Lala
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Desperate Bodies by Lydia Mathis ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
• 4/5 ☆ •
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Desperate Bodies is one of those collections that sits heavy in your chest. It focuses on some of the everyday experiences of Black girls and women, and as someone who’s mixed, I felt seen in a way that doesn’t happen often. The stories move through exhaustion, resilience, humor, fear, and the quiet (and not so quiet) moments that shape a life, and they do it with a voice that feels lived in instead of performative.
Some pieces lean into quiet horror, and those were some of my favorites. They’re grounded in real emotional truths, the kind that makes your skin itch because they’re familiar. Even when the stories touched on heavier topics, they didn’t tip into being too much. There’s a balance here that feels intentional and respectful of the experiences being portrayed.
What stood out to me most was how honest the collection is about the constant struggles Black women face, and how those struggles can shape identity, relationships, and self worth. It’s the kind of book that resonates whether you’ve lived these realities or you’re trying to understand them with more depth and compassion.
It’s thoughtful, sharp, and full of emotion, and it delivers its impact without ever feeling overwhelming.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ black girlhood 🖤
✔️ quiet horror
✔️ emotional realism
✔️ identity and survival
✔️ character driven stories
✔️ literary short fiction
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
📅 Pub Day: Sep 15, 2026 📚
💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Grove Atlantic. All opinions are my own.
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Desperate Bodies by Lydia Mathis ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
• 4/5 ☆ •
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Desperate Bodies is one of those collections that sits heavy in your chest. It focuses on some of the everyday experiences of Black girls and women, and as someone who’s mixed, I felt seen in a way that doesn’t happen often. The stories move through exhaustion, resilience, humor, fear, and the quiet (and not so quiet) moments that shape a life, and they do it with a voice that feels lived in instead of performative.
Some pieces lean into quiet horror, and those were some of my favorites. They’re grounded in real emotional truths, the kind that makes your skin itch because they’re familiar. Even when the stories touched on heavier topics, they didn’t tip into being too much. There’s a balance here that feels intentional and respectful of the experiences being portrayed.
What stood out to me most was how honest the collection is about the constant struggles Black women face, and how those struggles can shape identity, relationships, and self worth. It’s the kind of book that resonates whether you’ve lived these realities or you’re trying to understand them with more depth and compassion.
It’s thoughtful, sharp, and full of emotion, and it delivers its impact without ever feeling overwhelming.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ black girlhood 🖤
✔️ quiet horror
✔️ emotional realism
✔️ identity and survival
✔️ character driven stories
✔️ literary short fiction
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
📅 Pub Day: Sep 15, 2026 📚
💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Grove Atlantic. All opinions are my own.