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Homebodies
Urgent, propulsive, and strikingly insightful, Homebodies is a thrilling debut novel about a young Black writer whose world is turned upside down when she loses her coveted job in media and pens a searing manifesto about racism in the industry.
Mickey Hayward dreams of writing stories that matter. She has a flashy media job that makes her feel successful and a devoted girlfriend who takes care of her when she comes home exhausted and demoralized. It’s not all A-list parties and steamy romance, but Mickey’s on her way, and it’s far from the messy life she left behind in Maryland. Despite being overlooked and mistreated at work, it seems like she might finally get the chance to prove herself—until she finds out she’s being replaced.
Distraught and enraged, Mickey fires back with a detailed letter outlining the racism and sexism she’s endured as a Black woman in media, certain it will change the world for the better. But when her letter is met with overwhelming silence, Mickey is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt. Forced to reckon with just how fragile her life is—including the uncertainty of her relationship—she flees to the last place she ever dreamed she would run to, her hometown, desperate for a break from her troubles.
Back home, Mickey is seduced by the simplicity of her old life—and the flirtation of a former flame—but her life in New York refuses to be forgotten. When a media scandal catapults Mickey’s forgotten letter into the public zeitgeist, suddenly everyone wants to hear what Mickey has to say. It’s what she’s always wanted—isn’t it? Intimate, witty, and deeply sexy, Homebodies is a testament to those trying to be heard and loved in a world that refuses to make space, and introduces a standout new writer.
Mickey Hayward dreams of writing stories that matter. She has a flashy media job that makes her feel successful and a devoted girlfriend who takes care of her when she comes home exhausted and demoralized. It’s not all A-list parties and steamy romance, but Mickey’s on her way, and it’s far from the messy life she left behind in Maryland. Despite being overlooked and mistreated at work, it seems like she might finally get the chance to prove herself—until she finds out she’s being replaced.
Distraught and enraged, Mickey fires back with a detailed letter outlining the racism and sexism she’s endured as a Black woman in media, certain it will change the world for the better. But when her letter is met with overwhelming silence, Mickey is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt. Forced to reckon with just how fragile her life is—including the uncertainty of her relationship—she flees to the last place she ever dreamed she would run to, her hometown, desperate for a break from her troubles.
Back home, Mickey is seduced by the simplicity of her old life—and the flirtation of a former flame—but her life in New York refuses to be forgotten. When a media scandal catapults Mickey’s forgotten letter into the public zeitgeist, suddenly everyone wants to hear what Mickey has to say. It’s what she’s always wanted—isn’t it? Intimate, witty, and deeply sexy, Homebodies is a testament to those trying to be heard and loved in a world that refuses to make space, and introduces a standout new writer.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2023
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August 1, 2023When Mickey finds out she is losing her coveted media job, she responds with a searing letter describing the racism and sexism she's endured as a Black woman working in media. But when her letter is met with silence, Mickey falls into a tailspin of self-doubt, forcing her to reckon with the uncertainty of her path and relationships. I couldn't put it down.
June 27, 2023
Frustration. Frustration is the emotion I felt reading this. The amount of self-sabotage in this book is truly remarkable. Zero character development. It was one step forward and three steps backward with this protagonist. I enjoyed the first half of this book better than the second half.
May 7, 2023
I think when I initially read this book I was willing to round down to a three, but with some distance I'm gonna try and round up? Maybe it's the rose colored glasses or maybe it's more reflective of my thoughts as they've settled and less of a gut feeling.
I went into this book with the wrong mindset, something that I can really only blame myself for. Coming out of this book it reminded me of another book that I read recently, Maame [ my review found here ], something that I hadn't really considered.
I also went into this book thinking that the racism Mickey experienced was going to be the central element of the story. That we were going to read this manifesto that she penned and experience the whirlwind of that. I think that what Denton-Hurst was able to do instead was more interesting? Judging by the other reviews of this book I've seen a lot of people felt this way and were disappointed to read about the aftermath of Mickey's firing and the messy life she has.
I think that it would be a disservice to the story to try and pitch this to you as just a messy sapphics, partly because I think the audience that would jump at that would not at all care about Mickey and the other Black sapphics at the center of this story. But I think to pitch it like that would flatten what Denton-Hurst was trying to do and the reader's experience with Mickey during this moment.
The arc of this book doesn't really feel like a thing with a trajectory, and when I was able to recognize the book for the snapshot, a window into a moment of a characters life, it started to click together for me.
I'm also biased because y'all know I love it when people who write for magazines start putting out novels. The book leans more contemporary than literary, but for this particular story I don't think that was exactly a hindrance to my experience and now that the book is out in the world I hope to see it getting read by y'all.
I went into this book with the wrong mindset, something that I can really only blame myself for. Coming out of this book it reminded me of another book that I read recently, Maame [ my review found here ], something that I hadn't really considered.
I also went into this book thinking that the racism Mickey experienced was going to be the central element of the story. That we were going to read this manifesto that she penned and experience the whirlwind of that. I think that what Denton-Hurst was able to do instead was more interesting? Judging by the other reviews of this book I've seen a lot of people felt this way and were disappointed to read about the aftermath of Mickey's firing and the messy life she has.
I think that it would be a disservice to the story to try and pitch this to you as just a messy sapphics, partly because I think the audience that would jump at that would not at all care about Mickey and the other Black sapphics at the center of this story. But I think to pitch it like that would flatten what Denton-Hurst was trying to do and the reader's experience with Mickey during this moment.
The arc of this book doesn't really feel like a thing with a trajectory, and when I was able to recognize the book for the snapshot, a window into a moment of a characters life, it started to click together for me.
I'm also biased because y'all know I love it when people who write for magazines start putting out novels. The book leans more contemporary than literary, but for this particular story I don't think that was exactly a hindrance to my experience and now that the book is out in the world I hope to see it getting read by y'all.
April 21, 2023
[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ (HarperCollins UK) for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Homebodies releases May 2 (US) or July 6 (UK)
The impression you get of this story before diving in from the way the blurb summarizes Homebodies, does not align with the actual story that is written.
I was really excited to read a literary focused novel that would open up a discussion on racism, while amplifying marginalized voices, told from a Black, queer, and thick main character. But that is not what I got.
Mickey was previously a full time writer for a media company before being fired and replaced by another Black girl; one who was more “pleasant”.
There’s this idea put forth that Mickey is so “distraught and enraged”, leading her to publish a “searing manifesto”, but this “manifesto” hardly played a part in this story. In fact, the whole virality of it was such an afterthought.
What is thought to be a “searing manifesto” is really just an unsent letter written in an email app that was then screenshotted and broken up into a series of images to upload onto Twitter.
Mickey is not “enraged”. Instead, she spends her time unemployed sitting on her couch at home, eating take out and watching movies in the same set of clothes, and couldn’t even practice simple hygiene like showering or brushing her teeth regularly.
Where was the passion? The creativity? She had “dreams of writing stories that matter”, yet not once in the whole book did she actually write something of her own volition.
I don’t know why the blurb calls this deeply sexy, because it’s really not at all.
I wanted to see a strong group of characters, but instead, every corner we turned faced us head on with alienation. First at her work, then the group chats, and even with Lex and Tee.
I did not like the idea of bringing back the ex into the picture at all, only for it to muddle everything and further show that no one chooses to put Mickey first.
The ending had so many loose ends still — are we just going to ignore what happened with Tee? Did Mickey and Lex reconcile? Did Mickey ever get a job? Why does Mickey keep ping-ponging between two women whose actions consistently leave Mickey as the queer lover left in the dark like an ugly bruise, kept at arms length as a friend and unwilling to be fully seen as a lover?
I wanted more on the discussion of race. More passion and the feeling of inspiration tied to writing. More support.
I thought Mickey transitioning back to living in Maryland and getting out of New York would have brought a sense of urgency and accountability, but it didn’t.
Overall, the pacing and plot points needed a lot of improvement.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ (HarperCollins UK) for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Homebodies releases May 2 (US) or July 6 (UK)
The impression you get of this story before diving in from the way the blurb summarizes Homebodies, does not align with the actual story that is written.
I was really excited to read a literary focused novel that would open up a discussion on racism, while amplifying marginalized voices, told from a Black, queer, and thick main character. But that is not what I got.
Mickey was previously a full time writer for a media company before being fired and replaced by another Black girl; one who was more “pleasant”.
There’s this idea put forth that Mickey is so “distraught and enraged”, leading her to publish a “searing manifesto”, but this “manifesto” hardly played a part in this story. In fact, the whole virality of it was such an afterthought.
What is thought to be a “searing manifesto” is really just an unsent letter written in an email app that was then screenshotted and broken up into a series of images to upload onto Twitter.
Mickey is not “enraged”. Instead, she spends her time unemployed sitting on her couch at home, eating take out and watching movies in the same set of clothes, and couldn’t even practice simple hygiene like showering or brushing her teeth regularly.
Where was the passion? The creativity? She had “dreams of writing stories that matter”, yet not once in the whole book did she actually write something of her own volition.
I don’t know why the blurb calls this deeply sexy, because it’s really not at all.
I wanted to see a strong group of characters, but instead, every corner we turned faced us head on with alienation. First at her work, then the group chats, and even with Lex and Tee.
I did not like the idea of bringing back the ex into the picture at all, only for it to muddle everything and further show that no one chooses to put Mickey first.
The ending had so many loose ends still — are we just going to ignore what happened with Tee? Did Mickey and Lex reconcile? Did Mickey ever get a job? Why does Mickey keep ping-ponging between two women whose actions consistently leave Mickey as the queer lover left in the dark like an ugly bruise, kept at arms length as a friend and unwilling to be fully seen as a lover?
I wanted more on the discussion of race. More passion and the feeling of inspiration tied to writing. More support.
I thought Mickey transitioning back to living in Maryland and getting out of New York would have brought a sense of urgency and accountability, but it didn’t.
Overall, the pacing and plot points needed a lot of improvement.
July 27, 2023
I was bored all book, but I pushed through - only to get absolutely zero resolution. Now I’m just annoyed. Also, the main character was unbearable.
December 23, 2023
it breaks my heart every time I have to give a black author a bad rating but alas. this is not good.
April 22, 2023
DNF at page 120..
I reread the first 35 pages of this book 3 times before I could truly commit. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around Mickey’s initial reaction to suspecting she was being replaced… and after she was actually fired she wallowed in a way I couldn’t understand…
Mickey described a shitty workplace then proceeded to cry about being fired… girl that was a blessing. I have an issue with people sitting in their misery and expecting change. And snapping on friends and family that see you in a dark place and trying their best to help.. it’s a no from me.
Mickey doesn’t actually drop her manifesto until about 100 pages in… I stopped at page 120 and am just not interested in finishing this right now.
I may revisit, but right now it’s not grabbing me.
I reread the first 35 pages of this book 3 times before I could truly commit. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around Mickey’s initial reaction to suspecting she was being replaced… and after she was actually fired she wallowed in a way I couldn’t understand…
Mickey described a shitty workplace then proceeded to cry about being fired… girl that was a blessing. I have an issue with people sitting in their misery and expecting change. And snapping on friends and family that see you in a dark place and trying their best to help.. it’s a no from me.
Mickey doesn’t actually drop her manifesto until about 100 pages in… I stopped at page 120 and am just not interested in finishing this right now.
I may revisit, but right now it’s not grabbing me.
April 8, 2023
This book was okay, but I'm actually so disappointed because it's been so hyped and it feels like the author found the most boring part of Mickey's journey and decided to spend the entire book there? There's a line in the summary that says "Mickey is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt..." and that's the bulk of the novel. We don't see much of Mickey's career before she loses her job, and the book ends right as her manifesto takes off. The entire book is Mickey being depressed at home, and then depressed in her hometown, all while constantly treating the people who care about her like shit. I love rooting for imperfect characters, but Mickey didn't seem to have much development. At the beginning and end of this book, she felt like she wasn't getting enough praise or attention while also not wanting to deal with having too much attention or high expectations. Idk, I think I would have been less disappointed if the book had had less effusive praise right from the start. I received an advanced audio copy from Libro.fm (and tbh I wasn't super impressed with the narration either; she over- and under-emphasized words at random, and didn't always convey the emotion that seemed to go with the actual text... a confusing experience overall).
July 18, 2023
An addictive read with a lead character you want to shake and hug at the same time!
Homebodies opens with Mickey attending an industry event where one of her co-worker tells her that she heard through the grapevine that she is getting replaced. Mickey goes home feeling uneasy but doesn’t give much thought to it because why would her boss ask her to do a presentation for the upcoming year if she was planning on getting rid of her? Its not until a few days later Mickey sees a series of Black women going into her boss’s office for interview that she finally comes to term with what is going to happen.
Mickey loves her job in media, she loves writing and even though she only gets to write 10% of the topics she pitches she knows it’s a great position to be in. With her being let go, she’s furious at herself, her boss, the industry and the systems that doesn’t serve her! In a fit of rage she pens a detailed letter outlining all the things she endured as a Black woman in media- hoping to get some coverage. Added to this, Mickey’s relationship with her girlfriend of over five years starts to unravel. With so much going on she decides to head back to her hometown to stay with her grandma while she decides on next steps.
Mickey doesn’t have time to reflect, between her Grandmother asking her to do chores, reconnecting with old friends, and former lover she begins to wonder if she should just forget about media, New York and her relationship… that’s until her letter goes viral.
Listen, I ate this book up! I absolutely loved being in Mickey’s world and reading about all the things she has to contend with. I love how real her issues were and absolutely enraging. There were parts of the book where I legit SCREAMED because I could not imagine having to go through that. I did think the author tried too hard with the coming home and reconnecting with an old lover plotline but I wasn’t mad at it.
Overall, I enjoyed this one! What an amazing summer read!
Homebodies opens with Mickey attending an industry event where one of her co-worker tells her that she heard through the grapevine that she is getting replaced. Mickey goes home feeling uneasy but doesn’t give much thought to it because why would her boss ask her to do a presentation for the upcoming year if she was planning on getting rid of her? Its not until a few days later Mickey sees a series of Black women going into her boss’s office for interview that she finally comes to term with what is going to happen.
