an insight into a Britain I had never been exposed to in literature.
Bernardine has written a beautiful story with encapsulating women. But it took me a long time to get through this book. Normally I like a narrative, normally fantasy when I read so I struggled but I’m glad I persevered. The ending and seeing how the stories intertwined made it very worth it and it each women/ persons story gave me an insight into a Britain I had never been exposed to in literature.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I'm usually not a fan of short stories, but the fact that all of them were intertwined in some way really made me want to continue. Great idea and great execution. Very diverse characters, with each their own struggles, yet all equally human.