Reviews

As a book about Malcolm X, I had expected this to focus on his later life, his teachings, and his impact on the black community. Instead, the book shows his adolescence, and it stops right as he converts to Islam and changes his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. Through the story, we follow Malcolm as he drops out of school, leaves home to go to Boston and Harlem, and picks up various hustles including selling marijuana and stealing.

This novel was very clearly a YA selection. There are some YA books that work well both for teenagers and adults, but I think this one was much more geared towards teens in its style of writing. The whole book went by very quickly and it focused mainly on Malcolm learning about who he is through all his mistakes.

monarchsandmyths's review

Go to review page

4.0

I did overall enjoy this look into Malcolm X's earlier life. For me, the best part was in the ending as Malcolm is in prison and the overall revelations that happen there. However, if there's just one of these books you're going to pick, I would recommend the Awakening of Malcolm X. Both are incredible books and give more insight into the influential figure that was Malcolm X.

devindevindevin's review

Go to review page

3.0

I probably would have enjoyed this a bit more if I hadn't recently read his autobiography. It made the plot redundant, and the voice seem... childish. But it's a YA book, and over all it's a pretty good YA book, with a few craft-wise exceptions; the inconsistent time frame and tense bothered me a bit and constantly took me out of the story, and likely could have been written in a more linear way that wasn't so confusing, or maybe edited so if it wasn't linear, it flowed better.

Also the end is literally a deus ex machina. I mean, it's layered in some character-rounding metaphor as well of religion = father = purpose. But I think that kind of sends a shitty message to future generations of: you can be bad, the system can be against you, but put your faith in god and it'll work out. Which isn't a very great conclusion for a YA book.

erine's review

Go to review page

4.0

It took me some time to find the rhythm of this book, which starts out bouncing back and forth from one time to another, to yet another. This confusing start endeavored to establish Malcolm firmly in the "present" (the early 1940s), while still giving enough context to understand why he's leaving his Michigan home. I never quite settled into that beginning pace, but eventually we get to his time in Boston and Harlem, which makes up the bulk of the story. These fast-paced cities give our protagonist ample opportunity to get into trouble, and Malcolm takes advantage of every opening. These are hard chapters to read - women and drugs and "hustles" make up most of Malcolm's life, and the nasty edges of racism are never far away. Malcolm makes a seemingly endless string of poor choices.

I found those chapters hard, but mostly reasonable. Imagining the life of a boy whose father was killed and who has seen lynched bodies and who has been told he will never amount to anything because he is black kept me from feeling overly frustrated by his thieving and cons. The ending does not leave a lot of time for Malcolm to climb out of this pit he's dug himself into, however. A very brief flash of redemption shines at the end, making the loud and clear point that it's never too late to turn your life around.

Ultimately, the highest compliment I can give this book is that it makes me want to learn more about Malcolm X. Once upon a time I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but it's been so long I don't remember much. This book created an interesting portrayal of his early underbelly, and did an elegant job of resonating with current events without hitting you over the head.

Chosen for the 2017-2018 Great Michigan Read

saravolk01's review

Go to review page

dark hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jenmangler's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I chose to read this book because I didn't know a great deal about Malcolm X's formative years. It's a novelization, so it would be best balanced with a good nonfiction book about him, but this format really brings him to life.

lawrenrc's review

Go to review page

informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

More...