Mickey loves her job in media, she loves writing and even though she only gets to write 10% of the topics she pitches she knows it’s a great position to be in. With her being let go, she’s furious at herself, her boss, the industry and the systems that doesn’t serve her! In a fit of rage she pens a detailed letter outlining all the things she endured as a Black woman in media- hoping to get some coverage. Added to this, Mickey’s relationship with her girlfriend of over five years starts to unravel. With so much going on she decides to head back to her hometown to stay with her grandma while she decides on next steps.
Mickey doesn’t have time to reflect, between her Grandmother asking her to do chores, reconnecting with old friends, and former lover she begins to wonder if she should just forget about media, New York and her relationship… that’s until her letter goes viral.
Listen, I ate this book up! I absolutely loved being in Mickey’s world and reading about all the things she has to contend with. I love how real her issues were and absolutely enraging. There were parts of the book where I legit SCREAMED because I could not imagine having to go through that. I did think the author tried too hard with the coming home and reconnecting with an old lover plotline but I wasn’t mad at it.
Overall, I enjoyed this one! What an amazing summer read!
November 30, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. I was pulled in from page one and fell in love with Mickey and her friends and family. Mickey writes content for a magazine--at least, she did until she gets fired. Her Blackness contributes significantly to the firing, but the magazine hires a Black woman to replace her. Mickey is both furious and sapped of energy. She stays at home on the couch for a bit, then writes a letter, opening up about her experiences there. Meanwhile, her partner Lex is starting to get irritated with Mickey's laziness, and Mickey decides to leave. She goes home to find her old best friend, family, and The One That Got Away. Now Mickey has to reckon with her life back in New York and the world she came from. This is a pretty quiet book compared to some of the other stuff I read, but no less compelling. Mickey's strength and character development drives the book. I can't recommend it enough!
June 11, 2023
I think I can appreciate it for what it ended up being, but the summary of this book is wrong. I wasn’t a fan of all the current pop cultural references (The shade room? really?) either, but what can you do…
It felt more about her desire to reconnect with Tee from high school than anything else. And the ending was a let down… All that to not even know what happens. It left me with the same feeling her group chats did, let down.
Maybe I’d like it more if I’d never worked before or was still in college? Glad I used the library though…
It felt more about her desire to reconnect with Tee from high school than anything else. And the ending was a let down… All that to not even know what happens. It left me with the same feeling her group chats did, let down.
Maybe I’d like it more if I’d never worked before or was still in college? Glad I used the library though…
July 23, 2023
Reasons why I didn’t really vibe with this book:
- The pacing is terrible. This book moved so slow I found myself zoning out.
- It’s boring. Nothing happened with the plot from 20%-90%. Also, what was in the synopsis is not what this book is about. That is not the story in these pages.
- The descriptions are excessive. I do not need to know what her ex-co-worker wore to work a month ago. Lex’s introduction was like a whole page long, down to the veins in her hand.
- There are 5000 characters. Why are there so many??? How can I keep them all straight??
- I didn’t like Mickey. It was really hard to root for her when I really didn’t find her to be a good person.
- The ending. Seriously, that’s how it ends? Talk about anticlimactic. Nothing wrapped up!!
- The pacing is terrible. This book moved so slow I found myself zoning out.
- It’s boring. Nothing happened with the plot from 20%-90%. Also, what was in the synopsis is not what this book is about. That is not the story in these pages.
- The descriptions are excessive. I do not need to know what her ex-co-worker wore to work a month ago. Lex’s introduction was like a whole page long, down to the veins in her hand.
- There are 5000 characters. Why are there so many??? How can I keep them all straight??
- I didn’t like Mickey. It was really hard to root for her when I really didn’t find her to be a good person.
- The ending. Seriously, that’s how it ends? Talk about anticlimactic. Nothing wrapped up!!
April 8, 2023
Yeah, I must have read a different book than everyone else?! I did not find this book fun or sexy at all. I found that the few moments of nuance were overshadowed by a deep immaturity and poor choice after poor choice. Even though Mickey is a writer, she just doesn't read as intelligent or even interesting. I was much more interested in Lex's story! There was SO much there to dig into but instead, the focus is on Mickey who moves through the book as though everyone has wronged her, no one understands her, and she has no interest in taking responsibility for her choices.
The manifesto and cultural commentary the blurb led us to expect plays an almost non-existent role in the text. The media plays a surprisingly small role in this book that is billed as a rebuke on racism and anti-Blackness in contemporary discourse. Instead, we read about a woman falling apart and taking solace in revisiting people who hurt her in the past. Not to mention the fact that she lies frequently and ignores the loving advice of people who have known her for decades.
