Scan barcode
alexstartsthings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Outing
narbine's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
jillaay_h's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism
josie2k's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
ahopper7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It’s definitely funny (100% helped by listening to the audiobook, the narrator did a fantastic job),and has some important themes on race especially in corporate America (this part worked for me as a black mixed race woman in corporate America, the micro and macro aggressions really hit for me).
I think, though, the story lost its way after the middle. The ending didn’t sit well with me, the final having a mix of “it really be your own people sometimes” felt out of place for me with the overall goal and themes of this book.
But this is a debut, so I will 100% be picking up this author’s future work, because the comedic writing alone is spot on for me.
Graphic: Cursing and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Drug use, and Alcohol
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is excellently written and maintains a strong voice throughout. The depiction of race relations did not pull punches. The story surprisingly sustained a sense of broad hope.
I wanted more of everything. I wanted it to push further in every way. I wanted a deconstruction of capitalism, I wanted a deconstruction/exploration of masculinity (esp in white vs black spaces), I wanted a deconstruction of ambition. I disagree with reviews that say the back end went off the rails - it didn't go far enough off the rails.
Ultimately, it felt like a middle class cishet black man's white collar day dream - he gets to be a jetsetter, he gets to earn big bucks, he gets a nickname, a driver, a girl - he gets to Save The World. Which is a very good and important story to tell - there's plenty of those white stories out there, and this is miles better than any of those. But pitching it as a Sorry to Bother You comp does it a disservice.
Graphic: Racism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Slavery, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
also: minor mention/depiction of lynching (in a photograph), moderate discussion of incarceration, discussion of drug dealing in addition to drug abuse. A brief discussion of outing somone, not followed through. The hate crime I tagged is a scene of white coworkers "pranking" the only black employee by dumping white paint over him; not sure if it qualifies as a hate crime, but it definitely felt like one in context.suzyvee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Cancer, Drug use, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Alcohol
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
fongyay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Suggested song pairing: Flying Monkeys by Jay Stone
Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail