A review by starrysteph
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Friday Black is a dark and witty short story collection. It's satirical & dystopian, exploring what it means to exist as a Black person in America while also interrogating capitalism and consumerism. 

It begins incredibly strong, with the bone-chilling tale of the “The Finkelstein 5”, following the aftermath of a man acquitted after he gruesomely murdered 5 Black children. After that it’s a bit more of a mixed bag - some stories will stick with me for life, but others were more forgettable.

The stories include a Westworld-esque amusement park where Black and Brown suffering is sold as justice entertainment, a time loop tale that imagines the consequences of a neighborhood fully aware that they are  living the same day over and over, 3 interconnected retail stories that bring consumerism to a terrifying new high, and more.

“The Hospital Where” absolutely delighted me, though I sometimes felt a bit lost amidst twelve-tongued gods and powerful bargains. 

The stories were very male-centered, and the female characters sometimes felt stereotypical. That was a loss.

“Lark Street” - which I believe was intended to be a satirical and hyperbolic spin on anti-abortion advocates, though it could also just be a general tale of suffering and hauntings - missed the mark for me. The execution felt clumsy to the extent that it might have the opposite impact. I was also not thrilled by “The Era” because the tortuous present felt almost like a mocking of autism. I can see the intention, but the execution didn’t hit the mark for me. 

CW: racism, gun violence, murder, abortion, school shooting, death, gore, torture, hate crime, suicide, child death, police brutality, body horror, cannibalism, self harm, ableism, animal cruelty & death, sexism

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