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

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

 
Review:
I normally resent fiction books that try to give me a history lesson (I’d much rather read a nonfiction book for that sort of thing, thank you very much), but I make an enthusiastic exception for My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the informative passages and footnotes on American history make sense within the conceit of the novel, which is that of a retrospective memoir written by a Black queer elder about his life as a gay man in New York City during the AIDS crisis. The second is that this history Newson interweaves these historical facts within a riveting story. My Government Means to Kill Me is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story, a political thriller, a queer history lesson, a mediation on political activism, and a devastating yet empowering portrait of the queer community during the AIDS epidemic, all incorporated seamlessly into a narrative of less than three hundred pages. I’ve never read anything quite like it. 
 
Newson juggles so many elements (and makes it look easy) in large part due to his excellent characterization. His main character, Trey Singleton, has a singular voice. Trey has flaws and personal struggles, but his strong moral compass, adaptability, and ability to make connections with strangers make him an extraordinarily likable main character. Besides Trey, the book is peppered with an array of colorful side characters, many of whom are so vividly described that I felt like I knew them. Through these characters, Newson makes history come alive: I felt simultaneously ineffable sorrow for the tragedy and malice that the queer community faced during the AIDS epidemic and immense admiration for those who resisted the attacks on their lives and their community. I could have read hundreds of more pages of My Government Means to Kill Me; Newson leaves a lot of aspects of Trey’s life open at the end of the book. I can’t complain, however, because I think that he ends the book at the exact right place for Trey’s coming-of-age story. 
 
Alas, I don’t think my review quite captures the brilliance of this book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like My Government Means to Kill Me if . . . 
·      You are interested in a heartfelt and informative look into the AIDS crisis from the perspective of a young Black gay man living in New York City
·      You appreciate a well-written main character who learns a lot and grows as a person throughout the novel
·      You like to read books that balance tones of hope, tragedy, humor, adventure, and relatability
 
You might not like My Government Means to Kill Me if . . .
·      You want to avoid mentions or depictions of sex
·      You don’t like books that incorporate fictionalized versions of real historical figures
·      You like a book that wraps up all loose ends
 
A Similar Book: 
The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma. Similarities include:
·      A young main character who moves to a new place and assumes that this whole “life” thing will be a breeze, and subsequently experiences a lot of character growth
·      A unique and likable main character who uses their perceptiveness and pluck to make a positive difference in people’s lives
·      Strained familial relationships 
·      Colorful side-characters
·      A good mix of humor, heart, heaviness, and hard truths, with a tiny dash of thriller in the mix
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