Mi Monticello

by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, Aurora Echevarría (Translator)

La protagonista de esta novela es Da’Naisha Love, una joven mujer afroamericana descendiente de uno de los seis hijos que tuvieron el presidente de Estados Unidos Thomas Jefferson y la esclava Sally Hemings a finales del siglo XVIII.

Ambientada en un futuro cercano, la narración arranca con un momento de máxima tensión: un grupo de vecinos de Charlottesville, en Virginia, es atacado por una turba de supremacistas blancos y huye en un autobús abandonado hacia las colinas de la ciudad. Encuentran refugio en Monticello, la mansión neoclásica que se hizo construir Thomas Jefferson al lado de su atestada plantación de esclavos: un vestigio de la herida racial que se remonta a los mismos orígenes del país y que aún permanece abierta. Allí, atrincherados ante el ataque, el grupo diverso liderado por Da’Naisha tendrá que luchar por su vida, su dignidad y su derecho a existir en una nación proverbialmente confrontada.

En su impresionante debut, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson imagina una distopía posible en los Estados Unidos de hoy, sacudidos por la violencia que genera la división social, el recelo entre razas y las diferencias sociales persistentes entre privilegiados y desclasados.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Race, Literary Fiction, Dystopia

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

About the author

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's writing has appeared in Guernica, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Her short story “Control Negro” was anthologized in Best American Short Stories, guest edited by Roxane Gay, and read live by LeVar Burton as part of PRI’s Selected Shorts series. Johnson has been a fellow at Hedgebrook, Tin House Summer Workshops, and VCCA. A veteran public school art teacher, Johnson lives and writes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Reviews

[Roxane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a rare breed of writer who can tell any kind of story and do so with exquisite deftness. Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is one such writer. Her debut collection, My Monticello, is comprised of six stories of astonishing range and each one explores what it means to live in a world that is at once home and not. She dissects the unbearable burdens of such displacement. The crowning glory of this collection is the title story, a novella about a world that has fallen apart and a small band of people who take refuge in Monticello, among the old ghosts of the former plantation, how they become family, and how they try to make a stand for their lives, for the world the way it once was. This collection is absolutely unforgettable and Johnson's prose soars to remarkable heights.

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What brave writing--for its willingness to seek the perfect form and the perfect word with which to tell these stories, even if it means telling the story in a non-standard way.

Roxane Gay has already championed the amazing first story in the collection, "Control Negro," but personally I loved "Virginia is Not Your Home" best in the collection. It's a short story that spans a lifetime, and makes so many exquisite observations along the way, and it persuaded me to care fiercely about what happens to a fictional character. That's something that rarely happens to me, in that I'm often caught up in an appreciation of craft, where I'm reading at a "how does this work" level.

The title novella blew me away as well, for its too-true observations about the shock, and the after-shock, of racial violence on a place and its people. Johnson sets the story in historic Monticello, with all of its tangled implications and historicity, and in this way it reminded me of Hardy's masterful use of Stonehenge in the part-mythic/part-vividly-real ending of Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook….read by a full cast
…..7 hours and 36 minutes
The audiobook theatrics were outstanding…with narrative that held my attention easily.
Racism is in every story. Other issues are explored….
poverty, gender discrimination, white supremacy, violence, family expectations & dreams, etc.
My two favorite stories were
‘Control Negro’ - and the last, longest, novella…the title story: ‘My Monticello’.

These stories were bold, wry, and intimate—
They plunge fearlessly into the struggles of being black today,
Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s (really gifted), debut collection of stories are honest, direct….and so very strikingly observant.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of 5 unrelated short stories and a novella. While I liked all of them, I thought the standout was the first, “Control Negro” a sharp satire that made me cry. Written in the form of a letter from a Black college professor to his son, this story describes the father’s efforts to invisibly direct the development of his son to see whether a flawless Black boy could ever be treated in this society like average American Caucasian males. “What does it matter how much I achieve, or how clearly I speak, or how carefully I conduct myself, if the brutal misjudgments remain regardless?” “I saw you, son, turning and wild — free, even — for a moment at least.” In the audiobook, this story was narrated by LeVar Burton. He was wonderful and really should be getting more acting jobs or at least narrating more.

