2.5/5

This wasn't quite what I expected it to be. The title is misleading, and I don't think I am the right reader for this. I was intrigued by the first story and eager to read the rest. It kinda went downhill after that for me, though. I just really didn't enjoy the rest of the stories.

I received an ARC of Weird Black Girls by Elwin Cotman through NetGalley. This was my first time reading this author, and I found the collection to be a fascinating and thought-provoking read that left a lasting impression. S Weird Black Girls is a collection of seven short stories that blend elements of fantasy, horror, and magical realism to explore the anxieties and experiences of living while Black. Each story presents a unique narrative, ranging from a rural town under the authoritarian sway of a tree that punishes children, to a pair of old friends navigating their fraught history in a Mexican restaurant. Other stories include a day of LARPing that takes a cosmic turn and an aloof young man living through his lover's memories. The stories in this collection are diverse and imaginative, each one delving into different aspects of the human experience. Highlights
for me included:
"Weird Black Girls": The narrator takes his ex-girlfriend on a trip to Boston, a city transformed into a tourist attraction after a supernatural event in 17021.
"Things I Never Learned in Caitlin Clarke’s Intro to Acting Class": The narrator discovers that touching his new lover, Leroy, transports him back in time to inhabit Leroy’s body during an acting class.
"Tournament Arc": Two lifelong friends, displaced by Covid-19 and culture wars, run a LARP tournament that attracts a spectacular cast of combatants, including a sentient suit of armor from precolonial Benin.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in Weird Black Girls. Cotman has a talent for creating vivid, memorable personalities that stay with you long after you've finished reading. Each character's journey is both unique and relatable, exploring themes of friendship, love, betrayal, and identity. The blend of whimsy, horror, and fantasy adds depth to the stories, making them both entertaining and thought-provoking.

While some stories resonated more than others, the overall collection is strong and showcases Cotman's ability to reveal truths about the human experience through imaginative and humorous storytelling. I highly recommend Weird Black Girls to fans of speculative fiction and short stories. I look forward to reading more from Elwin Cotman in the future. #netgalley #wierdblackgirl

DNF after the first two stories. For a book entitled Weird Black Girls, I thought there would be much more of a focus on black girls and their experiences. But the second story was so full of misogyny that I found myself completely turned off to the book. I looked at other reviews to see if got better, and was disappointed to see similar criticisms for the rest of the stories in the book. I enjoyed the first story, but if you're going to title the book Weird Black Girls, you need to make sure black girls are respected and represented appropriately throughout the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. These stories were truly excellent. Recommend for fans of Carmen Maria Machado.

Despite the fact that I found the premise of the first story to be fascinating, something about this book really did not work for me. The writing felt very judgmental, and the titular "weird black girls" felt like only a loose thread through this collection. Maybe I didn't get far enough in to appreciate the intention of the author, but at some point I simply could not force myself to continue reading.

Thank you to Scribner for the opportunity to read and review!

Weird Black Girls by Elwin Cotman was brilliantly written with a poignant perceptive in its storytelling. Original plot points with heart and teeth, I can't wait to read from this author again. I purchased a hardcover of Weird Black Girls after reading the ARC. Planning to read for more from this author.

This book's title was incredibly misleading and the writing style was convoluted. The cover and title were extremely enticing, but the writing style and content just didn't appeal to me.

Thank you Scribner for the opportunity to respond to this story. All opinions are my own.

A rural town finds itself under the authoritarian sway of a tree that punishes children. A pair of old friends navigate their fraught history as strange happenings escalate in a Mexican restaurant. A pair of narcissistic friends wreak havoc on an activist community. An aloof young man finds himself living through his lover’s memories. And a day of LARPing takes a cosmic turn.

I picked this one 100% for the title. Some of the stories are better than others, but overall, I appreciated reading them. The Switching Tree was among my favorites. It’s got weird, creepy vibes and comments on punishment black kids by their parents.

Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️

“Let the dreamer dream.”

Idk why I didn’t DNF this book lol it was the weirdest collection of short stories that were way longer than they should’ve been. Of them all I really only liked 2 “The Switchin’ Tree” and “Triggered.” Also felt the title was a bit misleading considering some of the stories included in the book. I had the e-ARC but ended up finding the audio on something else and that didn’t help my rating at all. This one wasn’t really for me but may be for you. Special thanks to the author & Scribner for my advanced copy!!!

