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nadia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a fantastic, unique, funny, clever book!
It has a theme I often struggle with — time travel — but I got it enough to appreciate the quality of what Kiese has put together. I did spend some time trying to piece together exactly what happened when afterwards, and whether I missed something that was meant to make it all click, before realising that that's not really the important part. I got the overall gist and it was a brilliant backdrop for such important conversations.
Probably one I'd wanna reread in a couple years and I'm also excited to read more of Laymon's work.
P.S. I hear a more recent edition of this book has the book in a different structure? I've got an edition from 2013.
P.P.S. This was one of the first ever recommendations Rob's first StoryGraph rec algorithm gave to me! The model has come on a very long way since then but it's very cool to see that it was getting a lot right back then.
It has a theme I often struggle with — time travel — but I got it enough to appreciate the quality of what Kiese has put together. I did spend some time trying to piece together exactly what happened when afterwards, and whether I missed something that was meant to make it all click, before realising that that's not really the important part. I got the overall gist and it was a brilliant backdrop for such important conversations.
Probably one I'd wanna reread in a couple years and I'm also excited to read more of Laymon's work.
P.S. I hear a more recent edition of this book has the book in a different structure? I've got an edition from 2013.
P.P.S. This was one of the first ever recommendations Rob's first StoryGraph rec algorithm gave to me! The model has come on a very long way since then but it's very cool to see that it was getting a lot right back then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Gun violence
imofmw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
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? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Racial slurs
etherealkat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lapoo99's review against another edition
2.0
What in the flying fuck did I just read. I can hang with magical realism like the best of them but this book made me feel mentally cross eyed.
elnaann1313's review against another edition
5.0
Read this review after you read the book!
The Past is Not Dead: Time and Race in Kiese Laymon’s “Long Division”
By Jason McCall
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-past-is-not-dead-time-and-race-in-kiese-laymons-long-division/#!
The Past is Not Dead: Time and Race in Kiese Laymon’s “Long Division”
By Jason McCall
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-past-is-not-dead-time-and-race-in-kiese-laymons-long-division/#!
angieoverbooked's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The audiobook is great - but following the timeline was challenging with this format.
Really enjoyed it overall!
Ratings
Quality of Writing 5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 4/5
Pacing 4/5
Overall Enjoyment 4/5
Really enjoyed it overall!
Ratings
Quality of Writing 5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 4/5
Pacing 4/5
Overall Enjoyment 4/5
egnolan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely phenomenal. I have so many thoughts and questions that I want to discuss with other readers. Kiese Laymon has this ability to elicit such strong reactions - joy, guilt, shame, anger, laughter. Definitely a book I’m going to read more than once!
kmariek's review against another edition
In case you're not holding a copy, the book is structured with one story on each side, with the side you're not reading existing as a book in the other. Laymon doesn't explicitly state when to switch, but since I was doubling up on formats (😎 weird brag), hearing the audiobook switch helped me watch for times it made sense to switch while reading the physical one. There's time travel, the two storylines, a school competition where students have to use a difficult word meaningfully, and such entertaining writing for the character City's answers that I probably could have read a separate book of just those. I can not claim to have completely followed what was going on with the time travel or the relation between the two stories at all times, but thought both elements added new angles to what the main characters are going through.