With a powerful voice comes powerful stories. I could not put this book down. This is a voice of today that must be heard!

3. 5 Stars.

This is a hard one to review. This is a collection of stories, several I really liked and a few I lost all interest in and felt forced to read.

Let's start with the good. This collection of stories ranges in emotion from educational, emotional, reflective, to funny, and fascinating. There were stand out stories like The Switching Tree, Reunion, Caitlin Clarke, and Owen that gave me Black Mirror vibes. I would love to see them adapted.

Then there was Triggered and Weird Black Girl. They seemed to drag and centered on liberal activism and race. But the tone was obnoxious vs insightful.

What drew me to this book was the cover and the title. Weird Black Girls: Stories. However, a majority of the stories didn't feature black women as MCs or at all. The first story The Switching Tree did have a black POC and the story was enjoyable and weird. But that was the only one that matched the title.

I'm not suggesting that the lack of Black FMCs in the collection was an issue, it just didn't fit and left me a little confused by the title choice.

Reading this was an experience. Each story is unique, layered and sheds thought-provoking insight into various facets of the Black experience in the States. I thoroughly enjoyed each story, though some were stronger than others. I highly recommend this book and will be purchasing a copy when it's released.

A collection of somewhat disturbing yet fantasmic stories that explore the realities and anxieties of living while Black.

Each story has some sort of magical realism to it that I wasn’t initially ready for. I found myself sucked into the premise and then walloped alongside the head as some out-of-this-world detail popped into the story like an everyday occurrence. At that point, I knew I was reading something unique and special.

I feel as if the first story captured the book's overall theme and was the one that really stuck with me.

Overall, it is a fantastic read with an enjoyably odd twist of fantasy and darkness. The cast of characters was memorable and added depth to the stories.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The individual stories in short story collections are usually a hit or miss for me, and this was no exception. Based on the title and premise, I thought I'd find a bunch of unique, captivating, and well, weird stories, but unfortunately I was bored by half of these and some of them felt much too long. I think "Owen" was my favorite despite it not being fantastical, and things kind of just went downhill from there. However, while these stories might not have been my favorite, I do think the author does a good job discussing race and politics throughout the collection, so if that's something you're interested in, it might be worth picking up.

The stories in this collection were each so different and fascinating - I loved Cotman's prose and fantastical settings.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I am not usually one for short stories. I find that one or two stories are incredibly strong and the others fall short. I had the same problem here. The stories here invoke a lot of emotions in such a little time. Not every story hits the mark for me, but those that do really hit it. In my opinion, the first story was the strongest. I was hoping for more stories like that one.

Sept nouvelles. Tout était dans le titre, en insistant sur le mot Weird. C’est la même chose que pour le livre précédent. J’ai choisi ce livre sur NetGalley à cause du titre (moins à cause de la couverture). Sans vérifier le genre. Weird Black Girls, tout un programme. En effet, c’était tout un programme. Un programme pas du tout mon genre. Après vérification, je m’aperçois qu’il s’agit de nouvelles fantastiques. J’ai donc souffert pour rien. Des nouvelles fantastiques, si j’avais su (et simplement vérifié), c’est sûr que je n’aurais pas demandé ce livre.

Tout n’est pas à jeter non plus. Entre des tonnes de phrases incompréhensibles, j’en ai de temps en temps trouvé une drôle qui m’a bien fait rire. Sur les sept, j’ai apprécié 2 ou 3 nouvelles. La première nouvelle (The Switchin’ Tree) était intéressante, même si elle était un peu trop violente à mon goût. La deuxième (Reunion) et la troisième (Owen) étaient meilleures selon moi. Things I Never Learned in Caitlin Clarke’s Intro to Acting Class et Tournament Arc (nouvelles 5 et 6) étaient les plus réussies et celles que j’ai préférées (ce sont aussi celles qui m’ont fait rire). Je n’ai aimé ni la quatrième nouvelle (Triggered) ni la dernière (qui donne son titre au recueil). Je n’ai rien compris du tout.

