Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is the first novel in a three-book series. If her opening salvo is any indication, Allen promises to show the relentlessness of the trauma Black women deal with every day leavened with the solidarity of friends who can relate.
Allen’s debut novel, the first in a trilogy originally published with a small indie press in 2018, captures the complexities of Black women coming into adulthood while learning to manage the disappointments and expectations placed on them by society.
... promising ... As Tabitha rises at work, she emphasizes the importance of perspective in her reporting on issues that affect Black people, such as gentrification and encounters with police, and Allen smartly mirrors the theme of perspective with the story of Tabitha’s personal life, as Tabitha considers how her own point of view has shaped her feelings for others. Though the writing can sometimes be clunky, with overly descriptive sentences, Allen has the chops to become a terrific storyteller. There’s a lot of potential here.
Allen writes in a sharp, lively voice that is full of warmth and humor ... Tabitha and her friends are well-drawn, and it is the dynamic between the protagonist and the women in her life that propels the story. Touching on issues of professional womanhood, race, and family, the author crafts a novel that is both timely and enjoyable ... A charming tale about a reporter deciding what she wants from life.
