pkprouvs's review against another edition
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Death, and Violence
danaslitlist's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
"A childhood spent attending church services, and the first time I ever felt the Word touch me was during a sermon from Dorothy Cotton delivered in Larry Kramer's bedroom. I felt like I'd finally reached a long sought destination and tasted the purest water (....) Until Dorothy removed the scales from my eyes, I'd had one hundred ways of asking one thing: Why did I feel hunted in my homeland? Because my government means to kill me. Amen! Amen and glory hallelujah! At last, I could explain the force shaping my existence."
I commend Rasheed Newson for such an impactful, creative and bold debut that is My Government Means to Kill Me. The decision to make this historical fiction read as an autobiography was a choice that could've not worked, but not only did it enhance the reading experience, I fully believe that it was one of the only ways to properly tell Trey's story effectively. When the queer community talks about the Pride, when we talk about queer history and activism, we are talking about the people like the ones in this book. The focus on intersectionality between race, gender, and sexuality, the conversations about activism and how it changes with time, and the sheer emotional impact of the topic of the AIDs epidemic make for a powerful history lesson of how much we owe to the older queer generation and the allies who fought for us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Classism, and Death
samanthamurk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
how? how is this the end of this book? i genuinely don’t know what to do with myself. this book is a masterpiece. truly life altering, i’m not sure how yet but i know it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Police brutality, Racism, and Violence
notcharlottete's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Racism, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
ada_henry's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was phenomenally written. Gritty, heartbreaking, and real. Rarely do I read a book as hungrily as I read this. Trey is so real that I often forgot that I was reading a novel not a memoir. The footnotes add another level of realism; this book served as both a work of art and an important history lesson. The characters were compelling, multi-dimensional, and had intersectional identities that were explored in great depth. The plot, while not particularly exciting on its own, was supported by near-perfect writing and incredible storytelling. The relationships in this book were messy, complicated, and beautiful. The entire novel felt so incredibly real.
Newson writes with incredible grace yet a sense of urgency. I would love to read more of his work, and I would be delighted to read more about Trey. This novel was both a learning experience and an important piece of art. I believe everyone should read it at some point. 5/5 stars.
Newson writes with incredible grace yet a sense of urgency. I would love to read more of his work, and I would be delighted to read more about Trey. This novel was both a learning experience and an important piece of art. I believe everyone should read it at some point. 5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, and Death
Minor: Homophobia
woolgatherer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I have mixed feelings about this one. Newson did a wonderful job giving the reader a very personal look into the world of a young gay Black man in 1980s New York City during the AIDS epidemic. Woven into the story were footnotes explaining who certain individuals, organizations, etc. were to enrich your understanding of this time and situation. I really appreciated the distinctly Black perspective and learned a fair bit.
On that note, the book often read more as an opportunity for Newson to teach the reader than to experience a story, making things feel a bit labored at times. There were also some plot points that kind of floated around, most notably the story with Trey’s brother. I wasn’t entirely sure what Newson wanted to get out of this.
This novel is a great dive into queer history, and it’s clear that Newson took great care to do as much research as possible. However, as a fictional work, I felt that there was a lot left to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Classism, Hate crime, Sexual content, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Alcohol, Addiction, Racism, Drug use, Violence, Death, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Lesbophobia
kkreads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
yourariesbby's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
lvosler21's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Transphobia, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Outing, Misogyny, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Homophobia, Alcohol, Vomit, Suicide, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Slavery, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
ervin4life86's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved that this story didn't end like I expected it to end. I loved that the protagonist is from Indianapolis, IN, which was born and raised. Loved that he moved to NYC to find his own way of life to be himself and discover who he was. Looooved the plot, the characters, themes and time period. There were MANY hot, steamy scenes throughout this novel. The historical aspect of it was a very nice touch, too. This point of view of a well-spoken, educated, young Black, Gay Man during the AIDS epidemic/crisis was very refreshing. Trauma did not define him. Thank you!!! Jelani Alladin was an EXCELLENT narrator for this novel. Perfect choice! His storytelling was engaging, sexy , and fun to listen to. His character choices were believable. Spot ON!!! I hope to hear more of him as a narrator in future audiobooks to come. 😍👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Sexual content