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percy_roy's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
ceralin03's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mgwalsho's review
5.0
This book wan very unique. It was a continuous story, but also somehow vignettes? Incredibly compelling, fast paced, complicated but also simple. A story about a boy growing up, but also about major social issues such as gang violence, police brutality, and racism. It’s not a simple book - I might have to read it twice to take it all in, but it is immediately eye catching and fascinating to the brain. I really really enjoyed this book, and I didn’t entirely expect to! Read in one day - finished in 2 ish hours.
chasrotramel2024's review
4.0
Funny book with a biting edge that touches on themes of racial justice and inequality. I enjoyed it immensely.
annagrace357's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
practicallymagic's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
kevinmccarrick's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.75
hmwoodward's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
I wish this book was longer because it goes so quickly and it is shorter in length. I think there was more that could have been written, but I'm thankful we did get some closure in the end. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Claude's eyes and loved all the character he introduces along the way. The topics are mostly dark and sad, but they are written with the casualness and sense of humor of someone who has experienced it firsthand. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
earthseeddetroit's review
3.0
I enjoyed it. The style of writing was very different than I was used to, I’m not well-versed in different writing styles so I’m not sure if it has a definite name to it but it is full of Conversations and experiences that explain the characters and their interactions instead of a lot of narration and backstory. I don’t know if that makes sense…
I liked the characters in this book a lot although my heart broke for them because this is a book about life’s struggles.
The main character is a young boy growing to young adult and dealing a lot with issues such as abandonment, violence, race, and fitting in. And gritty, messy love is in this book too. I enjoyed it. It kept me reading. It was a quick read and I would love to hear if anyone else has read this book.
I liked the characters in this book a lot although my heart broke for them because this is a book about life’s struggles.
The main character is a young boy growing to young adult and dealing a lot with issues such as abandonment, violence, race, and fitting in. And gritty, messy love is in this book too. I enjoyed it. It kept me reading. It was a quick read and I would love to hear if anyone else has read this book.
booksaremypeople's review
5.0
This book is about a boy named Claude McKay Love who grows up in The Southside (South Shore) of Chicago in a rough neighborhood. His parents up and abandon him, leaving him under the care of his kick ass Grandma and her roommate, Paul. The novel looks at Claude's day to day life on the surface level, but truly explores much more complicated and serious themes such as police violence and civil unrest with both heft and humor. Claude gets into trouble at school, but no matter what, in public, his Grandma always has his back, standing up to his principal and other people who she feels has wronged him. He often thinks about how there’s no place for peace in his neighborhood and the history books in school don’t reflect the world he is currently living in. Fantastic, surprising read that quietly crept up of me and I loved it.