Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self Paperback – September 6, 2011

I could not say enough about how brilliant this collection was. I was held in a tight but loving embrace from start to finish.

certainly well worth reading. if we had 1/2 star options, I'd give it a 3 1/2. The second story, Snakes is overwhelmingly the most interesting story of the lot with a highly unexpected, unsettling and original ending. the other stories are decent, but didn't grab me in the same way, maybe it's a guy thing. I did find some of the endings disturbingly abrupt, feeling that there really should be more there, so perhaps for me the stories weren't as self-contained as I would have prefered. But the characters felt fresh and real, and there's a lot to be said for that.

"I didn't feel anymore like being myself was something for which I owed the world an apology."That brilliant quote, ladies and gentleman, is from Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self. Specifically from my favorite story, Robert E. Lee is dead. I related to this story the most, because I too felt ostracized for being the smart black girl and quiet. All of the stories were great and really made you think about life, the human condition and how our view on life greatly affects how we live.At first I was under the impression that these were essays by different people on their experiences, until I see the "this is a work of fiction" disclaimer. I couldn't believe one person, Danielle Evans, was able to tell eight different stories that felt so real. Even if I personally didn't go through what each character went through, I empathized with them so greatly.One thing I noticed in review for this book were about the endings. Yes, not every ending was clear or the story had a lot of ambiguity, but life is all about no clear ending. And you don't immediately get a happy-ever-after. You have to overcome personal hurdles before you get that luxury just like the characters in this book.Every story in here is interesting and really makes you think about the people in your life and how the characters deals with their problems and makes you wonder: would I do that? Have I? Will I?I was feeling, feelings reading this book! I'm so glad I gave this a chance. It's a great coming-of-age book, for all races. I'm sure many adults will be reminiscent of their adolescent or new adult years while reading.One last thing: I had been going through a reading funk and was told to read something completely different than what I've previously read. This was my first short story book and I have to say I'm now a fan of short stories. For anyone going through a reading funk,explore all kinds of options:)My personal faves were:Robert E. Lee Is DeadVirginsSomeone Ought to Tell Her There's Nowhere to GoThe King of the Vast EmpireJelly FishWherever You Go, There You AreI love this book! Recommended read!

I loved the way the characters were represented; very tasteful and honest. Great short stories, a lot of which I didn’t want them to end. I definitely recommend reading this book!

the title itself evokes a story of its own, a saying, I heard a few times growing up from the neighborhood elders as I dangled from the ledge of a house, tree limb or a diving board. these 8 stories are perfectly pitched, giving just enough to appease your appetite, though you want to gorge & gorge until you burst like fireworks. My favorites were "Snakes", "Someone Ought to Tell Her...", "JellyFish" and "Robert E. Lee Is Dead". Evans voice has a plain-telling that catches your attention & dares you to squirm or look away, its truth so basic & unapologetic, you have to accept it for what it is, tuck it in your pocket & go on about your way, praying its not trailing behind you. I can't wait to see what this author serves next.

I bought this book for the title, because sometimes you can judge a book by its title. It's a line from a poem by Donna Kate Rushin. The truth is Ms. Evans is not that great with titles: "Virgins," "Snakes," "Harvest." But, oh my God, everything else is spot-on. The stories in this debut collection are novelistic, cluttered as only life can be, full of endearing people who make atrocious decisions, and full of the evidence that these were the only decisions these people could have made at the time. If they were onscreen, everyone in the theatre would be shouting "Don't open that door!" But the doors always get opened, and closure is only a dim light in a distant window. BEFORE YOU SUFFOCATE YOUR OWN FOOL SELF is catalogued as African American fiction, and ironically so. If anything it confirms that we are all mixed-up something-or-others, and all the more fascinating for that. I never heard of Danielle Evans until a couple weeks ago, and now I want to hang on her every word.

Wonderful collection of short stories!! So many different perspectives and situations. The common theme between the stories are different stories about women of color. Like most all great writing, the universal experiences definitely come through, which is extremely touching. However the collection shows such a great array of different perspectives that it is a great reminder that like any collection of different women, we all go through things from our own perspective. Often literature when literature from a specific group is put out there for a more mass audience, there is a feeling of a homogeneous view from that group. This collection is wonderful in reminding us that there is no such thing. Each story is completely different from the last. I would love to see a follow-up collection with even more stories!

Meh the book was alright. A couple of the stories were interesting... the rest is filler.

Arrived in good condiditon and in good time. Am enjoying reading so far.

Interesting and memorable collection—definitely worth the purchase.