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A review by popgoesbitty
In Every Mirror She's Black by Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström
2.0
I saw another review of In Every Mirror She's Black that said something along the lines of, "an ambitious book that didn't quite land," and that pretty much sums it up for me. The subject matter is unquestionably powerful, and along with some uniquely well-crafted characters, that's about the only thing that held my interest.
Despite what's promised in the blurb, the book is comprised of three loosely connected narratives that make a weak crossover early in the novel and then...don't go much further than that. Yes, there's an obvious yet less-than-palpable "link" between the three women, but it feels like the book is constantly tensing up toward an actual connection that never happens. One narrative, though heart-wrenching, is particularly weak and almost never centers itself on the core conflict despite comprising what feels like most of the pages of the book. The other two are a bit more compelling and feel a tad more focused, but still fail to nurture a cohesive plot.
Many endorsements for In Every Mirror She's Black promise a quick pace and, oddly enough, that's true. But quick-paced doesn't mean well-paced, and it doesn't always mean compelling. For most of the book, I had no idea if the narratives were on a linear timeline. In a few spots, I knew they weren't. An event would happen, then the perspective would switch and rewind a couple hours so we could see it from a different angle--a narrative style one rarely sees and for good reason. On some occasions one narrator's timeline jumps a couple months when the others seemingly don't? That observation could be inaccurate, but it gives you an idea of how scattered and incohesive this book is that I can't be sure...
An intriguing piece of the novel is the complexity of the antagonist. I appreciate that Jonny (rich white dude at the alleged center of the three women's narratives) isn't a "loud" villain. He could've easily been built as an obviously aggressive, violent, cheating man, but the subtlety of his antagonizing behavior is really, truly powerful. He also is neurodivergent and, according to some in the novel, autistic, which is another interesting layer of complexity.
Overall, I was just disappointed by this book. I moved all my other reads aside to dive into it, and it failed to deliver in almost every way promised.
Despite what's promised in the blurb, the book is comprised of three loosely connected narratives that make a weak crossover early in the novel and then...don't go much further than that. Yes, there's an obvious yet less-than-palpable "link" between the three women, but it feels like the book is constantly tensing up toward an actual connection that never happens. One narrative, though heart-wrenching, is particularly weak and almost never centers itself on the core conflict despite comprising what feels like most of the pages of the book. The other two are a bit more compelling and feel a tad more focused, but still fail to nurture a cohesive plot.
Many endorsements for In Every Mirror She's Black promise a quick pace and, oddly enough, that's true. But quick-paced doesn't mean well-paced, and it doesn't always mean compelling. For most of the book, I had no idea if the narratives were on a linear timeline. In a few spots, I knew they weren't. An event would happen, then the perspective would switch and rewind a couple hours so we could see it from a different angle--a narrative style one rarely sees and for good reason. On some occasions one narrator's timeline jumps a couple months when the others seemingly don't? That observation could be inaccurate, but it gives you an idea of how scattered and incohesive this book is that I can't be sure...
An intriguing piece of the novel is the complexity of the antagonist. I appreciate that Jonny (rich white dude at the alleged center of the three women's narratives) isn't a "loud" villain. He could've easily been built as an obviously aggressive, violent, cheating man, but the subtlety of his antagonizing behavior is really, truly powerful. He also is neurodivergent and, according to some in the novel, autistic, which is another interesting layer of complexity.
Overall, I was just disappointed by this book. I moved all my other reads aside to dive into it, and it failed to deliver in almost every way promised.