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theefinalhottie's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
cloutgoblin's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
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? No
4.0
erinlcrane's review against another edition
3.0
This is more an important book than an especially compelling and well written one. Not that it’s bad, it has a lot of well written description. And there were some moments of sadness from Freeman that I thought were very poignant. There are some really incisive, sharp lines toward Whites and the Black middle/upper class.
In some ways it reads very of its time and other ways timeless. It’s very masculine, not especially intersectional. Preoccupation with machismo and sexual prowess is there. There’s a metaphor for clean and dirty snow at one point comparing it to virgins and “muddied whores” which made me cringe pretty hard.
But it’s also about so many things that ring true today. I have to admit, as someone who got “woke” later in life, I’m always shocked to read how clear these things were decades ago. Makes for a bit of a depressing reading experience.
I think in the name of showing Black people as capable of a competent and effective resistance, the tension was taken out of the story. Everything Freeman planned happened as planned so as a story it got pretty dull.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent! That’s hard to come by, so I wanted to note it.
In some ways it reads very of its time and other ways timeless. It’s very masculine, not especially intersectional. Preoccupation with machismo and sexual prowess is there. There’s a metaphor for clean and dirty snow at one point comparing it to virgins and “muddied whores” which made me cringe pretty hard.
But it’s also about so many things that ring true today. I have to admit, as someone who got “woke” later in life, I’m always shocked to read how clear these things were decades ago. Makes for a bit of a depressing reading experience.
I think in the name of showing Black people as capable of a competent and effective resistance, the tension was taken out of the story. Everything Freeman planned happened as planned so as a story it got pretty dull.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent! That’s hard to come by, so I wanted to note it.
zombiezami's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
This book was written in such an impressively cutting way. The author has great skill in writing dialogue. The plot is a bit simplistic and predictable, but I liked how it really captured certain sentiments from the era. Knocking off some points for the casual misogyny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Slavery, Torture, Colonisation, and War
m00's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
emceeawkward's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
tee_tee_tee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
started: 06/29/24
finished: 06/29/24
format: hybrid reading [e-book & audio/libby]
rating: ⭐️5.0
wow! a true gem my god.
i borrowed this from the library but i think i definitely need to own this. just incredible. everyone needs to read this like seriously. one of my top reads i’ve ever read in my life 🙌🏾
also the narrator did a phenomenal job
TAGGED WORDS:
finished: 06/29/24
format: hybrid reading [e-book & audio/libby]
rating: ⭐️5.0
wow! a true gem my god.
i borrowed this from the library but i think i definitely need to own this. just incredible. everyone needs to read this like seriously. one of my top reads i’ve ever read in my life 🙌🏾
also the narrator did a phenomenal job
TAGGED WORDS:
- CIA
- racism/violence/oppression
- revenge against the System
- revolution
averno4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
chialilonu's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
plothead's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book thinking about the BLM protests, then remembered is was written 54 years ago.
Every ounce of criticism Greenlee levies at liberalism still rings true today, as if nothing has changed. It manifests as unassailable cognitive dissonance in the novel's characters pushing the work into the absurd and surreal. There isn't even the slightest stretching of truth, however, it only feels absurd because that's what America is.
It's the kind of story that's depressing and funny, like the best Russian stories, but inspiring too. Also, there's some anti-communism here, but it's intent is hard to place. All I can say is that the Dan Freeman Five Year Plan would almost certainly be supported by the Reds today.
It feels like so much and so little have changed since then, but at the very least, these days, America is running out of enemies to distract its people with.
Every ounce of criticism Greenlee levies at liberalism still rings true today, as if nothing has changed. It manifests as unassailable cognitive dissonance in the novel's characters pushing the work into the absurd and surreal. There isn't even the slightest stretching of truth, however, it only feels absurd because that's what America is.
It's the kind of story that's depressing and funny, like the best Russian stories, but inspiring too. Also, there's some anti-communism here, but it's intent is hard to place. All I can say is that the Dan Freeman Five Year Plan would almost certainly be supported by the Reds today.
It feels like so much and so little have changed since then, but at the very least, these days, America is running out of enemies to distract its people with.