I also liked “Virginia is Not Your Home”, narrated by January LaVoy. In rapid glimpses, this traces the life of the protagonist who is trying to escape her heritage. “You’ll look hard and wonder how the time passed so swiftly, how your mark on the world remains so shallow.”

The novella is “My Monticello”. Following the Upheaval, a sketchily described conflagration of environmental disasters and civil unrest, marauding bands of armed White Supremacists are violently attempting to clear the country of what they view as trash. A group of neighbors flee to Monticello and hide out there for a few weeks. Two of them are descendants of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings (who was also his wife’s sister, but that’s another story). “I kept real life in one place, and the imagined life of my ancestors in another unexamined place, like a room with no windows. Now my real life flailed and smoked behind me.” I thought that this novella sort of hammered you over the head with its point and felt repetitive. It would have benefited either by being more succinct like the short stories or expanding to add more background to the Unraveling. However, I would definitely read this author again. 4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, a short story lives or dies on its plot, which either catches me or the story simply passes me by. On the other hand, I enjoy novels the most when strong character development meets great dialogue – a good plot helps, but I can live without it. So where does a novella sit? Well, I think it needs an element of both, and that’s tricky one to pull off.

Set in Virginia, it starts with a community of black people being evicted from their homes by a violent group of white supremacists. They are chased out of town and forced to gather together in the former home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. Will they be safe here? They’re not sure, but it increasingly looks like they’re going to have to defend their position against an overwhelming opposing force. The state has some history with race 5 the Unite the Right rally, which took place in Charlottesville in 2017, might have provided some stimulus for this tale.

The action here takes place in the near future, a time in which storms have created enough chaos for social breakdown to occur (global warming is hinted at as the cause). And it’s all energy at the outset as we are introduced a significant number of characters. We see the story unfold through the eyes of Da’Naisha a young university student who is a descendent of Jefferson’s (through his relationship with a biracial woman slave called Sally Hemings). But after the drama of opening scene, the pace slows significantly until, belatedly, there’s a rapid build-up to a crescendo finish.

So what to make of this one? The history is interesting, and it pushed me to undertake some background research in order to flesh out which elements here are factual – the answer being quite a few. But my major grumble is that there were just too many people who I met only infrequently in these pages. Consequently, I found it hard to empathise with the plight of most of them. Well, that’s not quite true, I did collectively but not individually, and for me, that's not quite enough.

This story definitely has its merits, and I learned a lot through reading it, but as a piece of entertainment (selfishly my principal goal in reading this one) it didn’t quite knit together for me. After a hectic beginning, it's slow to develop, and though I was eventually moved by what took place, it took a long time for me to reach this level of engagement. Da’Naisha is the character who is designed to draw the reader in and this did work, but dialogue is strangely absent for much of the story and when it is present it consists mainly of one-liners and the odd casual comment. Therefore, I can only award this one three stars, though I predict I might be an outlier in rating this one so modestly.

Note: I read a copy of this novella alone, though it will be issued as a part of a collection of the author's stories under the same title.

My thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My Monticello'' is an stunning collection of stories showing good people struggling to survive in a country where the rules are not the same for everyone. These tales are heartbreaking with characters futilely fighting for happiness in a world stacked against them. Discrimination is not just a buzzword here, it is a riptide to be reckoned with every day.

All six stories are universally powerful but the showpiece of this collection is the title novella "My Monticello ''. Society has broken down and white supremacists are burning and looting, forcing a mixed race group to take refuge nearby in Thomas Jefferson's old Monticello plantation. Included in this group is a black college student, Da’Naisha, who happens to be a descendant of Jefferson and his slave mistress Sally Hemings. Woven into the plot are brutal historical facts that just had me shaking my head... not everything was included in school textbooks.

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's book is an important work and easily the best thing I have read this year. Each story is completely different in style, yet all solidly land their message. This is her first published book and it certainly holds a great promise for the future. Five stars.

Thank you Henry Holt & Company, NetGalley, and Jocelyn Nicole Johnson for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.   #MyMonticello #NetGalley

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monticello is a Palladian mansion in Charlottesville, Virginia, the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson who is estimated to have had about 130 slaves there. This includes Sally Hemings, a biracial slave who bears him six children which is proven by DNA. This novella is narrated by Da’Naisha Hemings Love and tells of a shocking dystopian world set at some time in the future. Da’Naisha and her grandmother MaViolet and a racially mixed group of residents of First Street are driven from their homes by a machine gun toting group of white suprematists. Along with Da’Naisha’s white boyfriend Knox, they flee, fearing for their lives and eventually seek shelter and safety at Monticello. This tells the story of their nineteen days there.

First of all, what a powerful yet also very poignant debut which not only makes you think but also feel something deep inside. We witness the tension and unravelling of the group caused by their fear, pain and panic and then how they come together as one in a bid for survival. Whilst it’s a deeply disturbing story, it’s also a story of love, in particular of Da’Naisha and MaViolet but also between Naisha and Knox, black and white love in the midst of a world going up in flames. To set the novel in Monticello is a symbolic master stroke, for what it represents and stands for in the world of Then of Jefferson and what is unfolding in the Now. The descriptions of the house and how they utilise it in their quest is vividly done as they plot and plan to outwit those hell bent on their destruction The unfolding story strikes deep into your soul as it should, it’s horrifying heart in your mouth reading and extremely unsettling and is written very movingly. The end is terrific, terrifying and mind blowing. What a superb debut which chimes a warning bell for us all.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Vintage, Harvill Secker for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

4-5 stars 4

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How had the world gotten so badly broken?"

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s My Monticello is a powerful collection of six short stories and a novella. Each story depicts some aspects of racism. Control Negro, my favorite short story, describes an experiment by a Black professor who uses his own son to determine the presence or absence of racial prejudice. Other stories explore discrimination in housing, cultural insensitivity, and cruelty of Black teenagers toward each other. Each story is original and unlike anything I have ever read.

The novella, also called My Monticello, is the star of the collection. It is frightening in its plausibility. Often described as dystopian, it is a world, specifically the state of Virginia, gone awry. Following the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, racial tensions increase. Other things begin to unravel: extreme weather occurrences, unexplained power outages, increased political rage. After a rampage of fire and murder in a low income area, Da’Naisha Hemings Love, a college student, her white boyfriend, and a small neighborhood group, retreat to Thomas Jefferson’s historic home. Da’Naisha is a descendent of Sally Hemings and the 3rd U.S. president.There they prepare for the imminent attack by white supremists. The juxtaposition of this historical site and the present conditions is brilliantly achieved. This group of people of different races and ethnicities work together preparing for an inevitable siege. Their respect for each other and this venerated home contrast beautifully with the madness.

Ms. Johnson is a native Virginian currently living in Charlottesville. The love she feels for her state, its history, beauty and flaws, is evident in this debut collection. Her writing is exquisite. I believe she has a bright literary future, and I look forward to reading any of her future novels.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is an interesting book that starts out with a few short stories. Then goes into the story. A story of racism that dates as far back to the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. Did he love her? Yes, after countless books I have read, I do believe in his way, for the times, he did indeed love her. The only thing wrong with their love was her young age of 14. Back to the book. A group of black men and women find themselves fighting to survive at Monticello from White Militia. This is their fight to exist and survive in a world full of hate.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much has been written about the horrifying impact of toxic tRumpism and its unleashing of buried racist hatreds, but never so potently. That's all I can say about these stories, each of which left me bereft.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t understand this book structurally when I first began reading. The “My Monticello” part is a novella that follows 4 short stories. Not knowing this in advance made the beginning of the audiobook confusing. This would probably not have been a problem at all for print readers, and I got through it quickly.

The first of the stories is arguably the most brilliant part of the book. In “Control Negro”, narrated by Levar Burton in the audio version, an aging African American man recounts what happens when he plans to plot out the life of a black youth in a way that makes his position in the world a perfect parallel for a young white man in the same circumstances. If he controls all variables, will this young black man have the same life arc as his white counterpart?

The other stories are very good, but all the other parts of the book pale in comparison with the My Monticello section.

I can’t avoid the disclaimer: Yet another book set where I live. In central Virginia, although this time a hour west of Richmond, in and around Charlottesville. Most specifically, on the mountain that is topped by the estate created by Thomas Jefferson, Monticello. Additional disclosure: I have visited Monticello multiple times, most recently just 6 months ago.

Author Johnson’s imagination takes off from the day in 2017 when a young woman was killed by a white supremacist who intentionally drove his car into a group of protestors in Charlottesville. She layers on top of that electrical outages resulting from violent storms triggered by climate change. And in the midst of this chaos, the white supremacists take to the streets, terrorizing persons of color and others without economic means. A group of these persons escapes from the horrific conditions of the neighborhood, eventually settling at Monticello.

