paperback, 272 pages

Published Jan. 6, 2021 by ALBIN MICHEL.

ISBN:
978-2-226-44209-3
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4 stars (3 reviews)

"An excitement and a wonder: strange, crazed, urgent and funny...The wildly talented Adjei-Brenyah has made these edgy tales immensely charming, via his resolute, heartful, immensely likeable narrators, capable of seeing the world as blessed and cursed at once." -- George Saunders "This book is dark and captivating and essential...A call to arms and a condemnation. Adjei-Brenyah offers powerful prose as parable. The writing in this outstanding collection will make you hurt and demand your hope. Read this book." -- Roxane Gay A piercingly raw debut story collection from a young writer with an explosive voice; a treacherously surreal, and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it's like to be young and black in America. From the start of this extraordinary debut, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities …

7 editions

Enjoyed having read it, even if I didn't always enjoy reading it

4 stars

Some of the stories had a level of brutality that made me far more uncomfortable than the subject matter itself. At times it felt like it was shock value for the sake of it. My personal taste is having vulnerability and humanity be the force that shatters my heart, though it's good to be reminded of another facet of experience. Having finished, there are some parts of the stories that sank in deep and will stay with me. It is not a collection I will return to, nor would I heartily recommend it to the void, yet I am happy that I've read it.