A review by introvertsbookclub
Real Life by Brandon Taylor

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

An intense Summer weekend, a group of friends burying tension and leaving too much unsaid, an undercurrent of racism that is ignored when it rears its head, and histories of trauma that have been left to fester – there were so many strands of this novel that together create something extraordinary. Wallace, the protagonist, was unique in his experiences and yet also relatable in so many ways. There was so much pain in the novel and Wallace faced so much unfairness and cruelty, but there hovered a better life somewhere on the horizon and as a reader I couldn’t help but hope that it found Wallace eventually.

This is one of the most striking portrayals of racism I have ever read, both personal and institutional, highlighting overt racism, the way white people excuse racism among friends rather than calling it out, and the way that white women can weaponise their gender against black men. The racism within this novel was an assault on Wallace’s sense of self, his chance to form relationships and his ability to work. It is just one of the reasons why this is a book that you wish everyone would read.
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