The story started off well as told by a successful woman with black and British background/culture. It discusses sexism and racism as well as mental health and illness. There’s not much of a story here. It’s basically about this woman’s experiences and the struggle to fit in to the culture that she doesn’t feel quite appreciated in for various reasons. I think this would have been better with more of a story and less self-loathing.

Assembly

Ad - Thank you to the publisher for an advance e-copy to review.

“𝘈 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵?

𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘢 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

This is a really short story that makes clever observations of the lives we live within and it packs a punch!

We follow the protagonist and witness her experiences of race and class from inside a mixed race relationship with pressures from all angles.

The writing style is fitting for the length of the book and is much more a collection of thoughts and essays than a novel, but this sure is a fiery debut that I’m glad I read!

This is literary fiction at its best and I would recommend you pick this up, at just over 100 pages you don’t really have a reason not to!

It's difficult to really summarise this book. It doesn't really fit into one genre, and I can't say I've read many books like it before. Natasha Brown has really formulated a unique way of storytelling within Assembly which is both sharp, cold, introspective and blunt. Brown uses this to her advantage to really bring to light the long term effects of selling yourself to a system that you are complicit yet also are victim.

If this book is anything its a deep dive into the systems which uphold present day society, ones such as Capitalism, Racism and the Patriarchy. Throughout the main character struggles with the impact of these systems and how they are influencing who she is and how she feels. Brown perfectly creates a character who is constantly struggling to find her place, and feels alienated from the world she has become a part of.

I enjoyed this book, I do think I would have appreciated it more had I read the physical book rather that listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was beautifully narrated, but I think for me I would have really appreciated it more had I had it in front of me to really take in what was being said. Overall this is a enjoyable and quick read that will offer a lot of food for thought.

This is more of a short essay rather than a book as there’s no story line and not much is happening. The main character’s observations are current, sharp and spot on and the glimpses that we get into some other characters are masterfully drawn. I listened to the audio version and thought the narration was a little bland, although perhaps this was needed for the story.

I was very disappointed by this book. I found it hard to properly immerse myself in although this could be because it isn’t great as an audiobook, it may read better.
I found there was so much hype around it that I had high expectations it didn’t live up to. Having said that, it is a powerful story, and touches on many important issues; racism, sexism, sexual harassment. It pushes you to consider uncomfortable truths and question the way that you behave towards others. It is smart and intense, but for me it just missed the mark.

This audiobook might only be two hours, but it left more of an impact that many that are significantly longer. The story is told from the perspective of a Black narrator who has worked hard to get an Oxbridge degree and climb the ladder at a job in Canary Wharf. It meanders through her life (past and present), and thoughts, while preparing for a weekend with the family of her white, old money boyfriend.

Assembly covers many current topics - race, class, identity, the Windrush scandal, Empire and much much more. And this is where the writing perhaps impressed me most: in a short space, Brown offers such an insight into so much and provokes so many thoughts, but somehow doesn't make you feel like your head is spinning or you're being lectured at.

Admittedly there were some aspects of the narrator that I wasn't sure about (though it's hard to go into more detail here without spoilers), but equally perhaps that's just because I haven't ever been in her situation (in many ways), and also I know different people have very different reactions to things in life. So.

Overall, a completely absorbing two hours that left a real mark. I look forwarding to seeing Natasha Brown does next. 4.5*

I listened to the audiobook version.

While a death sentence is not a humorous matter, I did find the resolute exclusion of humour a turn-off. It’s an earnest work and at times too preachy. Nonetheless, it’s short and punchy.

I first heard mention of this book from none other than Ali Smith, in a recent book event she did, and WOW, I can see exactly why this novel has garnered so much positive attention. In only 100 pages, Natasha Brown offers a powerful and moving debut work that offers so much insight into the legacy of British Colonialism and what it means for Black British women today. The nameless narrator seems to be winning at life - in her job, love life and social life, yet a cancer diagnosis leaves these achievements feeling meaningless and empty. Told in a collection of beautifully written short passages, Natasha Brown's 'Assembly' coveys the levels of struggle that her narrator endures - from the subtle yet deep-rooted racism. the struggle of a chance diagnosis and also the more relatable struggle of appearing to have it all sorted whilst feeling dissatisfied and numb by typical forms of 'success'. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this - in one sitting, because I was so immersed - and I know it'll be a novel I come back to time and time again in years to come.

I think I would have connected with this more if I had read the book rather than listened to the audiobook. The narrator lacked emotion and depth for me.

While this short book considered a number of contemporary and important issues such as racism, sexism and sexual harassment in a clear decisive way that I could appreciate, I can’t say I was enjoying it 100% of the time

When was the last time a book punched you in the gut? Well, Assembly is about to be the next one.

