Reviews

The Awakening of Malcolm X by Tiffany D. Jackson, Ilyasah Shabazz

sailormoon19's review against another edition

4.0

I chose to read this book because I do not typically enjoy biographies or memoirs, so the fact that this was a historical fiction account of Malcolm X's early life was appealing to me.

It focuses predominantly on his time in prison with flashbacks to his early family life.

I enjoyed the authorial voice and descriptions throughout the text. I am a fan of dual timelines so the flashbacks worked for me too.

The pacing was quite slow as this is ultimately a character study and can be frustrating at times to read Malcolm's thought processes and stubborness. Ultimately he makes significant changes but he is slow to arrive there.

Of course the way the inmates are treated and the extreme differences between the two prisons that he is incarcerated in is heart-breaking and challenging to read at times.

cainscr's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

grantruby's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

ajoshi21's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

steel_city_peach's review against another edition

3.0

Worth the Read

I’m always interested in learning more about Malcolm X. This book brought a new perspective. I enjoyed how much his siblings were included in the story. I would love to read more about of them.

jennybeautifulbook's review

4.5

This was so good.  An enjoyable accompaniment to his autobiography. Malcolm went through a lot, this book provided a clear picture of how he remained close to his siblings and how they all discovered Islam together. This book also proved to us the more things change, the more they really remain the same. This timeline was during the early 1930s prison system and in 2021 things are really no different. I didn't know too much about his life. School don't teach you too much about Malcolm X. So I love that I learn more about him. 

melindagallagher's review against another edition

4.0

Written by Malcolm X's daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Tiffany Jackson, this fictionalized account of Malcolm X's youth and his "awakening" in prison in the 1940's was very interesting. We know a lot about Malcolm during his Civil Rights campaign, but how did he become the man that preached justice for black people? His time in prison when he was just 20 years old was very heart-breaking. But that experience led him to Islam and the leader he became. A great read for Black History Month!

mastablein's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

threemurphy's review against another edition

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

3.0

blackgirlwhoreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0