This story was beautifully written. I felt very much connected with the main character, a young African American woman, as well as her two boyfriends, one black, one white. And her grandmother and various people from her neighborhood. And the pacing (always so important to me) was excellent, moving forward toward a likely, but nevertheless uncertain, outcome.

High marks for conceptualization and execution, although the format seemed a bit contrived. I anticipate good things to come from Jocelyn Nicole Johnson.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of short stories, My Monticello, is a deep dive into a future America, in particular the state of Virginia, which is beset by global warming, race wars, and the breakdown of the grid. When things fall apart, what will happen in a divided country like we have now? Nothing good.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

❀ blog ❀ thestorygraph ❀ letterboxd ❀ tumblr ❀ ko-fi ❀

“I remember looking out at all those people, most of whom I'd seen or known over months or years—several of whom I loved. Everybody was yelling or cowering or sneering, angry or afraid.”

My Monticello is a suspenseful novella that presents us with a scarily imaginable scenario (given all the alt-right & neo-nazi rallies that have happened in the last couple of years & the Capitol assault) where a group of violent white supremacists engulf Charlottesville. Our narrator, Da'Naisha Love, escapes the violence and finds a momentary refugee in Monticello, which happens to be Thomas Jefferson's historic plantation. Alongside her are strangers, her white boyfriend, her elderly grandmother, and other people from her neighbourhood. Over the course of nineteen days, this cobbled group tries to carry on. Their fear is palpable, and more than once they find themselves faced with possible threats from the outside. Tensions run high and various members within the group inevitably find themselves disagreeing over what to do.

Da'Naisha also happens to be a descendant of Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and her ancestry makes her view Monticello through a very specific lens. Throughout the course of the novella, Da'Naisha also reflects on racism in America, slavery, white supremacy, and interracial relationship. Also, that this group has found refuge from white supremacists in a former plantation adds further complexity to their circumstances.

“But mostly I knew my lineage the way most families know theirs: I knew because Momma told me, because MaViolet told her.”

While I appreciated Da'Naisha’s piercing commentary, I did find her, and every other character, to be very paper-thin. So much so that they didn’t really strike me as characters but names on a page. The narrative is not particularly concerned or interested in fleshing them out but in addressing issues related to race and American history. Which, as I said above, I did find compelling, however, at heart, I am drawn to character-driven stories, and in this regard, this novella just wasn’t it. There is also some attempt at drama involving Da'Naisha, her bf, and the man she, unbeknownst to him, cheated on him with (who of course happens to be there as well).
Lastly, the lack of quotation marks...ugh. It just put me off reading, to be honest. This stylistic choice didn't seem particularly necessary/fitting for this kind of novella.
While I wasn’t blown away by My Monticello, I am curious to read this author’s other stories (which were sadly not included in my arc copy) and I would probably still recommend this to other readers.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a powerful indictment of present-day America and its racial politics, and Johnson imbues it with passion and fire. All the same, for such a short piece, a long short story or novella, there are places where the pacing falls apart and could do with some editorial tightening. The sort of love triangle feels particularly unsubtle and YA, though it's clear to see where the book wanted to go with it.

What I liked best is the figurative use of Monticello, the house belonging to Jefferson and where he both kept slaves and impregnated one (or more? my knowledge of US history is shaky) whose descendants are at the heart of the book. The disputed nature of American history, who 'owns' Monticello and who are its descendants are where the interests and weight of this lay for me. And wow - that incendiary ending!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you buy one book in October, it should be this one. MY MONTICELLO is a collection of short stories and a novella that explore race, identity, and more. Beautifully written, nuanced, and insightful, they each make you think. My introverted self found myself wishing for a book club so I could discuss these stories with others.

The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.

I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ PaperBackSwap ~ Smashbomb

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely read the blurb for a book, so at first was confused. I thought it was a historical fiction novel. WRONG. It is 5 short stories and a novella and the time period is NOW. NOW with all the racial problems we are beginning to recognize as endemic in the US.

Let me emphasize that I am painfully aware of the cultural problems in the US. However, I cannot rate this book and its stories highly. I just did not appreciate the writing style which in the first two stories were written in a kind of letter format. Especially in the second story, it seemed like scolding.

