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hmwoodward's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
I wish this book was longer because it goes so quickly and it is shorter in length. I think there was more that could have been written, but I'm thankful we did get some closure in the end. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Claude's eyes and loved all the character he introduces along the way. The topics are mostly dark and sad, but they are written with the casualness and sense of humor of someone who has experienced it firsthand. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Police brutality, and Gun violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Cursing
Minor: Car accident, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
lizlikesfrogs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Abandonment, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Violence, and Alcoholism
sherbertwells's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
2.0
Claude McKay Love, an ordinary Black teenager from South Shore, struggles to find his place in the indifferent, racist climate of the Obama era. While this book is a great reference for students of Chicago, its writing style is quintessentially YA and since I turned 14 that whole genre has been hollow to me.
“Black America still isn’t free. And black men are still dying. And black women are still dying. And there’s anger, yes, there’s anger. And that anger has to go away when you go to work or go to school or ride the bus or go to the grocery store or go to a movie downtown. And that anger has to go away—if it doesn’t, how do you survive?” (77)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Police brutality, Racism, and Drug use
Minor: Racial slurs, Misogyny, Violence, and Vomit
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