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ryzmat's review against another edition
4.0
POPSUGAR 2020: A bildungsroman
It's a social commentary on race and the police state, and it's a coming-of-age novel about an extremely endearing protagonist (I just wanted to squish his cheeks!). Taking place in South Shore Chicago, Claude is exposed to gang violence, police brutality and distrust, parental abandonment. But at the same time, this is balanced with the love, joy and laughter he feels with his family unit of his grandmother, her friend Paul, and his adopted sister/love interest, Janice. The dark is balanced with the light here and we see Claude grow into a sensitive, intellectual man yearning for more, all in the space of ~260 very short pages. Good!
It's a social commentary on race and the police state, and it's a coming-of-age novel about an extremely endearing protagonist (I just wanted to squish his cheeks!). Taking place in South Shore Chicago, Claude is exposed to gang violence, police brutality and distrust, parental abandonment. But at the same time, this is balanced with the love, joy and laughter he feels with his family unit of his grandmother, her friend Paul, and his adopted sister/love interest, Janice. The dark is balanced with the light here and we see Claude grow into a sensitive, intellectual man yearning for more, all in the space of ~260 very short pages. Good!
jbloodgood's review against another edition
2.0
I read this for my book club and I wanted more from it. It made for a good book club discussion and Im glad to have read it, but it was not super memorable and I was not a huge fan of the writing style. It was a lackluster read for me, but others in my group loved it.
stephb413's review against another edition
3.0
A meaningful novel that allows the reader to understand what life is like for black youth growing up in cities.
booksnbrains's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
_ninahannah's review against another edition
3.0
Idk, it wasn't my favorite. I just never really got into it, and there were so many random characters that it got a little confusing. I didn't really feel like there was a cohesive plot-- it was kind of just things happening, but not in the way that works for some novels.
katecarterbrown's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
jdreads92's review against another edition
4.0
This book is poetic, hilarious, and deeply devastating in parts. It is written in a kind of staccato style that works to propel the story and begs you to speed read it. Worth your time!
atschakfoert's review against another edition
2.0
The book jacket is very misleading. For those who picked this book up as I did expecting a coming-of-age story exploring racial disparities in America, you will be disappointed. This is a rough coming-of-age love story with racial currents that are never fully explored. I was disappointed - not because it isn't a good story but because I felt like the book jacket set up expectations that were not met.