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mariab27's review
5.0
Stars: 4.5
What a riveting book! I first heard about this on The Stacks podcast. When Traci said she loved it, and when I heard it was written by two reporters, I knew I'd love it too. The telling of George Floyd's life is filled with nuance and love. Thanks to Samuels' and Olorunnipa's portrayal of Floyd, his family, and friends, I swear that I now view peoples' struggles and their fight for joy through a kinder lens. In "His Name Is George Floyd," I learned more about my own city and about Chauvin's trial.
The only reason for the -0.5 stars is that I felt Samuels and Olorunnipa left out the ways that Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and many of the former Minneapolis City Council members have harmed communities in the Twin Cities by breaking the promises they made after Chauvin killed George Floyd. This nuance is a big part of the story of the Twin Cities since Floyd's murder. By not fully communicating the nuance of broken promises, including Frey's decision to increase Minneapolis's police budget, "His Name Is George Floyd" leaves out the history and the trauma of what it's like to live in a post-Floyd Twin Cities.
What a riveting book! I first heard about this on The Stacks podcast. When Traci said she loved it, and when I heard it was written by two reporters, I knew I'd love it too. The telling of George Floyd's life is filled with nuance and love. Thanks to Samuels' and Olorunnipa's portrayal of Floyd, his family, and friends, I swear that I now view peoples' struggles and their fight for joy through a kinder lens. In "His Name Is George Floyd," I learned more about my own city and about Chauvin's trial.
The only reason for the -0.5 stars is that I felt Samuels and Olorunnipa left out the ways that Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and many of the former Minneapolis City Council members have harmed communities in the Twin Cities by breaking the promises they made after Chauvin killed George Floyd. This nuance is a big part of the story of the Twin Cities since Floyd's murder. By not fully communicating the nuance of broken promises, including Frey's decision to increase Minneapolis's police budget, "His Name Is George Floyd" leaves out the history and the trauma of what it's like to live in a post-Floyd Twin Cities.
sdlauram's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
The book was at its strongest when detailing Floyd’s life, but lost steam and impact once it started detailing everything that came afterward. It’s so disappointing to see everything that was promised in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Very emotional, well detailed, and an honest but caring portrayal of a man who tended to be lost in the conversations of police brutality. Rest in peace, George Floyd.
Very emotional, well detailed, and an honest but caring portrayal of a man who tended to be lost in the conversations of police brutality. Rest in peace, George Floyd.
lizmart88's review
4.0
This book won the Pulitzer Prize and rightly so. It is the kind of compassionate story that is so rare for Black men who are victims of police brutality to get - a retelling of his life with all its flaws and beauty. It's the story of the man who ignited the 2020 racial justice uprising and what his life really was like. In so many ways, it's a truly American story - it has football and promise, affordable housing, addiction, family, friendships, new starts, and everything in between.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent
keith_weir's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75