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baileydouglass's review
3.0
This book reads like a memoir, and that’s not a compliment.
This book had some interesting cultural and political observations and I loved learning about the author’s perspective (presumably) on things like subcultures in black communities and norms for political donors.
With that said, there isn’t a narrative structure or anything specific that happens to this character or on in this story that made me glad I was reading it instead of a nonfiction book on the Obama campaign.
This book had some interesting cultural and political observations and I loved learning about the author’s perspective (presumably) on things like subcultures in black communities and norms for political donors.
With that said, there isn’t a narrative structure or anything specific that happens to this character or on in this story that made me glad I was reading it instead of a nonfiction book on the Obama campaign.
brooksr321's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing is beautiful and some sentences will punch you in the gut. The depictions of life on the campaign trail and many of the politically adjacent people are spot on but it can get a bit tedious at times.
n_ck's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This is a beautifully written, but often boring book. Cunningham has useful things to say about Obama as a cipher, and does an excellent job of excavating the vibe from some recent history.
He is a great prose stylist. I just can’t stand his extended relapses into art criticism or circular flashbacks. It makes the book drag something awful and no amount of style can fix that.
He is a great prose stylist. I just can’t stand his extended relapses into art criticism or circular flashbacks. It makes the book drag something awful and no amount of style can fix that.
ksprokes's review
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.25
amygo's review
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
A slow start, I enjoyed parts 2-3 of the book where it felt like the characters and setting made most sense to me.
maryporto's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thereadingrunnner's review
2.0
Received a copy of this novel in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Awful with a few glimmers of hope here and there that just never panned out. The issue was the lack of a logically flowing timeline. Random memories were interspersed between working on the presidential campaign fundraising team, and they were illogically placed. There was also no sense of the passage of time while working on the campaign itself.
This whole novel was just an unfocused mess, really.
Awful with a few glimmers of hope here and there that just never panned out. The issue was the lack of a logically flowing timeline. Random memories were interspersed between working on the presidential campaign fundraising team, and they were illogically placed. There was also no sense of the passage of time while working on the campaign itself.
This whole novel was just an unfocused mess, really.
kuff's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
kristinlorette's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5