readingelli's review
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape
alexisgarcia's review
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
deidrelj's review
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Police brutality, Racism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, and Racial slurs
_toristorytime's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Violence
audc's review
3.75
It’s informative of Coates’ experience and life as a black man in America which is packed with a lot of fear that then turns into anger.
While I agree with the sentiment of Dreamers in America and a majority being white or wanting to be white (ie. having power and authority to inflict destruction), I do not agree with how inflated, fatalist, galactic, racism is portrayed. While it has become cultural and institutionalized -integrated- I do not agree with Coates’ fatalistic view. He ends with the struggle and more of a call for ‘fight for yourself’ instead of strive as a collective.
For this, this book transmits fear and morphs it into anger. As he doesn’t spend nearly as much time on the solution as describing the problem. I can understand where and how he got to his conclusion, but there is a danger in generalising.
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Physical abuse, and Violence
theinfinitebookcase's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Violence
mirandyli's review
5.0
Spoiler
Through this letter to his son, he is ending the cycle of generational trauma. However, there is nothing he can do to end the cycle of racism in America. He, like all Black children, was told by everyone to be twice as good. White children aren't told to be twice as good. In fact, they are told to take twice as much.Graphic: Violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Slavery, Classism, Death, Police brutality, and Racism
juksu's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Police brutality, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Classism, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction and Slavery
hanhantap's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Hate crime, and Police brutality
Moderate: Slavery, Grief, Child abuse, Violence, Death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia
smolone13's review against another edition
5.0
The second part depicts him as a young adult exploring the world. While in college he began to learn about how the world around him, outside of America. When he started to talk to other's in his black community he discovered that not everyone has hatred. When he traveled to France there was no fear but he still couldn't help but be wary of what awaits him. Not to mention when one of his old classmates was followed and killed by a police officer after another fellow black was killed by a police officer.
The last part Coates talks to the mother of Prince Jones, Coates's old classmate, and talks to her about her grief, pain, and how hard it is not to fight.
After reading this book again after high school I feel like I gained a new perspective. In high school I don't think I paid too much attention of what was going on so I didn't fully appreciate this book. Now as a young adult still witnessing the same black hate and police brutality this book has felt like witnessing the same death all over again. This felt necessary to read as it was heart-breaking. More people need to read this work even after it ends.
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
Minor: Death and Murder