There are 5 short stories in this book take up 28% of the content.

SS1: Control Negro (15 pages) A Father uses his illegitimate son in a racial experiment. 3 stars because it is thought provoking

SS2: Virginia Is Not Your Home (11 pages) Someone seems to be chiding a woman as she grows through childhood to old age. Not really sure what the message is. 1 star

SS4: Buying a House Ahead of the Apocolypse (6 pages) Just a bunch of bullet points. 1 star

SS5: The King of Xandria (16 pages) A proud man from Nigeria cannot understand why the Virginia teachers think his son less than perfect. 4 stars

Novella: My Monticello (179 pages) Their neighborhood is on fire. They take refuge in Monticello, the historical home of Da' Naisha's ancestors, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. 3.5 Stars

Having given you my opinion, I DO want you to know that the likes of Roxanne Gay, Colson Whitehead and Charles Yu have praised this book to the skies. So don't listen to me; see for yourself.

3 stars

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick this up right away if you loved Danielle Evans’s The Office of Historical Corrections. After “the unraveling,” Da’Naisha and fellow escapees from racial violence in Charlottesville – including her former and current boyfriends, the one Black and the other white; and her ailing grandmother, MaViolet – shelter at Thomas Jefferson’s famous Virginia estate. At first they stay by the visitor’s center, but as weeks pass and they fear a siege, they retreat to the mansion itself. Da’Naisha, our narrator, becomes the de facto leader of the motley crew, spearheading a trip out for supplies. She harbors two major secrets, one about her heritage and one about her future. Although this is a bit too similar to Parable of the Sower, against which I judge just about any dystopian fiction, the setting and timeliness can’t be beat. I read the U.S. ebook edition, which includes five short stories that also explore race issues and employ the first person plural and second person to good effect; “Buying a House Ahead of the Apocalypse” encapsulated my whole autumn mood.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Paris (parisperusing) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson occupies a rare, curious gift for mutating a parallel world, one haunted by calamity. This is a flawless, unputdownable body of work that instantly calls to mind the perfection I witnessed in “The Office of Historical Corrections” by Danielle Evans. Conjuring elements of escapism, dystopia, and racial disorder, my gosh, “My Monticello” shook me to my core. With every pass of the hand, Johnson leaves a trace of blood and gold in her wake; this is the best collection of fiction this year bar none.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio for My Monticello is absolutely incredible. I don't normally read a short story collection, but when I heard that this book had been given the stamp of approval by so many reviewers that I respect, I knew that I had to read this one. I will never give this book enough justice, but it so powerfully speaks to race in America. I can't recommend it enough.

[Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

QUICK TAKE: not sure what I was expecting, but this book was AWESOME. a post-apocalyptic look at race, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a fabulous writer and I was completely transported into each of the three novellas here, in particular the that the title refers to. Probably would have made my Top 20 had I read it earlier in the year.

[Judith E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire Ms. Johnson’s creative plots that express herself in these short stories. The Control Negro and My Monticello are particularly clever and impactful. The apocalypse in My Monticello smartly equates to our current race culture in the U.S., and the protagonist’s secret pregnancy somewhat parallels Thomas Jefferson’s quandary of biracial children.

At times, I found some stories to bog down and repeat certain situations, but overall author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson has a great perspective and I will be following her writing career.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3*. Made up of 5 short stories and one novella ‘My Monticello’. The short stories were definitely stronger and while I loved the idea of the ‘My Monticello’ story, it wasn’t carried off as well as it could have been.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen a number of reviews mention that this is a collection of short stories, however my ARC only included the titular story which was more novella in length; as such my review is only of this story.

My Monticello is a near-future apocalypse-esque tale which is all too easily imagined in the current era. White supremacists have hounded residents of Charlottesville out of their homes and the group seek refuge in Thomas Jefferson's plantation home as the supremacist hordes descend upon them.

This was unfortunately another example of a fantastic premise not being fulfilled to the extent that it perhaps could have been (in my opinion). The main character, Da'Naisha is a descend of Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, creating an obvious link between their surroundings and her own personal history. She is also hunkering down amidst all this violence with her current boyfriend, grandmother and her ex, which gives rise to multiple issues during the story. I felt that the author focused too much on the wide cast of supporting characters which left less time than I liked spent with Da'Naisha and developing her character and story.

