Very entertaining book for the most part. A few dull passages but overall I thought Eliza Clark’s writing brought the true crime genre and its associaVery entertaining book for the most part. A few dull passages but overall I thought Eliza Clark’s writing brought the true crime genre and its associated ugliness to life in an attention-keeping way. The novel follows, in a journalistic format, three girls who set a classmate of theirs on fire and kill her. There are some disturbing parts where Clark describes the violence so watch out for that if you’re squeamish. For most of the book though, Clark explores the problematically normalized bullying and aggression between teen girls, the effects of internet culture (i.e., Tumblr) in glorifying and condoning violence, and how class and trauma affects these girls’ lives.
The way Clark ended the novel was an interesting choice. I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it though it does invite critical thinking regarding the sensationalism of the true crime genre and how people exploit it, instead of really taking action to prevent violence from happening in the first place. I think Penance would be worth discussing in a book club or with friends....more
So I’ll start by saying this book definitely succeeded as a “thriller.” I was so wound up wondering what was going to happen that I literally could noSo I’ll start by saying this book definitely succeeded as a “thriller.” I was so wound up wondering what was going to happen that I literally could not read this book before bed; I stayed up today to read it so I could start a different, less unnerving book prior to my slumber tonight. Kia Abdullah does a great job creating punchy scenes and using straight-to-the-point language to keep the plot moving and to keep readers such as myself on our toes. I was *shaking* at the horrors that these white neighbors inflicted!
I also thought Abdullah did an excellent job of portraying the type of racist white person who’s nice to your face but who’s actually oppressive and unwilling to sit with their own white fragility. Abdullah’s characterization of Willa – the white woman neighbor – was so so accurate to the white women I’ve encountered in my life who act really sweet (and at times even espouse pro racial justice views) and the moment they’re confronted with their own racism, they turn on you and weaponize their fragility. It truly is terrifying and Abdullah nailed that feeling of knowing you’re being gaslit and condescended to but not having the social power to do anything about it. (As I write this I feel compelled to mention that I’ve also had some great white female mentors in my life, though I imagine even this is my reaction to potential white fragility in response to this paragraph… anyway)
Overall I liked this one. I wouldn’t say it necessarily deeply emotionally moved me, though it did do an excellent job of capturing a specific fear-based emotion and delivering on the “thriller” genre energy. I found our protagonist Salma an honest, human character who Abdullah rendered as sympathetic and strong, but not perfect, which makes sense. Thanks to my bestie Bri for the rec!...more
Really tragic book. Important themes about racism and trauma. I appreciated the representation and messages related to the romance between a Latina giReally tragic book. Important themes about racism and trauma. I appreciated the representation and messages related to the romance between a Latina girl and a Black boy in the late 1930’s. But the book is very heavy and contains graphic depictions of childhood sexual abuse and physical beatings/racist violence so be warned.
The main reason I’m giving this book three stars is because unfortunately I didn’t find the characters’ voices very distinct from one another. So that made it hard for me to differentiate between them and stay invested in an immersed way. But I can see why others rated this book highly!...more
Unfortunately didn’t love this one. While I appreciate the themes about colonialist violence especially inflicted by the West, the main character’s inUnfortunately didn’t love this one. While I appreciate the themes about colonialist violence especially inflicted by the West, the main character’s internalized racism and obsession with white women was hard to stomach. I know that that might be the point, but even by the end of the book on page 296 he refers to himself as a “pig and ape” and to the white woman he’s obsessed with as a “flawless seraph” with “platinum long and full behind her back.” The main character’s outright negative views toward the Black women in his life was difficult to read too. Anyway, I thought the prose was okay – maybe people who aren’t as activated/triggered by outright internalized racism could enjoy this book more.