This is a short novel, but an impactful one–a day-in-the-life narrative of a Black British woman, ascending the professional ladder and going to meet her white boyfriend in the Home Counties for a party at his family’s home. It’s a simple narrative, with a powerful narrator exploring the deep implications of life in the capital as a Black woman, especially with her recent promotion attracting significant attention from the “affirmative action is reverse racism” crowd.

This might not be the book for you if you like a lot of plot in your novels, but honestly, I’d encourage you to try it out anyway. It’s only 100 pages, with sparse yet powerful language and biting social commentary. Its comparison to Mrs Dalloway is an easy one, though its comparison to Get Out is a more frustrating one–publishing industry! Stop comparing books to Get Out if the only thing they have in common is a scene of a Black person attending a party!

Assembly is one of the first must-read debuts I’ve come across in a long time, and essential reading for anyone who wants to understand more about racism in the UK–and especially how it intersects with sexism.

Thank you to Penguin Random House/Hamish Hamilton and NetGalley for the review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for an advance reader copy.

I really enjoyed the content of this book, I thought it was really deep interesting concerning being a woman and a woman of colour. Although, I was slightly let down by the writing style of this book being quite vague and abstract there were a few occasions where I found myself confused and wondering if I'd missed something because I couldn't quite comprehend the goings on, hence the 3 star rating.

Listened in one sitting, couldn't stop listening to this debut novel. Short but to the point - around 2hrs long. Recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Assembly, a Black British woman gets ready to spend the weekend attending a party on her boyfriend's countryside family estate. While there she considers her cancer diagnosis, her future, and identity.

Considering the audiobook is only two hours long, Brown manages to pack a lot of discussion into this slim novella. There are so many incredibly articulated points about what it means to be a Black woman in both the corporate world and in Britain, with some powerful examples of casual workplace racism and opposition towards 'diversity schemes, as well as the extra steps Black people have to take to be taken seriously. I can see why Brown has been compared to Jenny Offill and Raven Leilani - this novella is blunt and powerful, taking no prisoners.

But having said that, I wish the plot had been given more time - or rather, that there was a plot at all, or at least one that isn't summed up in a sentence. I completely get that the narrator's cancer is a device to discuss wider themes, but the narrator does come across as a bit too flat in the face of her diagnosis for me, and nothing much really happens in this book at all. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I know its style will be popular with a lot of people, I just wish the other story had more substance.

For a debut novel this is absolutely a job well done, and I think Leilani fans will love it - I'm just not sure it was for me. I'd definitely be interested to pick up her next book still though - her literary voice is really something.

3.5 stars for me

**Listened to audio book**

I struggled with the writing style at first, as the book just seemed to jump from scene to scene with no real links. I was starting to think maybe it was supposed to be verse/poetry?!
But the more the book went on, the more I got used to the style and the short snappy scenes made more of an impact.

This book doesn't have an overriding narrative, but it's more like short diary entries explaining how our central character has been betrayed. When I say betrayed I mean betrayed by society. Scenes showing racism, capitalism, sexism etc. As a white female, hearing some of the stories regarding race was definitely shocking. The 'casual racism' seems to surround our central character. I could relate more to the sexist comments and the money conversations - but all of these things struck a chord with me, even if I haven't personally been victim of them.

The narrator was good, and made the book easy to follow - and I think you would get more out of this book as audio read than just reading the psychical book. Think the audio narrator makes it seem more personal and real.

I enjoyed this book, but did struggle at times with the writing style - it makes some important points about how we live and this is the reason I stuck with it.

Read in one sitting, couldn't stop listening to this debut novel. Short but to the point - history, tradition, prejudice, affairs of the heart, living, rebels, illness, survival its all there in this short book. Conjured up detailed scenes, sounds, smells and emotions. Beautiful writing and narration, I didn't want it to end, thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook.

This is an intriguing novella, although I can't help but feel that it's all too aware of being literary fiction, crushing itself under the weight of its own cynicism and ennui. I sympathised with the narrator, but at the same time, she didn't feel anywhere near real to me. Early on in the story (so this is hardly a spoiler) she learns she is facing death by metastatic cancer. She then spends most of the novella deciding whether to forgo treatment and allow the cancer to kill her, in order to escape her current lifestyle; apparently, simply leaving her banking job in pursuit of a more fulfilling career didn't occur to her.

The novella is beautifully written, with memorable turns of phrase and plenty to say on modern society, and for this, it's just about worth four stars.

(With thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)

This is a great but short audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and found myself becoming quite engaged.