Reviews with content warning for Drug use - My Government Means to Kill Me

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

19 reviews

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative sad

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

3.75

I really liked this book! Trey, the POV character, is loveable in his flaws. You definitely end up rooting for him. I learned a lot about gay history and black history through the footnotes. I liked the footnotes and definitely missed them when I switched to the audiobook format!

My issue with the book is it feels as if some of the plot threads weren't fully fleshed out. I also think the ending was ABRUPT.

Content Warnings

iseefirede's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative reflective 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

A wonderful and informative read. I loved the footnotes with the history interwoven into the story.

Content Warnings

shansometimes's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

I've never read anything like this book before. MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME is a fiction book that reads like a powerful, unsparing memoir. It's about, as the official description perfectly describes, "the personal and political awakening of a young gay Black man in 1980s NYC."

The main character, 18-year-old Trey, is trying to find his way in the city after intentionally estranging from his wealthy parents. A few things he's faced with include housing woes (and even a rent strike), grief over his brother's death during his childhood, and, perhaps most notably, the US government's deliberate inaction during the AIDS crisis.

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME is a hard-hitting story with plenty of conflict and intrigue. There was always something happening in this story, so it kept my attention even though it was a little all over the place. It covered a lot—maybe too much, considering how short the book is. It's dramatic, educational, sexy, funny, and challenging. It won't be a book for every reader for many reasons, including the descriptive language around sex and drugs that some might find unbearably crude. However, given the reality of a person like Trey's life, a type of person who has absolutely existed throughout history, the content is honest and accurate.

My biggest gripe with this book intersects with my favorite thing about it. It's heavy on historical references and even uses real people (historical figures) as characters in the story. I questioned the ethics of that and the speculation and stereotyping it opens those figures up to. Real people, such as Dorothy Cotton, Larry Kramer, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin (who played a major part in the story and is depicted as a frequent bathhouse patron), and many others, are characters in this novel. We don't know how much of their characterization is accurate and I've seen some reviewers call out some of it for being a misrepresentation of the person's life and activism. If I had led a significant life and someone wrote me into their novel having fictional sex in scenarios I might've never been in or saying things I might not have co-signed, I'd be pissed from the grave.

On the other hand, I learned a lot from this book because of the historical references and frequent footnotes about them. I love my career as a writer, but reading about Trey's burgeoning activism was exciting and made me long for my college dream of being a civil rights lawyer. A lot happened very quickly in this book, and it was informative and interesting in a unique way. And the writing is excellent, even though I questioned some of the storytelling choices. If you can handle a raw look at this era of history from an angle like Trey's, MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME is definitely worth a read.

"The point is to let your bruised and bloodied bodies serve as evidence that the government means to kill you, if you so much as protest its bigoted policies."

"We are not so narrowly defined as society would have us believe. Yet the limits placed on our appetites, talents, and potential are implanted in us when we are children—too young to recognize the prisons built with words. We could blame it all on our families, but then we'd never find the keys to unlock our cells. The awful genius of our confinement is that we are both the prisoner and the warden. We tell ourselves daily that we aren't free to do this or do that because we are that or this. To escape such limited thinking, we don't have to look far. The keys are in our pocket."

"Robber barons, political overlords, and other powerful devils can reign with impunity for decades, and the terror they inflict on those of us beneath them can feel eternal. Yet there is one stone that will slay them all: time. Devils grow old, and the world around them eventually exceeds their understanding and control. Never forget that. Never let them forget it."

Content Warnings

wanderlust_romance's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark funny hopeful informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

You should read this book. My Government Means to Kill Me was a darkly comedic, witty, insightful, sexy, reflective, and deviously smart coming of age story that follows Trey as he creates a new life for himself after moving from Indianapolis to New York City in the 80s. Trey grows as a character through all of his varied interactions and relationships in bathhouses and bougie parties, with his sex worker roommate, neighbors, activists, queer elders, amidst the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. This was the first book I’ve read that directly and insightfully addressed how AIDS ravaged the LGBTQIA community while also emphasizing the importance of community care and activism. The title of the book initially appears in the first few chapters, but it takes on heightened meaning In “Lesson 12: Learn How to Take a Punch,” when ACT UP! volunteers are put through a test to determine who among them is ready to stand on the front lines of a planned direct action. It was perhaps the most meaningful and timely message I took away from the book.

“You must remember that your victory comes from unmasking the senseless brutality that the government chooses to sanction against you, a collection of nonviolent demonstrators. The point is to let your bruised and bloodied bodies serve as evidence that the government means to kill you, if you so much as protest its bigoted policies.”

Content Warnings

naddl0r's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

I'm giving this 5 stars because everything I’ve read was absolutely amazing BUT this book is in desperate need of an epilogue because it ends on a cliffhanger of the sorts where you feel like a chapter is missing. It’s so abrupt, the story just isn’t over. Also- and this is highly subjective- some might say it lacks a little bit of emotion. And I can see it but disagree. I think an overly emotional, gut- wrenching, hightlighting-the-sad-and terrible-parts-of-AIDS writing style would do this particular story no good.
I loved this book and can see myself re-reading it at some point. Well done, Rasheed Newson!

Content Warnings

srobertson's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.75

Content Warnings

shainaseideneck's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

Wow, what an impactful read.

In "My Government Means to Kill Me" by Rasheed Newson we follow Trey who has just moved to New York City for a new start in life. As a young, gay, black man he is on a journey to discover himself and his place in the world all while facing the impacts of the AIDS crisis during the 1980's.Trey's journey is one of strength and resilience. After experiencing a childhood tragedy for which he blames himself he branches out at 18 to start a new life in The Big Apple. Trey begins to explore his sexuality in one of the last remaining gay bath-houses where he meets a prominent civil rights activist and with his help discovers his passion for activism and trying to reconcile his guilt by contributing to ACT UP and other gay rights movements as well as managing his identity as a black man.

This story was a rollercoaster. From the start I felt as though I was reading a non-fiction memoir. This author's research into the time period and events that shaped it was impeccable and I learned a lot while reading this story without it feeling cumbersome. The footnotes included were helpful at piecing together the people, places and events that I was unfamiliar with.
From the start I felt drawn in by Trey's character. He is an 18 year old at the beginning of this story and just trying to make it through life. As a 30-year old I can still relate. He makes mistakes and learns to atone from them. Unlike myself, however, Trey has a whole lot of gumption. He does what he feels is right sometimes without thinking about the consequences. For example, lying about his connections to begin a successful rent strike. I could never. Its hard to put into words but the reason I loved this book is because I was brought along on Trey's journey every step of the way and felt every emotion. I am not a gay, black man but I could empathize with much of what Trey was going through. The journey to finding yourself is messy and along with shedding light on the politics of the time period and the injustices that are still faced by marginalized groups today my that is my biggest takeaway from this book. No matter how much we have to sacrifice or feel that we are struggling we need to continue to stand up for what we believe in and continue to learn and grow each day.

There is so much in this story that I am struggling to put into words and with that all I can say is please read this book. It is educational and emotional and even sordid at times but it will leave you thinking and impacted. A very important read so that we can remember how far we have come and how far we still need to go when it comes to righting injustices and fighting for equality in America.

**Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Content Warnings

thecriticalreader's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Review:

I normally resent fiction books that try to give me a history lesson (I’d much rather read a nonfiction book for that sort of thing, thank you very much), but I make an enthusiastic exception for My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the informative passages and footnotes on American history make sense within the conceit of the novel, which is that of a retrospective memoir written by a Black queer elder about his life as a gay man in New York City during the AIDS crisis. The second is that this history Newson interweaves these historical facts within a riveting story. My Government Means to Kill Me is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story, a political thriller, a queer history lesson, a mediation on political activism, and a devastating yet empowering portrait of the queer community during the AIDS epidemic, all incorporated seamlessly into a narrative of less than three hundred pages. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Newson juggles so many elements (and makes it look easy) in large part due to his excellent characterization. His main character, Trey Singleton, has a singular voice. Trey has flaws and personal struggles, but his strong moral compass, adaptability, and ability to make connections with strangers make him an extraordinarily likable main character. Besides Trey, the book is peppered with an array of colorful side characters, many of whom are so vividly described that I felt like I knew them. Through these characters, Newson makes history come alive: I felt simultaneously ineffable sorrow for the tragedy and malice that the queer community faced during the AIDS epidemic and immense admiration for those who resisted the attacks on their lives and their community. I could have read hundreds of more pages of My Government Means to Kill Me; Newson leaves a lot of aspects of Trey’s life open at the end of the book. I can’t complain, however, because I think that he ends the book at the exact right place for Trey’s coming-of-age story.

Alas, I don’t think my review quite captures the brilliance of this book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The Run-Down:

You will probably like My Government Means to Kill Me if . . .

· You are interested in a heartfelt and informative look into the AIDS crisis from the perspective of a young Black gay man living in New York City

· You appreciate a well-written main character who learns a lot and grows as a person throughout the novel

· You like to read books that balance tones of hope, tragedy, humor, adventure, and relatability

You might not like My Government Means to Kill Me if . . .

· You want to avoid mentions or depictions of sex

· You don’t like books that incorporate fictionalized versions of real historical figures

· You like a book that wraps up all loose ends

A Similar Book:

The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma. Similarities include:

· A young main character who moves to a new place and assumes that this whole “life” thing will be a breeze, and subsequently experiences a lot of character growth

· A unique and likable main character who uses their perceptiveness and pluck to make a positive difference in people’s lives

· Strained familial relationships

· Colorful side-characters

· A good mix of humor, heart, heaviness, and hard truths, with a tiny dash of thriller in the mix

Content Warnings

lenaschrn's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

jayisreading's review

Go to review page

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

More...