3.75/5 stars

I had really high hopes for this collection after the first short story. There were definitely more standouts interspersed throughout and were thoroughly enjoyable, but their presence also made obvious what the rest of the stories lacked. This won't put me off reading the author's future works, however, bc I see great promise!

This short story collection has so much range! I was struck by the mix of contemporary issues with the cultural mythologies that rule our lives. “The Devil is A Liar”, was a standout story for this exact reason. Nkweti finds this incredible balance of perspective in each story, close character examination while also opening up the reader to larger lessons about family, relationships, trust, growth and love. This collection is so rich and universal, which Nkweti does through specific examples and a style that lets us in.

Wow, Nkweti had me bouncing all around in my mind with her extraordinary use of language as she integrated the cultures of Cameroon and the USA. Integration with contemporary references and pidgin language added to the depth of the story. Her character development in this short story collection was sublime. Looking forward to her next publication!

Absolutely breathtaking. Every time I thought I knew what to expect from this book, I was wrong. This is the best debut I have read in many years. I cannot wait to see what else Nkweti has in store.

This is a stunning, wide-ranging collection, and I was blown away by its scope. For me, the first story ("It Takes a Village Some Say") remained the most memorable with its multiple narrators (the latter of which emphatically corrects and replaces the former). I also appreciated the use of sporadic images in certain stories, though it was certainly surprising. All in all, I can't wait to buy a copy of this book, and I can't wait to read more from Nkweti in the future.

Nkwetis stories are deeply immersive, often disorienting at times. At its best, they call to mind code-switching and the rich polyvocality of America. These stories about Cameroonian Americans are about more than just immigrants. They're about people from a different cultural background. Nkwetis sentences are often memorable and full of humour. Thank you, Graywolf press, for the gifted copy via net galley.

A wide-ranging collection of short stories that takes you from comic book conventions to a woman worrying about her unborn child to a charismatic and possibly toxic speaker.

A sparkling, effervescent debut from an extraordinary author. I finished the book in two sittings, and that is only because I intentionally made myself pause halfway through in order to savor the reading experience longer. Her characters are so vibrant, so fully embodied that I found myself wishing for a follow-up set of stories where I could find out about their futures. As a Black writer and reader I am always pre-emptively wary of the ways in which Black trauma is so often deployed as a substitute for narrative strength; Nkweti outright rejects that expectation, instead crafting stories for which traumatic events do happen, but are not central or even critical to the flow of the stories. In a year for which Black stories often feel synonymous with tragic stories this book was an absolute joy to read, and I am truly excited to follow future work from this author.