Friday Black

It's less than 200 pages, so theoretically you could read Friday Black in a single day or even sitting. But if you're like me, you'll have to pace yourself, because most of the stories are dark and intense. I will say, I'm pretty sensitive to violence, so my “this is gratuitous” threshold is probably low. I'm too squeamish to derive much other than discomfort from gruesome descriptions. I think Adjei-Brenyah does horror really well. He knows what information to provide readers and how to provide it. He knows how to lull you into a false sense of security or familiarity. He knows how to mix building suspense and confirming your fears. He knows what he's doing. It's just that a lot of what he's doing makes me physically recoil.I was really disturbed and impressed by the string of retail stories. I liked how he spaced out the first and second, to surprise you by circling back to the same setting and characters. I liked how the tone mellowed, the first one rampant with rabid zombie-esque brawls, but the third featuring a sweet and fulfilling interaction with a sincerely thankful customer.I also liked how Adjei-Brenyah looked at what it means to excel at something that sucks the life out of you. How do you walk away from a job you're good at when you need to feed your family, no matter how much said job erodes your wellbeing? How does this type of work impact one's psyche?Friday Black is definitely lacking in complex women and queer characters compared to, say, N.K. Jemisin's recent anthology [b:How Long ‘til Black Future Month? 40855636 How Long ‘til Black Future Month? N.K. Jemisin https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535169689s/40855636.jpg 63632161]. There are exceptions, like the last story. But in general, such characters are kept peripheral. That said, the text as a whole is searing and impactful. Reading Friday Black is like watching Black Mirror, but less dumb.