Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Really enjoyed this, Zeba is a fabulous writer, incisive, intellectual and accessible. I particularly enjoyed the essays on bodies and strong black lead. All the essays explore the experience of being Black in America with numerous references to her work as one of the few Black women film critics. A reminder if one were needed that more diverse critics would help with diversifying the industry as a whole. Her essay about Cardi B is also important given the continuing misogyny within the music industry, especially in America. An important, informative and entertaining book.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 ☆

Insightful, thought-provoking collection of essays that spoke right to my very soul. There were a few paragraphs where I had to stop and ask if Zeba Blay was inside my mind at that very moment, as some of the points that were touched on were so reminiscent and reflective of my lived experience (specifically the moments relating to racism and misogyny) and whew, it's just so nice to feel seen.

I truly appreciate how accessible Blay's writing was, well-written, easy to read and extremely engaging whilst still having an emotional punch. I absolutely adore pop-culture references in books, which was still very much the case for this read but I found myself most engaged in the moments when Blay would speak on her own experiences, specifically how transparent she was around her own struggles with mental health.

* please read content warnings before reading!

Listened to the audiobook though Borrowbox.

The details
Read by: Zeba Bray and Clara Amfo
Unabridged

The narrator
I adored that this was read by the author. I felt like I was able to understand how Zeba intended this to be read, such as emphasis on certain parts. She also just has the cutest voice that was a dream to listen to.

The book
This started off super strong (and continued to) with a podcast style conversation between Zeba Blay and Clara Amfo. It got me really pumped for the conversations that were upcoming in the following essays.

The first essay, talking about Lizzo, Moesha (the 90s sit-com) and our bodies was really eye opening. I loved everything she had to say.

The discussions on colourism hit hard. Excellent talk on this topic. The pop culture references were all current and emphasised just how relevant everything still is.

I think those in an interracial relationship would benefit in sharing this with their partners that are not black. I know I will be sharing this with mine.

This was amazing collection of essays. I loved it all.

such a really great read! i used to think essays weren't my thing but i completely adored the collection of essays zeba blay have written here. the essays were so truthful and honest, and i love the amount of research that was put into this, expanding the arguments through pop cultures and the history of medias. my favorite ones might have to be Bodies, which talks about how harmful the perception of the media is in terms of black women's body ownership - and Man This Shit is Draining, which is about the angry black women stereotype and how black women do not have the freedom to express their anger.

Zeba Blay's Carefree Black Girls is one of those books that I've had my eye on throughout the year, seeing it crop up again and again on various Most Anticipated Reads of 2021 lists - and it absolutely did not disappoint. First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a review copy of this brilliant book.

A celebration of free-spirited black women in pop culture, Blay's collection of essays and musings has been a joy to dip into over these wintry evenings. The essay 'Girlhood' was the highlight but there's an absolute gold mine here of recollections that will make you smile, nod in agreement, sigh in frustration. It's impossible to read Carefree Black Girls without wanting to press a copy into the hands of your nearest and dearest.

Thoughtful, powerful and raw essays delineate the interconnecting themes of being a Black woman, body issues, mental health issues and the issues thrown at her by society, then relating them out to Black modern culture at large. The personal parts were very powerful and interesting; I lost a bit on the relation to culture as the culture was specific to modern and probably younger than me America, so sitcoms, influencers, musicians and performers, and great slews of them, unfortunately, whom I'd not encountered myself at all. This was my problem, though, not the book's, I would emphasise. I liked the introductory conversation with Clara Amfo to introduce the UK edition and am sure a younger and more culturally aware person would find these aspects equally interesting and comprehensible.

5/5 for the book as it stands, 4/5 for my experience with it.

This book was heavy and uplifting all at the same time. It was filled with the right balance of indisputable facts, statistics and historical (and very modern) context, as well as the lived experience of a Black woman in today's society - Zeba Blay, one of the first people to coin the term #CareFreeBlackGirls. While the writing made the book a joy to read through, the topics at hand were difficult more often than not. That said, I think this a very important book to read - for Black women and for anyone who shares a planet with them.

I think this was a beautifu; collection of essays and although I wasnt the intended audience I definaitely appreciated them and found them very thought provoking and emotive. The subject was so insightful and raw and does a great job. I couldnt put it down and I think it is an important piece of literature that everyone should read in the fight for equality. An amazing book.

Truly an amazing collection of essays from Zeba Blay. She says in the book that this is intended for Black women, however everyone should read it, and I agree. Whilst this book was not intended for me, reading it was not only insightful and beautiful, but the whole collection is a reminder that works of literature which are written specifically for minorities (whether Black, queer, etc) are important in creating a space in which everyone has an opportunity to be comfortable. I also believe that the collection is an important exploration of many of society’s phenomenons. The essay ‘Bodies’ is especially relevant, and thoughtful on how society views bodies and their worth - Blay talks about Lizzo and the consumption of her body by the media - and in doing so allows us to be cognizant that those who are popular in culture are still human.

Every essay in this book is truly insightful and well-written, and each manage to capture their topics perfectly, and I recommend this book to everyone, especially those that enjoy essay collections.

Drawing from their experiences not only of struggles with mental health but of being the face of the hashtag #carefreeblackgirls, cultural critic Zeba Blay examines how black women are considered by the media, examining the impact some of them have had on the world's of music, television, film and politics. Each essay considers multiple people, some real, some fictional, and each is interwoven with their own experience of being a black woman in a white dominated industry and world.

Blay speaks with such honesty and rawness about her mental struggles that anyone who has been in a similar position will understand the hopelessness that comes with what she's feeling. And whilst she celebrates people like Lizzo, Lisa Bonet, Josephine Baker, Cardi B and more - she critiques the difficulty behind the sentiment of a 'carefree black girl', exploring how white supremacy stops them from being carefree at all.

An excellent book that weaves cultural criticism with social commentary and powerful individual stories. Content warnings for discussion of suicide, suicidal ideation, abuse, disordered eating, transphobia.