Although I'm a weird black girl, I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. I was so excited to read it but it didn't live up to the hype. I gave it a good effort but I really struggled getting through this book.

This book was one that I was really looking forward to that, unfortunately, fell a bit flat. I was hoping for something that was more immersive, but I found myself feeling pretty bored throughout the story, which is a bummer.

Go into this series of short stories with an open mind! The stories may be weird, but most are interesting and well written! I enjoyed most of the stories, there was only one, (the couple in the Mexican restaurant), that did not resonate. After reading most of the stories, I co-read using the Audio book. If you are struggling with the stories in the book, I recommend trying the audio version, it brings the stories to life, each narrator does a a great job!
The Switchin Tree- historical spin on getting whooped, IFYKYK
Owen- a boy mourning a famous wrestler dying. This one was OK
Triggered- not everyone is truly your friend, lesson learned!
Things I Learned in Caitlin Clarke’s Intro to Acting Class - a gay couple in which one of them time travels, very entertaining, but ending not as satisfying as the rest of the story.
Tournament- Larping tournament run by two friends, has contestants not expected. I enjoyed this one, funny and weird!
Weird Black Girls- a couple post breakup on a trip to Boston with a strange night in Cambridge, he is ever judging but also wants her to love him, they go on a strange trip with a historical figure. My favorite quote came from this story.
Many of the stories reference the times of today, the plight of black people in American, microaggressions and racism. I think this book is a brilliant work addressing those issues through a unique set of short stories.
My only criticism is the title, because most of the stories were from the POV of men, women playing a background role.
Netgalley provided ARC.

Really struggling with the prose of this one. It’s all over the place, and while the story concepts were interesting, I found reading to be a slog. I think the writing style was just a really bad fit for me. Not sharing this review publicly, because I don’t feel like I have enough to say about it to help readers decide if they’ll like this or not.

Very good writing, though perhaps over ornamented, but the speculative fiction was all very heavy, depressing, and as negative racially as possible. For my taste it was too overbearing. I was unable to finish. I do think this will appeal to others, just not to me. As I didn't enjoy it, I will not post my reviews outside of netgalley

I found this collection of stories to be very imaginative and intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed most of these stories, with the exception of maybe only one or two. Overall the weirdness of this genre bending tales really captivated me and I had a whole lot of fun reading this collection.

What a fun read! It was definitely weird and felt like a fever dream, but that is why I enjoyed it. The story felt fast paced and kept me entertained throughout. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I’m not going to lie, as I was reading this book (a collection of 7 stories), I thought to myself, “how am I going to review this book?!” Because it is OUT THERE. Make no mistake, I mean this in a good way. Elwin Cotman can WRITE. These are highly original, genre bending stories that explore the complexities of the human experience (specifically the black human experience) in a very nuanced and peculiar way. While not heavily supernatural, there are some of those fantasy elements in a few of these stories that really leave you wide eyed and wondering.

This falls into the category of books that stretched my imagination, and I love that feeling. I love when stories take my mind to a place it hasn’t gone before. Take for example, the first story— imagining a tree that has come to life and disciplines children in the Jim Crow era. Excuse me? Or the story about a guy who can transport to his lover’s memories by touching him. Huuhhh??! Now you see what I mean when I say these stories are OUT THERE. And yet they all have an underlying message. It’s not obvious what the author is trying to communicate, but as the reader, I was able to develop my own conclusion on what these short stories say about the black experience. I had a good time thinking and contemplating about these things while reading these stories.

Here’s the thing, I don’t want to give you too much because I think the best approach to these stories is to go in blind and be prepared to use your brain. This isn’t the book to pick up when you just want to escape and use little brain power. Know that these stories are very weird but just enjoy the ride. As with any short story collection, there are some stories that stick out more than others. A few of them are a bit too long. I had trouble getting through the LARPing story. But at the end I was glad I read it. Some of the fantastical elements just seemed out of nowhere and not really connected to their stories. For example, in one of the stories a man is recollecting his past with his ex girlfriend and his hand falls off and runs around the restaurant lol. Like huh?? Lolol. But again, the surprise of these elements really did stretch my imagination and make it a good read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC of this title.

