This collection definitely suffered from a title that was misleading. I went in with totally different expectations.

Not poorly written, but I wish it had been what I expected from the cover and title.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

Appreciate the early read. This was a smooth, enjoyable book with a great sense of place. Not too heavy, not too fluffy—just a good, solid story that kept me entertained.

Weird, lovely, sad, beautiful. Seven little gems of stories that pack quite the impact-- they'll stay with you long after you've read them.

What an odd and thought-provoking collection of stories. This certainly was not what I was expecting, but that almost made it better as it made my reactions more real. I highly recommend going into this blind.

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.