Perhaps I would have had a different experience if I had read the print book? The audiobook was incredibly poorly directed. It was a performance not at all geared towards listeners. I oscillated between not being able to hear at all and then pulling my headphones out because the narrator was yelling. I commend the acting skills; however, I have done nothing wrong. Don't yell at me.
This book had huge potential but reads more like a YA "will she, won't she" coming-of-age narrative that is lackluster at best and boring at worst.
The manifesto and cultural commentary the blurb led us to expect plays an almost non-existent role in the text. The media plays a surprisingly small role in this book that is billed as a rebuke on racism and anti-Blackness in contemporary discourse. Instead, we read about a woman falling apart and taking solace in revisiting people who hurt her in the past. Not to mention the fact that she lies frequently and ignores the loving advice of people who have known her for decades.
Perhaps I would have had a different experience if I had read the print book? The audiobook was incredibly poorly directed. It was a performance not at all geared towards listeners. I oscillated between not being able to hear at all and then pulling my headphones out because the narrator was yelling. I commend the acting skills; however, I have done nothing wrong. Don't yell at me.
This book had huge potential but reads more like a YA "will she, won't she" coming-of-age narrative that is lackluster at best and boring at worst.
April 29, 2023
As is too often the case (why?), the synopsis gives too much away, so do yourself a favour and don’t read it. Or forget it. Because if you expect it to be only the start of the story, you’ll be disappointed, the main events are all there.
On the surface, Mickey has everything: a job she loves and a doting girlfriend. The job isn’t as awesome as it seems, her new (white) editor is not impressed with the articles she pitches. And Lex may be devoted but she won’t stand up to her mom when she blames Mickey for her daughter’s queerness. When Mickey is fired, her life is turned upside down and she won’t let it happen without a fight. But the letter she posts about racism in the media industry doesn’t have the effect she hoped for, Lex isn’t as supportive as she could be, and Mickey goes back to her hometown to try and figure out what she wants to do next.
Mickey is angry at the universe and she has every reason to be, but she’s neither as powerless as she thinks she is nor is she entitled to everything she thought should be hers (especially in her relationships with her loved ones), as she comes to realize towards the end. The author highlights everyday racism in the workplace (and out of it), incidents so subtle they’re hard to prove and explain to those who aren’t subjected to them but easily recognized by those who are. As a white person, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of these I’ve unwittingly been responsible for, and while I’m under no illusion that I can be perfect, I do hope I’ve learned from this book.
I usually need to like a character to care about what happens to them. I can’t say I really liked Mickey, I found her often unfair to Lex, full of herself yet indecisive and whiny. In one word: human. Because we meet her at what is probably one of the worst times of her life and she’s lost. Everything she thought was solid proves not to be, starting with herself. I don’t know many people who are able to make the best decisions when they have no idea what is happening. When life sucks, you’re allowed to be content with not drowning. And the smartest people (I trust Mickey’s friends on this, because that’s not really what she shows in this part of her life) can fuck up and make the stupidest decisions. I’m not talking work-wise, I mean relationship-wise. On the work front, I applaud the bravery and wish the world the author describes didn’t feel so real.
My feelings about the narration are split. It shines in dialogues. The pace of the narrative parts, however, is uneven, with random emphasis and pauses.
Homebodies is a very powerful debut, a slice of Mickey’s life that shows her grow from angry but compliant to drowning and lost to empowered and taking control back. The manifesto it’s supposed to be about only plays a small part in the book, in terms of how many chapters are really devoted to it, but Mickey’s journey is about more than that. The strength of this book is in the details, in how Denton-Hurst paints the characters and their interactions, in the grandmother’s voice, in the best friends’ unwavering support and ass-kicking, in the flaws and the growing pains.
I received a copy from Libra.fm and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
May 1, 2023
This is a quiet, contemplative novel about a low point in Mickey’s life. It’s so character-based that it’s hard to describe the plot without spoiling anything: the events on the back cover don’t all happen until about 75% of the way through the book.
Tembe Denton-Hurst wrote an article at the Cut titled “It Doesn’t Matter If We Behave” that offers some background into why she wrote Homebodies, especially in the impossible standards for “professionalism” for Black women. She explains that she wanted to provide Mickey a “soft place to land,” a chance to process her feelings, instead of having to just push through and follow the unwritten rules of navigating these spaces as a Black woman.
Mickey is a bit of a mess, and this is a confusing in-between point in her life. It’s mostly interior, and there are no neat conclusions to her story. She’s still figuring herself out, still deciding how to navigate a no-win situation. This is one I’m really interested to see other readers’ response to, especially other queer Black women.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
Tembe Denton-Hurst wrote an article at the Cut titled “It Doesn’t Matter If We Behave” that offers some background into why she wrote Homebodies, especially in the impossible standards for “professionalism” for Black women. She explains that she wanted to provide Mickey a “soft place to land,” a chance to process her feelings, instead of having to just push through and follow the unwritten rules of navigating these spaces as a Black woman.