This was a super uneven collection, and at times a frustrating read. Cotman's stories here get so bogged down in detail at times that it's hard to see the actual plot going on behind all of that (as in the opening story, "The Switchin' Tree"), or throw so many random-seeming details (as in the story that follows the opener, "Reunion", which seemed to start like it was sci-fi, then headed over to some magical realism-adjacent space) that it feels like the author is throwing stuff at the wall hoping something will stick.

Everything feels too long and meandering - these are all packed with too many ideas and could have used more of a succinct touch. By the end I was skimming from story to story, checking to see if there was anything to latch onto that would still be the same story a few pages in.

Weird Black Girls was weird, and I struggled to engage with the voice, and the hooks the author employed at the start of each story. I wanted to like them, and while several of the stories stuck with me, I can't say I actually enjoyed them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Elwin Cotman’s "Weird Black Girls" is a spellbinding collection of stories that delves deep into the complexities of Black identity, familial relationships, trauma, and the struggle for survival in a world plagued by racism and patriarchy. Each story is a captivating journey that resonates with haunting prose and thought-provoking themes, inviting readers to explore the multifaceted experiences of Black characters navigating a society rife with oppression. Two standout stories, "The Switchin’ Tree" and "Triggered," exemplify Cotman's skillful storytelling and profound exploration of these themes.

In "The Switchin’ Tree," Cotman masterfully weaves together elements of folklore, trauma, and racial injustice to create a narrative that is both visceral and deeply moving. Through the lens of a young Black protagonist grappling with the horrors of abuse and intergenerational trauma, Cotman explores the devastating impact of white supremacy on Black families and communities. The recurring motif of the ominous tree serves as a powerful metaphor for the insidious nature of racism, lurking in the shadows and preying on the innocence of youth.

"Triggered" confronts issues of sexual violence, activism, and complicity within activist circles. Cotman's unflinching portrayal of trauma and its aftermath challenges readers to examine their own biases and complicity in systems of oppression. The story's exploration of the intersectionality of race and gender offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of activism and the ways in which marginalized communities navigate spaces fraught with danger and betrayal.

The titular story, "Weird Black Girls," culminates in a powerful and enigmatic finale that defies easy interpretation. Through the lens of a mysterious journey into the unknown, Cotman invites readers to contemplate the nature of existence, identity, and the search for meaning in a world fraught with uncertainty. The story's surreal imagery and philosophical underpinnings leave readers with lingering questions and a sense of awe at the depth of Cotman's storytelling prowess.

Across the collection, Elwin Cotman delves into nuanced explorations of masculinity, particularly within the context of Black identity. Through her characters, Cotman presents a multifaceted examination of how societal expectations, trauma, and power dynamics intersect to shape the experiences of Black men. Characters navigate the tension between societal expectations and personal agency, grappling with the need to assert their masculinity while also confronting the limitations imposed by systemic oppression. Through their experiences, Cotman explores themes of vulnerability, resilience, and the quest for self-definition amidst social and cultural pressures.

In conclusion, Elwin Cotman's "Weird Black Girls'' is a remarkable achievement that transcends genre conventions and challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about race, identity, and power. With its richly drawn characters, evocative prose, and thought-provoking themes, this collection is a testament to Cotman's talent as a storyteller and a vital contribution to contemporary literature.

📖 Recommended For: Advocates of Racial Justice, Critics of Toxic Masculinity & White Supremacy, Supporters of Intersectional Feminism, Fans of N.K. Jemisin's "The Fifth Season" and the film "Get Out."

🔑 Key Themes: Racial Identity, Intergenerational Trauma, Resilience in Adversity, Collective Resistance, Liberation Through Solidarity, Intersections of Race and Gender, Confronting Power Dynamics.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Child abuse (severe), murder (minor), racism (severe), bullying (minor), alcohol (minor), alcohol abuse (moderate), animal cruelty (moderate), police violence (moderate), ableism (minor), forced institutionalization (minor), substance abuse (minor), abortion (minor), sexual content (moderate), sexual abuse (minor), drug use (severe), homophobia (moderate), pandemic (minor), self-harm (minor), misogyny (moderate), slavery (minor)