This is a collection of 12 very dark humorous and few triggering short stories examining Black identity in a ‘post-racial era’. Some stories are for mature readers as there is mention of suicide ideation. Even though I loved the book, I felt like some stories were forgettable because I hated the main character and their point of view (POV). Lisbeth forcing her strong fruitarianism beliefs on her family in ‘The Subject of Consumption’ ANNOYED me.
I loved ‘Belles Lettres’ and this is probably my favourite from the entire collection. Two highly educated Black women send letters to each other regarding their daughter’s behaviour and interaction with each other. They insult each other in a passive aggressive manner. I loved it and really enjoyed their different parenting styles.
“The Necessary Changes Have Been Made” is another favourite! Randolph, an assistant professor faces another professor, Isabel, who likes to keep their office lights on while he doesn’t as he gets migraines. Isabel is not sensitive to Randolph’s migraines caused by the bright lights and the conflict/microaggressions begin.
‘This is Todd’ was also good as it explores the elements of fetishism as Kim actively only dates amputees. She calls all the amputees she dates Todd. The story highlights the challenges of dating with a disability.
I was not a fan of some characters carrying over from story to story, it felt confusing because I read the stories randomly. I would recommend reading all the stories in a chronological order to understand each character’s background and personality as they are all in the same universe.
I would recommend the book, especially my favourite short stories. Such an easy read with witty writing as its only 209 pages.
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