J’ai terminé parce qu’il y avait quand même de bonnes choses, mais le fantastique n’est vraiment pas mon genre.

Thank you to netgalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this amazing book. I loved this anthology so much. I loved how it centered around black girls and it made me feel seen and heard.

I loved this anthology. Loved that it was centered around blackness and all the the different ways that’s is expressed in the world. Will definitely read more from this author.

I think that people will like this, but I couldn't get through the first story. I have seen reviews on Goodreads already about this that matched my feelings on the book, and they gave the book one and two stars, so to avoid finishing this and giving it a bad rating even though I should have just DNFd it, I am going to DNF it now.

Weird Black Girls: Stories (Paperback)
by Elwin Cotman
I chose to read this story collection because it said it would give insight into the black American experience. As I closed the las pages of the series i found it was disjointed, and that at times I could not tell the race or gender of the point of view characters in the beginning. Both seemed fluid in many of the stories. It shows the divisions and contradictions in modern life. The out right hatred of those who do not give you your way, or even understand that your view point may be different. It left more questions than answers. which may be more to the point of the book than ever. That the modern look at society is disjointed, and that fractions can divide more than unite.

Some of the stories were decent, and some were just plain boring. It's a mixed bag for me. The author can definitely write, but some of the stories tended to drag and not have satisfying endings. The first story was probably the strongest. I liked how the stories had this magical realism element to them. I hate to say it but this book wasn't weird enough for me. I was expecting so much more because I usually love short story collections.

2.5/5 stars,

I wanted to like this more but it felt like each of the seven stories was incomplete. There were also sections within each story that added a lot of unnecessary details that made it hard to finish the whole book. The change in year was often very confusing.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.

Elwin Cotman does a great job in writing this collection of stories, it had a great fantastical fiction novel, it had a great concept and I enjoyed getting to read each stories. I’m glad I got to read this and look forward to read more from Elwin Cotman.

The stories in this book certainly delivers on the title, as they are strange and disturbing and very, very unique. It wasn't exactly up my alley, but it was engaging throughout.

The strength of Cotman's storytelling lies not just in the intriguing plotlines but in the depth and richness of his characters. His narratives are brimming with characters who are wildly entertaining, each exuding their own idiosyncratic personalities that reflect diverse expressions of Blackness. Their idiosyncrasies and individual experiences add a layer of authenticity and depth to the storytelling, making the collection both resonant and engaging.

As a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cotman brings a raw authenticity to his writing, infusing his narratives with a vivid and palpable sense of place. His ability to craft stories that are at once eerie, imaginative, and emotionally resonant showcases his literary talent and his deep understanding of the human condition.

"Weird Black Girls" is a thought-provoking and entrancing collection of seven short stories that challenge conventional storytelling, offering a fresh perspective on the Black experience through a lens that's both unflinchingly honest and fantastically creative. Cotman’s stories are a testament to his skill in creating narratives that challenge, incite, and entertain, leaving readers (leaving me) spellbound by the intricacies of the human psyche and the nuances of Black identity. Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!

I enjoyed this collection of stories. What an incredible and unique voice and imagination Elwin Cotman has. I am so grateful that I got to spend time with these characters in their slices of life presented here. I don't want to go into detail about the stories because I firmly feel they will be enjoyed most when going in blind. I will say relax and take the journey. Some of this will be off-kilter, and that's part of what makes this collection an excellent ride. Although I agree with another reviewer when they said the first story is strong and makes you want to stay longer in that world, I'm afraid I have to disagree that the other stories are in any way lesser.

I am excited to read more by Elwin Cotman.

Thank you to the author, Elwin Cotman, Scribner, and NetGalley for a chance to read this.

I think this has great potential but slightly misses the mark at the same time. While the first story was great, in my opinion. I wanted to explore that world the author created a little longer. The other stories fell short and didn't connect with me. Honestly, I could have done without them and focused more on the first story.

I selected this book on title alone. I didn't know what I was getting into. What a great selection of short stories! Every story different from the last.