Mickey is a bit of a mess, and this is a confusing in-between point in her life. It’s mostly interior, and there are no neat conclusions to her story. She’s still figuring herself out, still deciding how to navigate a no-win situation. This is one I’m really interested to see other readers’ response to, especially other queer Black women.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
July 2, 2023
I have been in a slump lately, not reading anything seriously in a month or so. This book was recommended by my cool Grandma, who read a newspaper article about this book. As usual, Grandma was right. 😍 Thanks Grandma.
I really liked this book. It is a kinda chill read but reminded me so much about my life; being a Black, Queer, West Indian woman, this book spoke to me a lot. I love Lex! Their swagg and their Jamaican family remind me of my own. As someone with functioning depression like Mickey, I wish I could chill and smoke a blunt with her, maybe cry together, even though I hate crying. Tee reminded me so much of my Ex when I first came out, the Ex who is smooth, seductive, and experienced but ain’t shit. A fuckboy, in essence, who may never change, deep down you know that. You know what I mean? 😂😂 I was cheering for Mickey all the way to the end. Go, Sis. 👏🏾👏🏾
I really liked this book. It is a kinda chill read but reminded me so much about my life; being a Black, Queer, West Indian woman, this book spoke to me a lot. I love Lex! Their swagg and their Jamaican family remind me of my own. As someone with functioning depression like Mickey, I wish I could chill and smoke a blunt with her, maybe cry together, even though I hate crying. Tee reminded me so much of my Ex when I first came out, the Ex who is smooth, seductive, and experienced but ain’t shit. A fuckboy, in essence, who may never change, deep down you know that. You know what I mean? 😂😂 I was cheering for Mickey all the way to the end. Go, Sis. 👏🏾👏🏾
September 25, 2023
Really annoyed lol.
May 17, 2024
I’m trying to understand the point of this book. I get that it’s hard to watch the people around you make progress in their lives while you feel stuck as to how to put the pieces of your life back together but girl, you didn’t even try!
And like a yamhead, you let ole girl from your past mess up your head.
And like a yamhead, you let ole girl from your past mess up your head.
August 18, 2023
2.5 stars. This was a really frustrating book, and I'm sad about it, because on the face of it, it contained so many things that should have made me love it. The thing is, when I think about the things in this book that I would have changed to make it a bit better, they are things that sort of change fundamental aspects of the plot and writing and the arcs that I think the author wanted to explore. However, this has some of the most confusing and incomprehensible character writing and development I've ever read. I love reading about messy characters, people who don't have everything figured out, people who make a bunch of mistakes and have to face up to them. But several times during the story, Mickey made some logical leaps that I absolutely could not follow.
First off, this was one of those books where I didn't read the entirety of the blurb before starting, and that might have been a mistake. Something that is mentioned in the first past of the blurb, something that I really thought would be an inciting incident, doesn't happen until way, way later down in the story, and it honestly made this book feel like it was dragging, because I kept waiting for that thing to happen. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't know that thing was going to happen? All the while I was reading, I kept feeling as if I was in limbo, as if the narrative wasn't really going anywhere. That's not really the fault of the book, but it made the reading experience kind of dull. Especially since all of Mickey's time in her hometown was spent making decisions that I just could not get behind, could not comprehend. I really don't want to sound unsympathetic, because again, I like complicated characters, and characters who are sort of fumbling and trying to find their way, but Mickey was ignoring red flags and making comments that made me feel like... what? I can handle unlikeable, but I was struggling with how incomprehensible she was to me. And I don't think Lex is a perfect person, far from it, but I kept expecting Mickey to realise that some of the comments she had made, and some of the accusations that she had levelled at Lex were totally out of line. And that didn't really happen in the way I expected. Honestly, while I think the relationship had good foundations, with all of the things that Mickey goes through and does throughout the course of the book, I'm really unsatisfied with where things leave off.
There was a lot of interesting and searing insight about racism in the writing/journalism industry, but it really did not play a big part in the book, or not as big a part as I was expecting. The author did a great job of capturing that feeling of exhaustion, walking on eggshells around white women especially, the constant self-vigilance. A lot of the time spent on introspection about things in Mickey's hometown could have been put to better use, with the amount of pages this book had. Honestly, the entire storyline with Tee just annoyed me and I think the book would have been better without it. I don't know, I think I'm now just in a nit-picking kind of territory. Everywhere I expected this book to hit me hard, it just gave me a nudge; every ball I expected it to knock out of the park, it just fumbled. Messy black lesbians are like catnip, but I think I would have rather read a book about Lex. Again, not saying she's perfect or anything.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Marcella Cox and it was okay. Definitely not my favourite. There were a lot of pacing issues, just at the basic sentence level, with unnecessary pauses and the like. Still, not too bad. Definitely an interesting debut, and in the moments where it was good, it was really good. But overall... kind of frustrating.
