Reviews

Kiss the Scars on the Back of My Neck: Stories by Joe Okonkwo

zellm's review

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5.0

Such beautiful storytelling, I loved the characters and the plots. The different places and times all feel so authentic and well illustrated, and the tie ins between stories were fantastic.

jrangel1's review

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

swmppsm's review

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5.0

Fantastic.

bretts_book_stack's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Kiss the Scars…” is comprised of nine short stories that center around being Black, gay and bi. 
Unlike #100boyfriends that came our earlier this year, Joe Oknokwo stories while centered in their sexuality are more emotionally rooted stories, a few of them following a boy, then later a young man as he comes into his own. I’ve said before I’m not always a fan of short stories because I find they’re inconsistent as a whole, but I enjoyed virtually all of these. 
Favorites included ‘Paulie’, where a son seduces his mothers lover, ‘Cleo’ where a lonely man, suddenly gets an unlikely roommate, and ‘You Can’t Do That to Gladys Bentley’, where a drag performer, comes up against unforgiving police brutality. Thanks to @amblepress for the copy. 
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