Reviews with content warning for Racism - They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

30 reviews

jourdanicus's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

I find it hard to rate a book of essays - many of these essays made me feel so much. The ones to which I couldn't relate as much felt a little more like a drag to get through. Usually I love a book read by its author, but prose read by a poet can actually be hit and miss (for me personally I guess).

Some of the essays hit deep and others seemed, idk, a little unfinished? But still beautiful.

I loved the concept - it was almost like memoir plus social/political commentary through the lens of music criticism. All things I love, especially when early pop punk is involved. I can't wait to read Abdurraqib's poetry.

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sydapel's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Truly some of the best writing about music and culture I've come across. I'd seen this recommended in various places across my feed, but it was Mel on TikTok that convinced me when they described it as writing that really captured what it's like to love or be a fan of music/sports/etc in our current social climate, how communities are shaped by the attitudes of their leaders and what it's like to be a minority in many of these spaces. Can't recommend it enough.

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straw_hat_kd's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

I was blown away by Hanif's writing throughout the book. There was so many times I had no clue where Hanif was leading us to, but was blown away by the destination when we arrived. He speaks of varying topics and events that occurred in 2016, both personal and public, and how they have impacted him. It's hard to put into words what to expect in this book, because he does such a masterful job throughout each of these individual essays. I feel like I would cheapen the experience trying to put things into my own voice, when his works perfectly. I couldn't put the book down and now I'm looking forward to reading the rest of his works.

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froon's review against another edition

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4.0

abdurraqid is a poet and it shows⏤in his careful repetition, his clever word play, his command over emotion. the breadth of this collection is impressive, and i found myself crying (a lot), laughing, learning, and reminiscing. my favorite sections were section iii (fall out boy essay ofc) and v (second to last section that moves towards a broader cultural/social commentary). my biggest complaint is some of the sections dragged a bit and some of the essays i wanted to be longer. overall, great and lovely collection that i regret not buying in 2019 when abdurraqid was teaching at my university.

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bookbrig's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

I first discovered Hanif Abdurraqib via this video of him reading the piece Defiance, Ohio is the Name of a Band (on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=2VJJJOdOfEE), and it was so good I wanted to read more of his stuff. Then I saw that he recorded the narration for the audio version of this book, so I gave it a try. It's SO good. Not just the writing or the narration, but both together and the asides added to the original text and also the forward and afterward by Ewing and Reynolds. There's so much going on in these essays, so even if you're like me and don't know all the musical artists that come up it's still going to draw you in and keep you listening. This is one I'm planning to buy in both audio and physical, for the different qualities each version bring to the work.

Some are joyful and some are heart-wrenching and all of them are reflective and interesting and it makes for an excellent collection. Might be a good crossover read for your teens into music too. Highly recommend!

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madnabox's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is a book that can be binged, but should be appreciated slowly. Hanif Abdurraqib's writing is so great and descriptive. It's really immersive. Then he casually drops such emotional lines and paragraph and it left me breathless. Even though I didn't know all of the music he was referencing, I enjoyed the connections he made to his life and experience. I saw another review that said this book is not really about the music but the experiences a person had from that music. That perfectly describes this book.

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savvylit's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Recently I posted a stack of books that made me feel glad to be alive. I had just finished They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us and already knew that it would effortlessly fit in that stack alongside Abdurraqib's other collection A Little Devil in America. Abdurraqib writes with an unmatched clarity and beauty about what it means to be human. Running through it all is the personal; Abdurraqib's unique perspective as a poet, as a music critic, as a Black man, as someone who grew up Muslim. Ultimately, though, these essays seem to speak to universal truths. The high highs, the low lows, and the art - especially the music - that carries us and keeps us connected. That's what living is about.

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