Thank you Random House UK / Vintage for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first story "Control Negro" which can be read online. I'd highly recommend that one.

The rest of the stories (4 more short stories) were pretty good but not super memorable. And then the bulk of the book is the title novella which was quite long and slow, and ultimately left me a bit underwhelmed. I just didn't find the characters to have much to say, or to have much growth. The writing is good, no doubt, but I found the plots or more thematic elements lacking for what I enjoy in short stories.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is going to be super short because all you need to know is that YOU NEED TO READ THIS. The audiobook is outstanding with the various narrators that pull you straight in to each and every story that is told. Beautifully told prose that tackles the very serious subject of racism - I could feel the emotions thoroughly. If there's one book you need to add to your TBR, this is definitely it.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Monticello is absolutely breathtaking. Jocelyn Nicole Johnson truly has a gift for writing. Each story has a different voice, is rich with meaning, and just beautifully, beautifully done. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021, and I look forward to seeing more from this author. I can't wait for the release date to get closer and see what actual reviewers say about it! This book is just stunning.

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5] A solid debut. I admired the the dystopian title novella My Monticello and how the author created a vivid, scary setting while connecting Monticello to the main character's personal history. In comparison, the short stories felt like fillers.

[Jerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was excellent and the short stories very good, but the novella of the title was simply boring.

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate plopping down a rating for a short story collection featuring a novella chaser. Generally speaking the stories within are of an unbalanced nature — you like some, you love one, and you find the others rather middling. It's hard to look at them as a smaller piece of a whole, because, really, they all stand on their own.

The first story, Control Negro, sets a stunning expectation — or did for me, at least. A Black professor sets about to devise an experiment with his son as the subject. He is not known to the boy as his father; the mother agrees to an arrangement where the father has a tangental relationship with the boy, at most. Through this lens, he clinically observes his subject, setting up a lifestyle for his son and comparing him to white boys with an otherwise same start in life. Control Negro was by far my favorite of this collection. It's wholly compelling, reminding me of a mid-century work by Ray Bradbury or one of Richard Matheson's contributions to The Twilight Zone (1959). The emotional detachment from the professor father is downright unsettling. Johnson uses a style here that rides the line between some new version of a Sci-Fi/Contemporary/Literary mashup.

Virginia is Not Your Home, the second story, was also a showcase. Not quite as compelling as the first, but that was more in line with the nature of the story itself. The style here is sort of an unfurling of a tale . . . the second-person narration is clipped and feels well up above the story, but once I was able to settle into the rhythm, the delivery was smooth with a wonderful, understated ache.

I found the third story, Something Sweet on Our Tongues, to be a little too emotionally distant and reserved. While I still enjoyed it, the narrative is told in a first-person plural ("we") and this kept pushing me away from getting at the crux of the story or from understanding the main characters with the idea of we in mind.

Next up, Building a House Ahead of the Apocalypse, was a strange but utterly engaging checklist. Also told in second person, the story, which was the shortest in the collection, was really very relatable. Probably my second favorite of the bunch.

The King of Xandria, the fifth story, is about a Nigerian widower who has immigrated to the United States and raises his children here — but then no longer recognizes himself in who they have become. This one only picked up for me near its end. Again, with a really startling level of emotional distance from the main character. As in line as this style was with the character's emotional state — unmoored and unsure — it made it difficult to get in and understand him better. It also was a little meandering in itself with something leaning towards, but never quite arriving at, stream of consciousness.

The last story, which is the titular tale, My Monticello, takes up a good chunk of the collection, more than double the length of the other five combined. I really wanted to like this one more — maybe the most — but the distance at which the narrator is placed from the reader was too far to reach. A reluctant storyteller is just someone I don't want to chase. I liked the plot and found it really intriguing, but the engagement of the story in itself was something for which I could not compensate on my own. My Monticello seemed to have the most story to tell and was still the most disinterested of the lot.

Overall, Johnson has constructed an arrangement of stories that are rather impactful with a wide range of mood, style, and subject. There is a unique voice in each of these, and I look forward to seeing where Johnson heads for future works.

[Nadine in California · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started with the title novella - what an inspired idea for a story, great execution, and an ending that made me gasp, then sigh in a very satisfying way. I'm still chilled at how little removed it feels from life in the US today.