Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - The Awakening of Malcolm X

trigger warnings: incarceration, assassination, forced institutionalization, racism, physical violence, grief, death of parent, medical trauma, police brutality

This was a slow build book. I was very confused and disoriented by the switching timelines early on because I did this in audio but once I caught on, I was hooked. As someone who is only familiar with Malcolm X through what I have learnt in recent anti racist research, this was a great starting point for me to start digging into his writings more and more.

I thought this was a really great piece of work to introduce high school kids to Malcolm X outside of the "he was violent" narrative that the education system pushes and has pushed for decades. I hope this book gets integrated into curriculum asap so that kids can start seeing history through a more antiracist lens.

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sidbookreviews's review

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challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Awakening of Malcolm X is an impactful and reflective historical fiction book that I think did an amazing job of exploring the (fictionalized) thoughts and transformation of Malcolm X during his years in prison. The writing in this book is especially moving and perfectly conveys the full range of emotions, from the atrocities of prison to the spiritual awakening. I also loved the Malcolm X quotes at the start of each chapter, which I think really tied the specific chapters to Malcolm X's later work. This book is certainly sure to leave readers of all ages inspired, curious and eager to further explore Malcolm X's work! I highly recommend this one!

Full review to come on my blog.

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betweentheshelves's review

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challenging dark informative slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for an advanced copy of this book to review! I saw a few advertisements for it, and I was super excited to read it. It's an in-depth look at Malcolm X's young adult years, told in a way that makes his life more relatable to teenagers.

While this book is a sequel, it can definitely be read on its own. We piece together Malcolm X's past with flashbacks and dreams that Malcolm has when he was in prison. His story is a familiar one; he finds books and Islam in prison. We get to see how he transforms into the Malcolm X we're most familiar with. Overall, we get to see how rigged the system is against Black people and the way that Malcolm wants to fight against the system.

In addition, it's easy to see research was done on the topic. However, this doesn't take away from the story. There is a good mix of history, personal details from Malcolm X, and just enough fiction woven in. The topic is also timely, relating to the Black Lives Matter movement that's still happening in the United States.

This book would be a great addition to any classroom or library.

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alertnerd's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The follow up to X, The Awakening of Malcolm X tells the story of Malcolm’s time in prison. Throughout his time in two very different prisons, Malcolm is introduced to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam movement.

The story of Malcolm’s awakening is told through flashbacks to his childhood and the things he learned from his parents and their friend Marcus Garvey. Its shows how Malcolm was able to combine these teachings with what he saw in prison and what was happening in the US in the late 1940s and early 1950s. All of these things combined is what made Malcolm X who he was.

I really appreciated the heavy focus on Malcolm’s love for reading and how learning about his history empowered him.

The Awakening of Malcolm X is just as powerful as its predecessor and I just feel so fortunate that we’re able to have these books written by Malcolm’s daughter herself.

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