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A review by roadtripreader
His Happy Place by Zakiya Dalila Harris
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Yeah okay what an opening! Might need to read The Other Black Girl - or at least binge it on Hulu seeing as this month is almost over and I have 15 more books to go. But that opening had me peeking through the window like who did you just burn Ama?!!!!
Also I gotta ask, how does soooo much chaos happen in 48 hours??? I'm not talking scale like war invasions or pandemic levels. But like this, horror - it just takes off like woooosh and lives are destroyed.
Horrifying because of the threat of violence - impressive because there wasn't even a raised voice let alone manhandling or a weapon weilded in the air.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
First of all, dating for 4 months does not mean you go off into the woods with some dude who is still technically an acquainted stranger ...kinda sorta. 4 months? I'm calling in favors to a bestie who is excellent at doing a deep dive on a person before I am even getting in a car to go to some cabin.
But Ama, you do you girl. Smdh, Honeymoon phase and pheremones gon get you killed.
Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
Oof, oh Nathan Davis why is it the moment she described it as being your cabin I just KNEW you aint shyte and also...something off about you and I hadn't even gotten to the whole "meet the character" part. Tut tut tut.
Ama seriously what you define as "hiccups" are yellow flags, you know, caution ahead - one sided emotional exertion ahead, caution, tread carefully one partner taking on too much etcetera ... smdh Corie was right.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene:
Because hanging a machete on the wall of a remote cabin is just so not red flaggey. PSA: "Pageing intuition, intuition are you there? Why hath thee abandoned Ama???"
Also: Mount Sunday, New Zealand and Nathan.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “She wasn’t sure she’d ever felt quite this isolated, this alone. It was a peculiar feeling. Paralyzing. Like she had been tucked away in a tiny box at the bottom of the ocean, only to be forgotten about.” (on nighttime in wilderness)
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ The Cabin as a conduit dead imprints
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Short Stories by 2025
Also I gotta ask, how does soooo much chaos happen in 48 hours??? I'm not talking scale like war invasions or pandemic levels. But like this, horror - it just takes off like woooosh and lives are destroyed.
Horrifying because of the threat of violence - impressive because there wasn't even a raised voice let alone manhandling or a weapon weilded in the air.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
First of all, dating for 4 months does not mean you go off into the woods with some dude who is still technically an acquainted stranger ...kinda sorta. 4 months? I'm calling in favors to a bestie who is excellent at doing a deep dive on a person before I am even getting in a car to go to some cabin.
But Ama, you do you girl. Smdh, Honeymoon phase and pheremones gon get you killed.
Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
Oof, oh Nathan Davis why is it the moment she described it as being your cabin I just KNEW you aint shyte and also...something off about you and I hadn't even gotten to the whole "meet the character" part. Tut tut tut.
Ama seriously what you define as "hiccups" are yellow flags, you know, caution ahead - one sided emotional exertion ahead, caution, tread carefully one partner taking on too much etcetera ... smdh Corie was right.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene:
Because hanging a machete on the wall of a remote cabin is just so not red flaggey. PSA: "Pageing intuition, intuition are you there? Why hath thee abandoned Ama???"
Also: Mount Sunday, New Zealand and Nathan.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “She wasn’t sure she’d ever felt quite this isolated, this alone. It was a peculiar feeling. Paralyzing. Like she had been tucked away in a tiny box at the bottom of the ocean, only to be forgotten about.” (on nighttime in wilderness)
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ The Cabin as a conduit dead imprints
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Short Stories by 2025