Disgruntled

Disgruntled, by Asali Solomon, is a coming of age story set in the late 20th century, but also an odyssey through a series of strange and confusing contexts that help Kenya, the central character, set a course for her life. These strange situations seem both to be the problem she is attempting to av......more

Here's the thing with this book: it lacks focus. It's an easy read and mildly enjoyable, the characters have potential. Parts of the story are certainly interesting and could stand on their own if given the time. But in this coming-of-age story, events are too quickly swept away and forgotten; a new......more

I heard Asali Solomon on the radio and immediately wanted to be friends with her. Seriously, I don't think an author interview ever made me like the hell out of anyone so much. She was warm, with just the wry kind of humor I enjoy. And her book is mostly set in her home town and mine, Philadelphia.......more

I appreciated the quiet restraint of the book but then again the author pulled away from some scenes that really needed to be there--opting instead for narrative summary. Some events are far too rushed, which dampens the impact the book might have had with more flushed-out scenes. What I liked very......more

This review first appeared in the Los Angeles Times: [URL not allowed] With her 2006 fiction collection "Get Down," Asali Solomon established herself as a short-form artist with a knack for writing misfits in black middle-class Philadelphia. Her first novel, "Disgruntled," is a......more