First off, this was one of those books where I didn't read the entirety of the blurb before starting, and that might have been a mistake. Something that is mentioned in the first past of the blurb, something that I really thought would be an inciting incident, doesn't happen until way, way later down in the story, and it honestly made this book feel like it was dragging, because I kept waiting for that thing to happen. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't know that thing was going to happen? All the while I was reading, I kept feeling as if I was in limbo, as if the narrative wasn't really going anywhere. That's not really the fault of the book, but it made the reading experience kind of dull. Especially since all of Mickey's time in her hometown was spent making decisions that I just could not get behind, could not comprehend. I really don't want to sound unsympathetic, because again, I like complicated characters, and characters who are sort of fumbling and trying to find their way, but Mickey was ignoring red flags and making comments that made me feel like... what? I can handle unlikeable, but I was struggling with how incomprehensible she was to me. And I don't think Lex is a perfect person, far from it, but I kept expecting Mickey to realise that some of the comments she had made, and some of the accusations that she had levelled at Lex were totally out of line. And that didn't really happen in the way I expected. Honestly, while I think the relationship had good foundations, with all of the things that Mickey goes through and does throughout the course of the book, I'm really unsatisfied with where things leave off.
There was a lot of interesting and searing insight about racism in the writing/journalism industry, but it really did not play a big part in the book, or not as big a part as I was expecting. The author did a great job of capturing that feeling of exhaustion, walking on eggshells around white women especially, the constant self-vigilance. A lot of the time spent on introspection about things in Mickey's hometown could have been put to better use, with the amount of pages this book had. Honestly, the entire storyline with Tee just annoyed me and I think the book would have been better without it. I don't know, I think I'm now just in a nit-picking kind of territory. Everywhere I expected this book to hit me hard, it just gave me a nudge; every ball I expected it to knock out of the park, it just fumbled. Messy black lesbians are like catnip, but I think I would have rather read a book about Lex. Again, not saying she's perfect or anything.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Marcella Cox and it was okay. Definitely not my favourite. There were a lot of pacing issues, just at the basic sentence level, with unnecessary pauses and the like. Still, not too bad. Definitely an interesting debut, and in the moments where it was good, it was really good. But overall... kind of frustrating.
October 17, 2022
THIS BOOK IS SO FUN AND HOT AND EXCEPTIONALLY WRITTEN!! I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.
June 22, 2023
God I get such anxiety when the protagonist makes poor romantic decisions
August 10, 2024
i just feel like… what was the point? the main character is in a perpetual place of disliking her life but the story just doesn’t go anywhere. she just continues to make mistakes and ignore the people around her it was just so annoying. and the end offers a slight slight respite but not nearly enough.
July 27, 2023
If anything, Homebodies focused more on the protagonist's love life than the racism and sexism she’s endured as a Black woman in media even though the book's marketing suggests otherwise.
June 21, 2023
Homebodies is interesting: part examination of racism in Media, part queer coming of age, part outsider song: Mickey feels as if she belongs nowhere and fits in with no one, struggling against expectations placed on her by society, family, friends, lovers, and herself.
Mickey is... an exceptionally difficult protagonist to relate to, to be honest. As someone who isn't wishy washy or emotional, it's jarring to see Mickey immediately sink to her lowest depths when facing any setback, escalating every single situation when someone calls her out, and basically having no accountability.
The scenes with her partner Lex are lovely and then too much, the scenes where she runs into her ex are lovely and then too much, the scenes with her family are perfect. I wish Denton-Hurst had chosen one thing and run with it- I loved the examination of being an ambitious "big city" person trying to blend in with your family back home, I loved the nuances of her interactions with the other Black girls at work, I loved the one scene we got of Lex and Mickey as a happy couple with their queer friends. I think this book had amazing ideas and grasps at a lot, and I'm always happy to read about a Black queer woman figuring it all out. I wish the book was tighter, in a sense, but ultimately enjoyed it and felt like it was true to life and fascinating.
Mickey is... an exceptionally difficult protagonist to relate to, to be honest. As someone who isn't wishy washy or emotional, it's jarring to see Mickey immediately sink to her lowest depths when facing any setback, escalating every single situation when someone calls her out, and basically having no accountability.
The scenes with her partner Lex are lovely and then too much, the scenes where she runs into her ex are lovely and then too much, the scenes with her family are perfect. I wish Denton-Hurst had chosen one thing and run with it- I loved the examination of being an ambitious "big city" person trying to blend in with your family back home, I loved the nuances of her interactions with the other Black girls at work, I loved the one scene we got of Lex and Mickey as a happy couple with their queer friends. I think this book had amazing ideas and grasps at a lot, and I'm always happy to read about a Black queer woman figuring it all out. I wish the book was tighter, in a sense, but ultimately enjoyed it and felt like it was true to life and fascinating.
