Wonderful collection of stories, the lyrical prose belies the hidden depths. I always rejoice when I find a new-ish author doing great work like this, and I’ll definitely be adding Brinkley to my list of ones to watch. He is a real talent.

like most short-story collections this is a mixed bag. the author does manage to convey a sense suspense in most of the stories but they weren't as disturbing or thrilling as i was hoping they'd be.

There’s nothing more to say: “Witness’ by Jamel Brinkley is terrific. There were no stories which made me sobbing or gave me a punch in the stomach. A complex short story collection, which revolves around the fragilities and fears of young men and boys, the trauma of marginalisation, the dizziness and loss. This is a book that hurts. Written with that classy and modernity I appreciate a lot, every story is so well built, the characters so well defined, that I was in awe at every page. Brinkley is an extraordinary pen and his collection left me speechless but it gave one thousand words more. So, yeah, do yourself a favour, and read this book.

Witness is a gorgeous collection of short stories which are thematically linked but each is unique and standalone. For me, these stories were poignant and intriguing, some of them leaving me wanting more, others just the right ending to satisfy the reader.

Themes of family and relationships are explored but for me, the most important idea explored in this book was that of self-awareness, and the importance of coming to terms with your own personality and who you want to be, prior to engaging in truly meaningful relationships.

I really enjoyed this collection and will be highly recommending to my audience!

A portrait of the famous city o New York, as told through its myriad inhabitants. Loves and lives; fortunes made and lost in an instant, this collection peels back the layers of myth surrounding the city and lays bare the reality of the city that never sleeps.

I applied for this collection at random, without any knowledge of the writer or the themes. I was delighted to see that all of the 10 stories in this collection were actually set in New York, a location that is always literary catnip to me.

The stories dealt with different difficult topics like failed relationships, family conflicts, mental illness, old age, gentrification… I understood that many characters in the stories are African-American but I’m not 100% sure, this might be more clear to American readers. I really enjoyed the writing of each story, I felt immediately pulled into the story even when it was a heavy situation. Some stories were particularly heart-wrenching but Brinkley is never cruel with the characters. I understand that this is the second collection by this writer, now I’d love to read his first.

An interesting collection of short stories. I have given quite a few short story collections a go.this year and I am glad that I have however, there are always some stories a lot stronger and engaging than others which is true to this collection. I did enjoy this collection quite a lot an read them fairly quickly! I liked the writing which was overall very engaging. The characters seemed fresh and interesting into every new story.

Witness by Jamel Brinkley is a collection of engaging short stories that explore the dynamics of different relationships and dealing with the harsh realities of life.

Witness s a collection of ten short stories all set in New York which was what attracted me to it. I’ve picked out a few of my favourite pieces below, beginning with the opening coming-of-age story.

Blessed Deliverance sees a group of five friends growing apart brought briefly together by an animal rescue shelter, ending in sudden moment of self-knowledge for one of them. In The Let-out an encounter between a striking middle-aged woman and the young man she makes a beeline for on museum open night proves deeply unsettling for him. The Happiest House on Union Street sees eight-year-old Beverly listening to her father arguing with his identical twin brother about his neglect of her, a long running row which soon turns into what's to be done with the family home. In Witness a man watches his sister's hasty marriage flounder as she takes up a scattershot black history reading programme until the reason behind her odd behaviour is shockingly revealed.

Brinkley’s stories are peopled with characters living in areas of New York, once rundown and worse, whose houses are now sought after as their neighbourhoods gentrify, happily for some but not for others. As the title suggests, narrators are often to the side watching events unfold or remembering them, reassessing and occasionally experiencing epiphanies. Through their experiences, Brinkley explores themes of racism, family and change, framing them within absorbing stories. Not all the pieces worked for me – Brinkley’s style is a little wordy for my taste – but it’s an interesting collection, certainly enough to make me investigate more of his writing.