On a mostly tangential note, reading this book reminded me of Such a Lonely, Lovely Road by Kagiso Lesego Molope, a beautiful novel that also takes place in Africa that I would highly recommend!...more
Wanted to like this book for its important themes related to childhood trauma, female friendship, and poverty and societal marginalization. UnfortunatWanted to like this book for its important themes related to childhood trauma, female friendship, and poverty and societal marginalization. Unfortunately, I found the writing a bit all over the place, both in terms of the hard-to-follow dual points of view and the clunky dialogue. In sum, powerful messages marred by their difficult-to-understand delivery....more
I really liked this debut novel about a young Latina woman coming of age while navigating a complex relationship with a famous male author. On the senI really liked this debut novel about a young Latina woman coming of age while navigating a complex relationship with a famous male author. On the sentence level, Ursula Villarreal-Moura’s writing engaged me and kept me invested in the story. Villarreal-Moura tackles nuanced issues in this book, such as finding yourself represented in stories, harm and abuse that can occur within communities of color/marginalized communities, and creating oneself instead of letting your relationships with others define you. I appreciated how Villarreal-Moura incorporated subtle yet important commentary about the paucity of Latinx writers, too. I think this book will resonate with readers who are interested in examining relationships across power dynamics and differentials.
My only constructive critique is that I wish we had gotten even more about our protagonist, Tatum. I felt like the book focused a bit too much on her relationship with M. Domínguez, even though I know their relationship was central to the story. Still, I’m looking forward to reading more of Villarreal-Moura’s work....more
Interesting and poignant themes related to immigration, queerness, and family. It takes a lot for me to really enjoy a short story collection and I doInteresting and poignant themes related to immigration, queerness, and family. It takes a lot for me to really enjoy a short story collection and I don’t think the writing in this one took me to that level. Still, I appreciate Ruben Reyes Jr.’s centering of Central American identity throughout these stories and his willingness to try something different (e.g., incorporate some sci fi vibes, magical realism, and choose your own adventure)....more
I liked and agreed with a lot of the feminist messages in this book: that male serial killers are often glorified and glamorized with little attentionI liked and agreed with a lot of the feminist messages in this book: that male serial killers are often glorified and glamorized with little attention paid toward female victims and survivors, that women are labeled as hysterical and overdramatic for their emotions, and that many men are complicit in rape culture even if they have not perpetrated a rape themselves. On a thematic level, I thus appreciated Bright Young Women for putting the women in these scenarios in the center of attention.
That said I found the writing on the sentence level quite monotonous and predictable, even though the topic itself is important. The book was thus a bit of a drag for me to get through. At the same time, I totally recognize and agree with what Jessica Knoll was trying to accomplish message-wise here....more
Interesting blend between thriller and realistic fiction that overall kept me engaged. In this novel we see the coming of age of Brooklyn Melody JamesInteresting blend between thriller and realistic fiction that overall kept me engaged. In this novel we see the coming of age of Brooklyn Melody James, starting from when a horrendous event happened to her as a child, to her late teenager and early adult years hustling on the streets. She goes from one tragic incident to the next, all with a fire in her eye to protect herself and get what’s hers even when dealt a horrible hand by life.
The novel reads like a fast-paced slice-of-life thriller. I think Tracy Brown posed some deeper questions within these pages too, such as the extent to which early life trauma defines us as well as what it takes to interact with family and/or friends who’ve harmed us or when we’ve been harmed. A solid four star read and RIP to the author, who passed away two days after turning in this book....more
There were a few things I liked about this book even though as a whole I thought it was just okay. First, I appreciated a focus on relationships and fThere were a few things I liked about this book even though as a whole I thought it was just okay. First, I appreciated a focus on relationships and friendships that aren’t predicated on marriage/amatonormativity/the relationship escalator. I thought Emma Copley Esienberg also did a nice job writing about the anti-fat bias her character Leah faces and how Leah contends with it. Finally, as someone happily living in Philly right now, I vibed with the Philly references.
Unfortunately I didn’t love the prose in this book. It just felt a bit too vague and at times some of the emotions came across as forced. There was a lot of writing in my opinion that was posturing toward something deep, though perhaps more tangibly exploring the characters’ backgrounds and their motivations would have helped me feel more connected.
PS: Unfortunately since the beginning of this week I’m not receiving any notifications from anything happening on Goodreads to my email… contacted GR help but no successful solution so far. So apologies if I’m not responding to things, but I’m still here!...more
I enjoyed this novel about a Black musician whose violin gets stolen, leading into a whodunit blended with our protagonist’s backstory. I tho3.5 stars
I enjoyed this novel about a Black musician whose violin gets stolen, leading into a whodunit blended with our protagonist’s backstory. I thought Brendan Slocumb did an interesting job mixing the mystery/thriller genre with more of a literary fiction vibe. He writes honestly about our protagonist Ray’s love for his craft and the anti-Black racism he experiences along the way to achieve his dreams. I also appreciated Slocumb’s portrayal of the abuse Ray experienced from his family, especially the financial components. In the end I wouldn’t say the novel wow’ed me to the level of a five-star read – I thought the prose was okay to good and the blending of genres executed well but not amazingly. Still, the themes in The Violin Conspiracy are important and I’m glad Slocumb contributed his message to the world.
I'm a bit on the fence about whether to read Slocumb's second book. If you have feelings one way or the other feel free to share! ...more
I liked this book and feel that this debut author has potential. This short story collection Peacocks of Instagram follows several diasporic Indian woI liked this book and feel that this debut author has potential. This short story collection Peacocks of Instagram follows several diasporic Indian women as they navigate family, romantic relationships, and struggles in the workplace. Deepa Rajagopalan does a nice job of portraying these women as three-dimensional characters who have unique personalities and agency even as they navigate sexism in their day-to-day lives. My favorite stories were “Driving Lessons” and “Rahel,” where I felt that Rajagopalan captured a specific and poignant emotional landscape within the context of growing up and navigating leaving home.
It’s really hard to enthrall me with a short story so several of these stories communicated an important political message or an interesting idea about relationships, though didn’t leave an emotional impact. I think it’s rare for me to feel immersed in a short story so that’s perhaps more on the form than the writer’s ability. I was moved by a few of the stories, especially the couple I listed above, so I would be interested in reading this author’s debut novel when it comes out....more
I found this book mildly entertaining! Robinne Lee’s writing was smooth enough to keep me engaged and curious about how the plot would unfold. There wI found this book mildly entertaining! Robinne Lee’s writing was smooth enough to keep me engaged and curious about how the plot would unfold. There were some interesting themes related to age gap relationships and dating someone who’s a celebrity, especially a celebrity who has a lot of fans engaging in a parasocial connection kind of way.
At the same time, I don’t think anything about this book truly amazed me. The writing was solid but I didn’t feel intensely moved by it. I don’t think the book super deeply interrogated the themes of age gap relationships or celebrity (though perhaps that wasn’t the book’s intent…) I was interested in reading this book because of how Lee shared that she struggled for several years to sell a book with a Black protagonist, so then she wrote this one. Anyway, this was an okay read but not one I’d rush out to recommend to anyone....more
Great musings and ideas about intergenerational trauma and loss, addiction, and art throughout this book. I enjoyed reading the perspective of Cyrus, Great musings and ideas about intergenerational trauma and loss, addiction, and art throughout this book. I enjoyed reading the perspective of Cyrus, our queer Iranian American protagonist. The first 50 to 100 pages of the book hooked me. However, by the middle of the book I was less enthused because the prose seemed unfocused and meandering to me. I didn’t mind all the different points of view as much as how they started to drag for me due to the floridness of the writing. Perhaps people who enjoy poetry more than I do will like the way this book is written more than I did....more
I thought this book was okay! Blessings definitely contains important themes related to navigating queerness, femmephobia, and alienation in 3.5 stars
I thought this book was okay! Blessings definitely contains important themes related to navigating queerness, femmephobia, and alienation in an oppressive family and greater society. I found the prose in the first half of the book a bit heavy and monotonous at times, though that may have stemmed from the realistically-portrayed, ongoing homophobia happening in the main character’s life. The story seemed to open up more and gain more momentum in the last 100 pages when our protagonist Obiefuna meets a man named Miebi. All in all, some interesting and poignant scenes related to gayness, family, and being true to yourself, even if I didn’t entirely love the book’s execution....more
This book kept me on my toes! I think at its core is the theme of artists’ struggle to survive and to produce work that is rich and meaningfu4.5 stars
This book kept me on my toes! I think at its core is the theme of artists’ struggle to survive and to produce work that is rich and meaningful and well-regarded by the public, especially artists of color. Danzy Senna also does a great job of portraying the difficulties of married life and raising kids, without doing so in a tropey way.