May 20, 2023
Homebodies is so many different things. Political and social commentary, romance, drama, journey to self-discovery— it’s the story of a young queer Black woman caught up in the whirlwind of everything life can throw at you. I was hooked, desperately wanting to know what decisions Mickey would make next. She was imperfect, sometimes reckless, a bit selfish and naive. But at the end of her journey in this novel, the one question that stuck with me, that is necessary for many of us to answer as we try to find happiness and where we fit into this world— “Why have I settled for people and places that haven’t chosen me?”
January 17, 2024
DNF at about 52% ... mostly because I put the book down and realized that I didn't care AT ALL about Mickey or what's happeneing with her life.
Her relationship with Lex is complicated and idk where this is going with Tee but seems like the whole "my life is in existential crisis so I'm breaking up with then cheating on my partner only to try to make a comeback with a new job" is quite uninterestingfor this storyline...
Sorry, not sorry!
Her relationship with Lex is complicated and idk where this is going with Tee but seems like the whole "my life is in existential crisis so I'm breaking up with then cheating on my partner only to try to make a comeback with a new job" is quite uninterestingfor this storyline...
Sorry, not sorry!
July 6, 2023
Not sure how to rate this because I liked it, I just never got that into it? I'll land on a 3.5 rounded up I think. It's really a character study, but Mickey is kind of quiet and boring and I had a hard time rooting for any decision she was considering. Definitely not bad, not a stand-out for me though either.
October 29, 2022
LOVED LOVED LOVED. SO FANTASTIC
October 5, 2023
Def entertaining but huh
September 14, 2023
Holy moly did I dislike this book. I should have just DNF'd but instead forced myself to continue.
I'm pretty sure I was annoyed and frustrated at every single character in this entire book except for the MC's grandmother.. but none more so than the actual main character. Talk about a person with a victim mentality, a complete narcissist and person who just can't stop self sabotaging.
To start the book with her completely flipping out about suspecting that she'll be replaced at her job... only to then be fired a few weeks later and completely freefalling into a state of depressing. Her actions in both aspects just didn't make sense to me. If you truly did believe you'd be replaced, (as her partner said she'd stated numerous times before), wouldn't you start putting feelers out there, looking at other positions, maybe stop ordering take out and socking away some money into savings? But to completely freak out about it, yet do nothing, AND be surprised when it actually happens is wild to me.
I found myself rooting against this MC, especially once she began thinking to herself as she was self sabotaging that 'the other person in the fight had a point, but she couldn't acknowledge that because she wanted to be 100% right' or 'maybe she shouldn't be spending all her money like this, but she's going to continue doing so, and continue lying about it, and knows this is a bad choice but doing it anyway'. Zero character growth or development.
I forced myself to finish but got zero resolution. I found myself just really hoping that Lex left her and found somebody who was a decent human.
Another point that didn't help was the audiobook was SUCH a struggle. The narrator read at different speeds and COMPLETELY different volumes based on what was happening in the story. I found myself CONSTANTLY having to adjust the volume and speed that I was listening.
ughhhh what a frustrating read. Glad to be done.
I'm pretty sure I was annoyed and frustrated at every single character in this entire book except for the MC's grandmother.. but none more so than the actual main character. Talk about a person with a victim mentality, a complete narcissist and person who just can't stop self sabotaging.
To start the book with her completely flipping out about suspecting that she'll be replaced at her job... only to then be fired a few weeks later and completely freefalling into a state of depressing. Her actions in both aspects just didn't make sense to me. If you truly did believe you'd be replaced, (as her partner said she'd stated numerous times before), wouldn't you start putting feelers out there, looking at other positions, maybe stop ordering take out and socking away some money into savings? But to completely freak out about it, yet do nothing, AND be surprised when it actually happens is wild to me.
I found myself rooting against this MC, especially once she began thinking to herself as she was self sabotaging that 'the other person in the fight had a point, but she couldn't acknowledge that because she wanted to be 100% right' or 'maybe she shouldn't be spending all her money like this, but she's going to continue doing so, and continue lying about it, and knows this is a bad choice but doing it anyway'. Zero character growth or development.
I forced myself to finish but got zero resolution. I found myself just really hoping that Lex left her and found somebody who was a decent human.
Another point that didn't help was the audiobook was SUCH a struggle. The narrator read at different speeds and COMPLETELY different volumes based on what was happening in the story. I found myself CONSTANTLY having to adjust the volume and speed that I was listening.
ughhhh what a frustrating read. Glad to be done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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