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A review by niakantorka
IQ by Joe Ide
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
IQ left me behind torn. On one hand I really liked its premise and loved seeing Isiaha Quintabe (IQ) gather clues and work out how some things happened. On the other hand the time jumps were annoying most of the times and especially the younger Dodson drove me nuts. How Isiaha spent more than five minutes with him without wanting to strangle him was a mystery to me.
The author definitely sold his mostly black cast to me and that is quite a feat when you look up Joe Ide, who’s an American of Japanese descent. I knew from the start that the slang would be a challenge for me because a) I’m as white and European as one can be and b) I'm afraid so - I don’t care at all for rap, rappers, and that helluva show that’s coming with it.
For most parts this book felt like a trip gone bad - slow motion when you didn’t want it and too fast in other parts. (If you’ve ever consumed psychedelic drugs at the wrong time you know what that feels like. It’s been half a century for me and I still remember how bad it feels. 🙃). At times it was funny (like that divorce battle between Calvin and Noelle) but most of the time I just wanted to see Isiaha using his brain and not follow totally crazy people and their dogs (literally).
I thought about giving up when the time skips came halfway and two third through but I also wanted to know whodunnit. The ending was a bit surprising, not who was the culprit, but whatDodson did.
I’m not sure I want to read the next book in the series. Though I must admit, that Ide’s writing style was compelling at times. I’ll probably muse some more about this.
The author definitely sold his mostly black cast to me and that is quite a feat when you look up Joe Ide, who’s an American of Japanese descent. I knew from the start that the slang would be a challenge for me because a) I’m as white and European as one can be and b) I'm afraid so - I don’t care at all for rap, rappers, and that helluva show that’s coming with it.
For most parts this book felt like a trip gone bad - slow motion when you didn’t want it and too fast in other parts. (If you’ve ever consumed psychedelic drugs at the wrong time you know what that feels like. It’s been half a century for me and I still remember how bad it feels. 🙃). At times it was funny (like that divorce battle between Calvin and Noelle) but most of the time I just wanted to see Isiaha using his brain and not follow totally crazy people and their dogs (literally).
I thought about giving up when the time skips came halfway and two third through but I also wanted to know whodunnit. The ending was a bit surprising, not who was the culprit, but what
I’m not sure I want to read the next book in the series. Though I must admit, that Ide’s writing style was compelling at times. I’ll probably muse some more about this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Car accident
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail