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

I think I would have engaged more with this book in print. The story is great and it’s well researched but it came off a bit textbook-like at times. It didn’t quite feel wrapped up at the end, although the main character came into his own wonderfully.

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shainaseideneck's review against another edition

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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**

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thecriticalreader's review

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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

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caprivoyant's review against another edition

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In the world right now, I feel a sense of duty to bear witness. To me, that also means to follow the lead of people who are more knowledgeable than me and to use my voice to speak up and amplify others'.

This book felt like bearing witness of a different sort. It felt like an ask to watch the suffering the US government has always caused through the eyes of one Black, gay man living in NYC at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

It wrestles with humanity and morality. It showcases different opinions on how progress really happens.

I don't give books star ratings, usually, but I can tell you that this one will stick with me for a long time. Highly recommend it. Especially if you have a bookclub of empathetic or progress-minded people. I imagine great discussions could come after reading this one.

⚠️ Additional content warning to those listed below: assisted suicide

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