A review by onemorepagecrew
My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

emotional funny informative reflective 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? No

5.0

I fell hard for the debut novel My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson.  I went into the book not knowing more than the description and I was quickly engrossed in the story of Trey.  
 
The coming-of-age book takes place in 1980s New York City where a young gay Black man, Trey, has recently arrived.  He left his wealthy family in the Midwest to pursue the life he wanted and quickly immersed himself in the NYC social scene.  I absolutely loved the flow of the book and how we saw Trey focus on his social life first, enjoying being a young person in a new city.  
 
As he became more connected to people in his social circle, he couldn’t ignore the brutal impacts of AIDS on the queer community.  From there the story expands to include gay rights activism, intersectionality with the civil rights movement, and reconciling with his past family traumas.  Trey remains a young person having a fun time, but he is also maturing and standing up for what he believes in.  It’s a well-done transition in writing that mirrors the way the character is expanding – I loved it. 
 
I loved Trey’s self-awareness and the bold bravery that he repeatedly showed. The book hit such a great balance between showing the seriousness of the social and political crisis while never taking away from Trey’s inner positivity.  I’m partial to coming-of-age stories and this “personal and political awakening” journey was top notch, with a dash of famous cameos that added to the intrigue. 
 
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the advanced copy in exchange for my review – I devoured the audio book in <2 days and loved it.  This book is available on August 23 and can be pre-ordered now.  
 
Content warnings: Homophobia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Child death, Death, Racism, Drug use 
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