And that lack of tropey-ness is what makes Colored Telvision exceptional beyond these core themes – Senna’s voice is so new and funny and sharp. This is the first book in a while that literally made me laugh out loud within the first ten pages. Senna’s sense of humor can be biting and dark and antagonistic toward people with privilege and power (e.g., white people), which I love. She addresses race and biracial identity in ways that feel fresh and progressive and a bit controversial, instead of relying on tired takes that have already been done. I feel like some passages in this book may make white people and people of color who align with whiteness a bit uncomfortable, which I believe is a sign of an excellent writer and one who’s willing to take risks. I’ll just say that the way Senna writes about people of color who date white people… she’s my kind of writer for real for that.
I don’t think Colored Television is perfect. There were times especially in the second half of the book where I felt that Senna was straying the lines between a dark comedy and a novel aiming for something a bit more realistically sentimental, which I’m not sure always worked. I also thought a couple of the humorous lines were misses, like a line from the protagonist comparing a picture of her family to Palestinians in the West Bank (uh… what) or a random dig at Gen Z. Still, this one had me flipping the pages and had the energy of a thriller even though it’s solidly realistic fiction. I also liked how she showed that people of color aren’t always great for communities of color and that representation politics can only get us so far. All in all, Senna said something different with this book and for that I’m appreciative!...more
Oh wow, I loved this book. My Last Innocent Year takes place in the winter of 1998 and follows Isabel Rosen, a senior at the prestigious, wea4.5 stars
Oh wow, I loved this book. My Last Innocent Year takes place in the winter of 1998 and follows Isabel Rosen, a senior at the prestigious, wealthy, and elite Wilder College located in New Hampshire. Isabel comes from a working-class Jewish family that owns a Lower East Side appetizing store. Her senior year starts out tumultuously when Isabel is sexually assaulted by Zev, one of the only other Jewish students on campus. The emotional upheaval in Isabel’s life escalates when she meets R.H. Connelly, a once-famous poet and non-tenure-track professor who’s teaching Isabel’s competitive writing seminar this semester. Their affair sets the shaky foundation for a series of events that transcends Isabel’s individual life and speaks to the broader landscape of gender and power of that era – and I’d venture to say, our current era as well.
I first want to applaud the writing in this book. Daisy Alpert Florin’s prose was so, so good, and so readable. I feel like she captured the atmosphere of a wealthy liberal arts college so well, as well as that period in your early 20’s where everything feels so intense and important. I found myself immersed in Isabel’s perspective in a way I haven’t felt since I read Ghosts by Dolly Alderton in February (though the two books are very different.) I was enraptured; I stayed up last night finishing the book and only got three hours of quality sleep, though it was worth it (the sleep thing may have also had to do with me drinking a Sprite right before going to bed but, whatever.) The scenes, the dialogue, Isabel’s internal reflection and the retrospective narration – I loved it.
I also appreciated the subtle yet prominent commentary about men’s mistreatment of women and the (white) feminism of the late 90’s. I thought Florin captured Isabel’s initial reactions and timidity around men so well, even when we as readers may be screaming and sighing in disdain as we witness what unfolds. Thanks to Florin’s high quality prose, the messages didn’t come across in a heavy-handed or distracting way. I also liked how Florin captured the shades of grey in certain relationships and situations, though of course not in a way that condones sexual assault or patriarchal violence. There were some elements related to female friendship that I liked and wished could have been more developed, but I didn’t feel annoyed about this enough to rate this book lower.
Finally, I loved Isabel’s growth arc. I appreciated the subtleness of it, how we see her develop some confidence though not in a particularly easy or linear fashion. This style of characterization felt keenly realistic to me, like how many of us learn about ourselves little by little as life unfolds, in a journey that doesn’t stop.
