Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - Hell of a Book

The messaging and ideas of this book are great. I didnt love (but also didn't mind) the somewhat magical-realism style, mostly because a lot of it felt repetitive (how often do I need to hear "I have a condition" explained and stated by the same character, not even to other characters but just as part of narration?) I appreciate attempts to critique sexist tropes but unfortunately the critiques didn't land for me, especially when compared to the very in depth discussions/critique of race/racism/colorism and celebrity/fame.
Not something I'd personally say is a "must read" (I think you can find similar themes in books id enjoy more) but its not a bad one to pick up.
Both stars for themes.

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ashleykhoffman's review against another edition

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funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This book was poignant and impactful, and I like how the author was able to convey heavy things in an interesting and digestible way. It felt frustrating and confusing through the middle part of the book with not knowing what was real and what wasn't, but the ending made up for my middle confusion by being very poetic.

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seekingserenity's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

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katielong84's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

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siobhanward's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

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? It's complicated

3.0

If this whole book had focused on Soot's storyline, it would have been a fantastic read. However, Soot was overshadowed by the author and his journey to promote his mysterious book. Maybe it was just too meta for me. I don't know. What I do know, is that some parts were fantastic: Soot and his story, the end of the book, and interactions between the author and the Kid. Unfortunately, the rest of the book just kind of dragged for me and I found myself waiting impatiently for the plot to move past the author and back to Soot.

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christineplum's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

wow. there are not many books that I read that I believe are true “modern classics.” as in, required reading both for poignant content and for the formidable usage of literary devices. I plan to revisit this with something to annotate in hand, because it’s worth the reread and attention to detail.

I should add that I listened to the audiobook, and I very much enjoyed the narrator.

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readingrandbow's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

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