Scan barcode
literary_ya's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
bootman's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I used to think that I didn’t like collections of essays, but maybe I only like well-written ones. A lot of collections of essays in this memoir format are very basic just telling you what the author thought they found interesting in their life, but it’s the most surface-level grew-up-in-the-suburbs type book. This book from Damon Young is much different, and the summary of the book definitely did it justice.
Damon Young is extremely real in this book discussing his experience growing up as a young Black man and his experiences as an adult and father now. It’s really interesting listening to his experience and how he perceives the world, but on top of that, the dude is funny and has an amazing wit about him. At one point, he went on a rant about a teammate on a bus ride back from a game, and I was in tears laughing.
The book gives a really interesting perspective on racism in America, but Damon also covers topics about his relationships with women, his parents, and himself. This is just an all-around really great book, and I wish more essay books were like this one.
Damon Young is extremely real in this book discussing his experience growing up as a young Black man and his experiences as an adult and father now. It’s really interesting listening to his experience and how he perceives the world, but on top of that, the dude is funny and has an amazing wit about him. At one point, he went on a rant about a teammate on a bus ride back from a game, and I was in tears laughing.
The book gives a really interesting perspective on racism in America, but Damon also covers topics about his relationships with women, his parents, and himself. This is just an all-around really great book, and I wish more essay books were like this one.
kay85's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 —
I started off not liking this book but I’m glad I stuck with it. The latter essays — notably the ones about feeling the ire of the internet for writing a terrible take on rape, the one about his mother, his daughter, and tales of the barbershop — were enjoyable, funny sad and thought provoking. My main gripe of the book (tangents, extended metaphors) still revealed itself at times but I was able to get over that.
I started off not liking this book but I’m glad I stuck with it. The latter essays — notably the ones about feeling the ire of the internet for writing a terrible take on rape, the one about his mother, his daughter, and tales of the barbershop — were enjoyable, funny sad and thought provoking. My main gripe of the book (tangents, extended metaphors) still revealed itself at times but I was able to get over that.
jwinchell's review
4.0
Young tackles white supremacy and racism as it relates to his life getting haircuts, playing basketball, his mother’s life and death, his relationship with his wife, and his daughter. He has so many hang ups and neuroses; it’s comforting to know that even very accomplished writers like Young can be/have been a hot mess on the inside.
joeynedland's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars.
Damon Young has a distinct voice, but I struggled throughout this book to understand 'why'...Why was it written as a book, when the chapters seemed best lent to blog posts (which I think is how they were initially published)? Why did Young focus incessantly on his sex drive, without drawing any interesting conclusions from it? Why didn't he accept more responsibility for the sexist and chauvinist article he wrote about rape culture? Why was it *so* focused on Pittsburgh minutiae?
Overall, it was fine, but I don't know that it needed to be a full memoir.
Damon Young has a distinct voice, but I struggled throughout this book to understand 'why'...Why was it written as a book, when the chapters seemed best lent to blog posts (which I think is how they were initially published)? Why did Young focus incessantly on his sex drive, without drawing any interesting conclusions from it? Why didn't he accept more responsibility for the sexist and chauvinist article he wrote about rape culture? Why was it *so* focused on Pittsburgh minutiae?
Overall, it was fine, but I don't know that it needed to be a full memoir.