jjwhicker's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book that I wish was a required reading for everyone. Mott is a brilliant writer and eloquently created a story to narrate the brutality of racism against the Black community in the United States. The topic is raw and deep and pushes the reader - especially the White reader (e.g., me) - to be introspective and confront those implicit biases that seem to forever dictate how the world is run, even when the way things are is wrong. This is a novel that will sit with me for a long time. We can’t just forget tragedy. We have to embrace it and let it drive us to change ourselves and our community. I love the way Mott targeted with theme.
bibliofila's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
lindsayymack's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book in less than 24 hours; it was so well written, swift and humorous to keep propelling me through page after page. Overall, I would give it 4.5 stars: 5 stars for the light, witty prose and depth of commentary on current social issues and the Black identity, which were woven beautifully into the sometimes psychotic ramblings of the main character author, never heavy handed, yet so well said in the end ... 4 for the first-person author narrative, struggling with fame, ego-ism, and most interestingly, a "daydreaming" mental affliction, that was strangely reminiscent of The Flight Attendant for me at times. While the conceit of the novel seems to unveil itself early on (don't be so smug about it), it comes together into a much more meaningful coda that speaks to the struggles and issues in Black history, recent events, and the enduring challenge to Black identity that these characters embody.
bravesirtoaster's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
niloc21's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
grae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
chinacatsun76's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
torilarett's review against another edition
5.0
This is truly one hell of a book. Mott has given us so much to imagine and learn and enjoy and grieve here. I feel grateful to have read this. I have no doubt I’ll be thinking about it for years. This is the type of book, the book, that should be an American classic.
sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition
2.0
Jason Mott has a profoundly impactful point of view. There were movements in this novel that are genuinely unnerving, filled with apparitions and chilling moments of grotesque violence. Likewise, there are moments that are slyly funny, with a lingering sense of terror just off the page. For all this novel's strengths, however, I kept wondering why it was all housed in the same book. Mott, I think, may have been overly voracious with this one. His opus is an attempt to capture multitudinous dilemmas in a single text, which feels so often overburdened. There's one thing, then there's another. It's a highly scattered novel. Sometimes fantastic, but these moments are too short lived because it's on to the next thing. Art, I kept thinking as I was plowing through the book, shouldn't feel like this -- shouldn't feel so rushed.