sammymilfort's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Hate crime and Gun violence
jess_mcpeake's review
I understand the fact that the language should reflect the reality of the author, but I couldn’t get passed it. I would reread the same sentence 6 times and still not understand. I’m sure I would like the story if it was written in a different style.
Here is random quote so you understand what I mean - “The bad end of a beef was loose teeth and stitches, rarely shock trauma and “Blessed Assurance” ringing the roof of the storefront funeral home.” It felt like the author tried to write every sentence in the most amount of niche slang possible.
Here is random quote so you understand what I mean - “The bad end of a beef was loose teeth and stitches, rarely shock trauma and “Blessed Assurance” ringing the roof of the storefront funeral home.” It felt like the author tried to write every sentence in the most amount of niche slang possible.
hannahreadslotsofbooks's review
3.0
I struggled to get through this book. I really wanted to like it, but I had a difficult time following the slang and the plot line of the book. I felt like it jumped around a lot and it couldn’t hold my attention.
thumanybooks's review
4.0
For those who love Coates, this is a good book for young adults. I still, however, feel that Between the World and Me is his best work, and for older young adults, a better read. I have a hard time when I feel like authors who are very great writers try to make things an easier read for younger people. Still, if I had nothing to compare the book to, it would be worthwhile. And teens need to read more books by Black men anyhow, so this is a good way to diversify your bookshelf.
ksmithcpa's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I have liked the books I’ve read by Ta-Nehisi Coates, so I was excited for a chance to read his YA adapted memoir. He is a great writer, but I think that’s the reason some of this book went over my head. He’s too smart for me.
This memoir is a coming-of-age memoir, describing his childhood in Baltimore. He was one of 7 children fathered by a member of the Black Panther party to 4 different women. That in and of itself would, no doubt, have brought some interesting familial relationships.
We follow his life as he grows, graduating from Woodlawn and having to decide what to do after graduating- go to the college of his parents’ choosing, or make his own path.
(Listeners of the Serial podcast will recognize his high school as the one Adnan Syed went to.)
Thank you to NetGalley for an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I have liked the books I’ve read by Ta-Nehisi Coates, so I was excited for a chance to read his YA adapted memoir. He is a great writer, but I think that’s the reason some of this book went over my head. He’s too smart for me.
This memoir is a coming-of-age memoir, describing his childhood in Baltimore. He was one of 7 children fathered by a member of the Black Panther party to 4 different women. That in and of itself would, no doubt, have brought some interesting familial relationships.
We follow his life as he grows, graduating from Woodlawn and having to decide what to do after graduating- go to the college of his parents’ choosing, or make his own path.
(Listeners of the Serial podcast will recognize his high school as the one Adnan Syed went to.)
Thank you to NetGalley for an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
ltcoats11's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This book was okay. I am a transplant to Baltimore from Atlanta. The book gives details of the author’s upbringing in West Baltimore. Coincidentally, where I now live. I hear my coworkers bragging about Poly or City rivalries around homecoming. This book gives me a picture of what that looked like. Besides being so Baltimore, the book gives the author’s background and family relationships. The book doesn’t end how you think. Seems like it’s not finished to me.
renatasnacks's review
4.0
Hmm so I know that I, a 35-year-old white woman, am not the target audience for this book. I appreciated reading it nevertheless--Coates writes beautifully, of course, and I enjoyed the rhythm of his writing even if I didn't fully understand the content. I'm not sure how much of the disconnect is based on my whiteness, my age, my geographical location...and thus I'm not sure how much of this will be understandable for a teen in 2021? Obv I'd assume Black teens will be better able to relate to some of what Coates writes about but I also felt like some of this was issues of specific Baltimore/Black/90s slang? I know this was adapted for young readers from [b:The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood|2784926|The Beautiful Struggle A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood|Ta-Nehisi Coates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320488176l/2784926._SY75_.jpg|2810688], which I haven't read, and I suspect that elements of this story will work better for adult readers. But maybe in a classroom setting teens could work to unpack this memoir? I suspect they would find it rewarding. Or perhaps kids like Ta-Nehisi describes having been--struggling to complete coursework that didn't seem relevant to them, seeming to be a bad student, but devouring books of his (or his father's) choice that taught him more about his own history and culture--will appreciate this book.
Again I myself appreciated the flow of this and feel like I understood the book as a whole despite not fully understanding words/phrases used. I am curious to know how this was adapted for young readers since it doesn't seem to shy away from a lot of "adult" content and it doesn't seem to be adding a lot of context?
Again I myself appreciated the flow of this and feel like I understood the book as a whole despite not fully understanding words/phrases used. I am curious to know how this was adapted for young readers since it doesn't seem to shy away from a lot of "adult" content and it doesn't seem to be adding a lot of context?
jilliebeanreads's review
3.0
The coming-of-age story of Ta-Nehisi Coates is sometimes vivid, and at other times muted. True to Coates's form, the vocabulary and syntax is often very advanced. But not always. Some of the pacing seems off. Uneven. Maybe it was overly edited? Some sections feels as if there were two different writers.
All in all, "The Beautiful Struggle" is a good book, and I enjoyed learning about Coates relationships with his brothers, parents and friends. But it's not what I expected. Maybe because it doesn't read like most young adult books do? (At least the ones I've read that target ages under 18). I get that Coates himself was an advanced reader of literature during his teens, but I'm unsure if this has a strong enough story to interest today's teens?
Special thanks to Delacorte Press for an eARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
All in all, "The Beautiful Struggle" is a good book, and I enjoyed learning about Coates relationships with his brothers, parents and friends. But it's not what I expected. Maybe because it doesn't read like most young adult books do? (At least the ones I've read that target ages under 18). I get that Coates himself was an advanced reader of literature during his teens, but I'm unsure if this has a strong enough story to interest today's teens?
Special thanks to Delacorte Press for an eARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
spicygeek's review
3.0
I enjoyed reading about the author’s childhood but I did feel it was a little all over the place at times. I think I’ll try the full version of this at some point to see if that’s a bit better but I did like getting a peek at what it was like in Baltimore during the years he was growing up