Friday Black
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4.5 • 20 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“An unbelievable debut, one that announces a new and necessary American voice.”—New York Times Book Review
The 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah makes a stunning debut with this searing, shocking, always engrossing collection. Friday Black features 12 stories set in a dystopian world that’s eerily not too dissimilar from our own, where racial and cultural divisions have been filtered through a grotesque fun-house mirror. It’s a place where stand-your-ground laws allow middle-aged men to kill seven-year-olds with chainsaws, amusement parks offer the chance to simulate shooting a Black man, and Black Friday sales at the shopping mall have a literal body count. Adjei-Brenyah’s tales are brilliantly crafted, with an undertow of compassion for his protagonists and brief flashes of grim humor. We were amazed how much of this collection manages to be consistently entertaining, even at its most disturbing.
Customer Reviews
Like “Black Mirror” from a black perspective
Excellent collection of dystopian/sci-fi stories from the Black POV. Offers insight and great perspective on the black experience in America. As a Caucasian, I found it enlightening, devastating, disturbing, and extremely important to read. We are ALL HUMANS. Come to think of it, maybe it’s not science fiction/dystopian…maybe it’s reality in America. Please read.