I’m rounding this one up to five stars because it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. I also liked the very implicit, maybe-not-even-there-but-I-read-it-as critique of Zionism/those who support it. Ugh, I want more people to read this book so I can discuss it with folks, especially Isabel’s relationship with Connelly which was wild (also he turned out to be such a… well… I’ll let you read it and draw your own conclusion.) I’m hoping for more books of this quality in 2024!...more
Three stars feels a bit generous but, anyway, I thought this book was just okay. It follows the wealthy white Stockton family and three specific womenThree stars feels a bit generous but, anyway, I thought this book was just okay. It follows the wealthy white Stockton family and three specific women within this family: Darly, the oldest daughter who was born with money but gave it up when she married her wealthy but not as wealthy husband, Sasha, who grew up middle class and married into the Stockton family, and Georgiana, the youngest daughter who works at a nonprofit and may develop a conscience about whether she should keep her trust fund or not. The three navigate romantic, financial, and familial conflicts throughout the book.
To start with the positive, I thought this book was mildly entertaining. I wouldn’t say the writing was of super high quality or the plot was one of the most immersive I’ve read this year, but I wasn’t bored reading it, could tell our three main protagonists apart from one another, and discerned that each of the three did have recognizable growth arcs by the end of the book. The cover and popularity of the book motivated me to read it and I didn’t hate the book.
Still, I found the book on a whole rather average. As stated earlier the writing wasn’t remarkable even though it wasn’t awful either. The characters all grew, but not in particularly groundbreaking ways. The book on a whole was predictable, though perhaps that’s the intended vibe. The one major thing I had issue with, which is why three stars feels generous, is that one of the characters decides to become a philanthropist by the end of the novel and the author doesn’t really acknowledge the problematic elements of rich white people engaging in philanthropy. The author seems to frame this character’s philanthropy as unilaterally positive, which ignores the white savior elements of a white woman still having the power to dictate what money goes to where and more, instead of thinking more critically about mutual aid, redistribution of wealth on a broader scale, etc. It was alright! I wouldn’t recommend it necessarily but if you want a very casual book to pass the time, Pineapple Street may work....more
I thought this book did a great job of portraying the racist bind that Black writers and artists find themselves in when society wants to con3.5 stars
I thought this book did a great job of portraying the racist bind that Black writers and artists find themselves in when society wants to consume anti-Black caricatures of Black people instead of three-dimensional representations of Black people. My lower rating may stem from a genre mismatch; while Percival Everett takes a satirical approach to Erasure, I wanted to read even more about our main character’s feelings about his relationships, especially his familial relationships. There were initial themes of grief, loss, and disconnection within one’s family and close relationships that I wish we could have read about in more depth. Still, Everett drives the overarching message of this book home and I hope it inspires us all to think critically about which media we enjoy and why we enjoy it....more
Gina Chung writes messy Korean Americans characters so well! Up until the last story I was expecting to give this collection three stars overall (3.5 Gina Chung writes messy Korean Americans characters so well! Up until the last story I was expecting to give this collection three stars overall (3.5 rounded down), but the last story “The Love Songs of the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat” really moved me and won me over. I also enjoyed “The Sound of Water” and “The Arrow.” In these stories, Chung does an excellent job of portraying Korean Americans navigating difficult family dynamics and challenging emotions. I loved the range of these stories, Chung’s creativity in engineering these life circumstances, like a woman whose bat-owning father recently passed away, a younger sibling who sacrificed his swimming ambitions to take care of his family, and a woman who unexpectedly falls pregnant which further unexpectedly starts to heal her tumultuous relationship with her mother. As a somewhat uptight Vietnamese American myself, I loved that how Chung gives permission for Asian American adults to be dysfunctional and to feel a kaleidoscope of feelings, but not in an overly contrived way. Finally, I appreciate that Chung writes Korean American adult characters in their late 20s and early to mid-30s, selfishly because I’m turning 29 in five days haha.
I didn’t really enjoy the fantastical stories in this collection because that’s not my wheelhouse, though I liked when Chung blended speculative fiction elements into her more literary stories (though the purely realistic fiction ones were my favorite). I also felt that several stories in this collection were more in the three-star range for me, though mostly because I wanted them to be longer so I could get even more invested in the characters, which may not be a fair critique if some of these stories were capped by a page or word limit. Overall, Chung’s prose does feel memorable and striking, and even in the stories I didn’t fall in love with I was entertained and wanted to know more.
It's relatively hard for a short story collection to get four stars or above from me so that speaks to the strength of the standout stories in this collection. Sea Change, Chung’s debut novel, was my absolute favorite book of 2023 and I’m excited to read more of her work moving forward....more
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