Friday Black
Books | Fiction / African American & Black / General
4.3
(174)
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“An unbelievable debut, one that announces a new and necessary American voice.”—New York Times Book ReviewThe acclaimed debut collection from the author of Chain Gang All Stars; a piercingly raw 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 that Black men and women contend with every day in this country.These stories tackle urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world.In “The Finkelstein Five,” Adjei-Brenyah gives us an unforgettable reckoning of the brutal prejudice of our justice system.In “Zimmer Land,” we see a far-too-easy-to-believe imagining of racism as sport.“Friday Black” and “How to Sell a Jacket as Told by Ice King” show the horrors of consumerism and the toll it takes on us all.Entirely fresh in its style and perspective, and sure to appeal to fans of Colson Whitehead, Marlon James, and George Saunders, Friday Black confronts readers with a complicated, insistent, wrenching chorus of emotions, the final note of which, remarkably, is hope.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Pages
208
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2018-10-23
ISBN
1328915131 9781328915139
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Brilliant stories capturing the reductio absurdum of Black life in capitalist America. “Zimmer Land “ posits a theme park where racists can live out fantasies of killing black men in Trayvon Martin inspired role play games; “The Finkelstein 5” wonders exactly how far white Americans will go to justify the killing of unarmed black teens; while the title story (one of several that examine the connection between capitalism and cruelty), imagines the post Thanksgiving shopping day as cheerfully apocalyptic mayhem. A searing and bold blend of fantasy and social realism."
Lesley Williams
"Wow!...What can I say but Wow! The stories in this book are crazy, insane, unreal, shocking, engrossing & absolutely fascinating to listen to. "Friday Black" was probably the most shocking story to me but it's also the one that made me think the most about our society as a whole & how horribly crazy, insane we could become because of how desperate we are when we want something so badly, we will do anything to get it. Overall, this book took me to places I had never been before & that, to me, is when I know that this will be a book that I will always ponder on, even years from now."
Tracy Walters
"Some of the stories in this collection were phenomenal, visceral writing - speculative fiction at its very best - but the rest varied between forgettable and downright bad. I would say it's worth it for the good ones.<br/><br/>Favourites: Through the Flash, Zimmer Land, Friday Black, The Finkelstein Five<br/><br/>3.5 stars rounded up."
a
awesome_user_984860
"Loved this darkly humorous, often intense, dystopian collection of tales. The first story, The Finkelstein 5, was a super strong start and really stuck with me. Many of these read like an all-too-prescient episode of Black Mirror as interpreted through the lens of race relations. This one really has me shook. I suggest checking it out ASAP-Adjei-Brenyah is an entirely unique voice and one to watch for sure. <br/>"
Allison Footit
