Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

135 reviews

keeganrb's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Torture, and Death of parent

sinslashcos's review against another edition

dark inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 - this book was a wild ride and I don't think I'm the intended audience?
- but maybe I am?
- I don't know but if you're looking for a satirical finance bro book that talks about race and does not shy away from language, then this is the book for you
- the intro/author's note from Buck's POV was a wild read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

gotem's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I was not the audience for this book, so I don't think it's fair for me to rate it. What I will say is this definitely is not fast-paced. This is extremely well-written, just that it is approximately 200 pages of the same experience in different scenarios, with 100 pages to set the scene and main characters up and 100 pages that wrap everything up in a conclusion. So if you enjoy reading those types of things (re: groundhog day but instead of the day resetting it is another toxic workplace experience that corresponds with a negative inter-personal experience) then genuinely consider adding this book to your pile. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent

moriahleigh's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Alcohol

docsusan's review against another edition

challenging dark funny inspiring fast-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

5.0

Wow. Just wow. This book gripped me, challenged me, made me laugh and made me gasp. Brutally honest,  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

mxbenjaminrose's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent

Minor: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

peachmoni's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

pagesfromhome's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense fast-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

5.0

When I tell you I flew through this book, I mean I flew through this book. It was perfection. I’m having a hard time even writing a review of it because I just straight up loved it. Askaripour perfectly encapsulates the start up tech industry, his characters are well-developed and easy to love or hate depending on which one it is, and his plot was perfectly timed. Fair warning: There is A LOT that happens in this book. It twists and takes turns that you’ve not really expecting and then makes a few that you’re totally prepared for, which to me is the sign of something being well-written.

I really loved how he developed his characters through their relationships to others and developed the plot then in relationship to those characters. I’m really surprised to hear this is a debut novel because it felt like the writing of someone who has done this many times before.

Honestly just can’t recommend it enough!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent

lindsloveslit's review against another edition

challenging dark

1.5

I don't know if this was hard to get through because I didn't like it, because of the use of the r-word, or because I was in somewhat of a book hangover after a five star read. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I do, however, know that it was not for me. 🙅🏽‍♀️

I thought I was going to get "The Office" like satire, but there was no point in time where I laughed. Instead, I was hit with microagressions and white supremacy that were believable and exhausting.

To add, I vehemently disliked the use of the r-word. I KNOW it was because the character was a racist, sexist, ableist P.O.S. but in my opinion, it is never okay. There is never a right time for it. 🙅🏽‍♀️ It also felt like a self help book to me, and unless they're research based - I'm not interested in those either. Lastly, mental health is important to me (I couldn't have gotten through 2020 or 2021 without my therapist) and I feel like this book made light of it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent

fongyay's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a wild ride this was. I devoured it quickly but it was also brutal to read at times, watching a train wreck kind of vibe. The first sections were utterly riveting and the later ones less so, but I was invested enough in the plot by then to keep going. 
Suggested song pairing: Flying Monkeys by Jay Stone

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail