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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The idea behind this story was fascinating and original - a group of powerful black men running a hidden estate stocked with kidnapped descendants of slave owners chosen to expiate the sins of their fathers. The author forces readers to think about group responsibility and inherited sin, as well as looking at race relations from multiple angles. The first half of the book reminded me of The Firm and showed so much promise. The last third was weak, the ending painfully so. I'm almost surprised the editors didn't tell Smith to rewrite before publication. Still, overall I'm giving Forty Acres 3.5 stars.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book. Mum recommended it to me after she had read it, and usually the thriller genre isn't my cup of tea, but I thought I'd try it and I'm so so soooo glad that I did! The book handles complex ideas of race well and leaves the reader a lot to consider. A social thriller/horror similar to 'Get Out', I was impressed with the scope of the story and look forward to reading more from the author. I'm going to read Smith's latest book 'The Unkind Hours' now precisely because I loved 'Forty Acres' so much.
Forty Acres is a genuine page turner; I read it in two sittings and it held my interest throughout, (it would have been one sitting if I didn't have to go to work). The story develops quickly, but doesn't feel rushed, and although I've seen other reviewers' complain that the style of writing is too simplistic "it reads like an airport thriller", I disagree. The pace and language made for delicious, enjoyable, reading. It was a welcome break from my usual 'heavier' genres and to be brutally honest - the simpler language made the deeply disturbing and difficult topics more bearable and accessible to a wider audience. So, bravo Smith!
I think I enjoyed it so much because it's a thought-provoking thriller. There are definitely tense bits and action bits, but I also found myself agreeing with people with strongly conflicting points of view that stayed with me long after finishing the book. Many of the statements made by Dr. Kasim,the leader of the secret society of wealthy and powerful black men, made me pause and reflect on our society as a whole. The author is careful to show many trains of thought about race, class, mutal aid, reparations, revenge, justice, hate (of the self and other), and significantly: intergenrational trauma of Black American men. He does this without preaching a 'one absolute moral truth', which I think was cleverly done to expose the vast grey areas when discussing the lasting impact of slavery . I kept thinking about how I would feel if viewing a similar situation through the lens of sexism and I definitely grasped the difficulty in discussing such a hugely personal, historically politcal, and emotional topic.
The one disappointment for me was the obvious sexism and misogynoir introduced into the storyline that was never directly addressed. I think it worked as a passive comment about the kind of power being sort and attained by the men i.e. it's still ultimately about them; an inversion of toxic masculinity and patriarchal power rather than an equitable evolution away from that. And I was glad for the bathroom scene betweenAnna and Juanita . But I would like to have seen a little more active work by the author to directly address this element of the story.
Forty Acres is a genuine page turner; I read it in two sittings and it held my interest throughout, (it would have been one sitting if I didn't have to go to work). The story develops quickly, but doesn't feel rushed, and although I've seen other reviewers' complain that the style of writing is too simplistic "it reads like an airport thriller", I disagree. The pace and language made for delicious, enjoyable, reading. It was a welcome break from my usual 'heavier' genres and to be brutally honest - the simpler language made the deeply disturbing and difficult topics more bearable and accessible to a wider audience. So, bravo Smith!
I think I enjoyed it so much because it's a thought-provoking thriller. There are definitely tense bits and action bits, but I also found myself agreeing with people with strongly conflicting points of view that stayed with me long after finishing the book. Many of the statements made by Dr. Kasim,
The one disappointment for me was the obvious sexism and misogynoir introduced into the storyline that was never directly addressed. I think it worked as a passive comment about the kind of power being sort and attained by the men i.e. it's still ultimately about them; an inversion of toxic masculinity and patriarchal power rather than an equitable evolution away from that. And I was glad for the bathroom scene between
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Kidnapping
Intergenerational trauma
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Murder
5 for the story, 3 for the execution. We’ll settle at 4. It reads like an airport thriller, which is not usually my thing but it handles its high concept ideas of race well and leaves the reader a lot to consider. A social horror similar to Get Out, I was impressed with the scope of the story and look forward to reading more from the author.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Firstly, I need to thank the author, Dwayne Alexander Smith and the publishers at Atria Books for allowing me access to this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will be as honest as I can be.
This book- is not one you can go into with a light heart. This book was the first book I ever requested on Netgalley, back when I joined in March, and it was published on 7th July 2014. But I just kept putting it off, and off...because I knew it would be uncomfortable. But I still wanted to read it, which is why I requested it. I'm the type of person who figures if a book like this makes you uncomfortable, it does it for a reason, and that reason makes it even more important to read or look upon what causes that discomfort. Because even sadly in today's society, racism is still an ongoing issue- I mean just look at the most obvious current occurence in America with Ferguson. And just because something makes you uncomfortable in real life, doesn't mean you can close your eyes and look away and pretend it isn't actually happening to real people- just because you are lucky enough to not have it happen to you or your own family.
Disclaimer: I am White. I am a working class, white English girl. I know nothing of racism other than what I have perceived through other people. I do not pretend to understand how it works (or doesn't work), and I have no pretence of knowing what those who suffer at the hands of racism go through on a daily basis. I can't. It simply doesn't happen to me. It may happen to plenty of other white girls (because racism is still racism, just because you are white doesn't mean it doesn't happen!), but I'm lucky that it doesn't happen to me.
However, this does not mean I am one hundred percent ignorant or blind to it. I know it is still out there, and even worse, people are scared to talk about it or even acknowledge it, because in this day and age, we are meant to have (theoretically) moved past the idea that people are less than others because of their heritage or the colour of their skin. And in the UK, I have always felt that there is more of a Class system divide than a racial divide, if I'm honest. The amount of blatant racism which occurs in America, “land of the free”, scares the hell out of me. I mean, really.
This book made me uncomfortable but I honestly couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was that was making me uncomfortable. I think it is the idea that there may be some people in the world who do actually think that this is what needs to be done to make the “whites” pay for what their ancestors did. Moreover, there is technically such a thing as “white slavery”, and even just taking the ethnicity element out of it, “modern day slavery”- so it isn't actually that far off from being impossible.
Anyway, onto the book (finally. Sorry, I just have a lot of thoughts I need to get out of my head on this one). The book follows a successful lawyer named Martin Grey, and it opens with him representing a case of civil rights, of racial discrimination, and he is up against another successful lawyer, who is representing the white owners of the company who mistreated their employee... the shocker? The representing lawyer is black. So is Martin. After winning against this lawyer in court, he is basically “initiated” into the circle of wealthy, black men but it isn't very long before it turns out that their “white water rafting” trips are something much more sinister. Throughout this book, Martin has to wrestle with his own morals. Do two wrongs make a right? Would this be what his ancestors would have wanted? What is the right thing to do, and at what price?
This book did suck me in and I read it pretty quickly once it got going. The pacing was nice and the writing was enjoyable. I must say though I didn't really get too attached to any of the characters. There were one or two plot holes throughout which didn't make much sense, I feel like they could have been addressed much better, but overall I really did enjoy this book. I gave it three stars because it isn't one I would “re-read” in the future, but if you like thrillers and controversial issues, I'd probably recommend this to you.
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
I will be as honest as I can be.
This book- is not one you can go into with a light heart. This book was the first book I ever requested on Netgalley, back when I joined in March, and it was published on 7th July 2014. But I just kept putting it off, and off...because I knew it would be uncomfortable. But I still wanted to read it, which is why I requested it. I'm the type of person who figures if a book like this makes you uncomfortable, it does it for a reason, and that reason makes it even more important to read or look upon what causes that discomfort. Because even sadly in today's society, racism is still an ongoing issue- I mean just look at the most obvious current occurence in America with Ferguson. And just because something makes you uncomfortable in real life, doesn't mean you can close your eyes and look away and pretend it isn't actually happening to real people- just because you are lucky enough to not have it happen to you or your own family.
Disclaimer: I am White. I am a working class, white English girl. I know nothing of racism other than what I have perceived through other people. I do not pretend to understand how it works (or doesn't work), and I have no pretence of knowing what those who suffer at the hands of racism go through on a daily basis. I can't. It simply doesn't happen to me. It may happen to plenty of other white girls (because racism is still racism, just because you are white doesn't mean it doesn't happen!), but I'm lucky that it doesn't happen to me.
However, this does not mean I am one hundred percent ignorant or blind to it. I know it is still out there, and even worse, people are scared to talk about it or even acknowledge it, because in this day and age, we are meant to have (theoretically) moved past the idea that people are less than others because of their heritage or the colour of their skin. And in the UK, I have always felt that there is more of a Class system divide than a racial divide, if I'm honest. The amount of blatant racism which occurs in America, “land of the free”, scares the hell out of me. I mean, really.
This book made me uncomfortable but I honestly couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was that was making me uncomfortable. I think it is the idea that there may be some people in the world who do actually think that this is what needs to be done to make the “whites” pay for what their ancestors did. Moreover, there is technically such a thing as “white slavery”, and even just taking the ethnicity element out of it, “modern day slavery”- so it isn't actually that far off from being impossible.
Anyway, onto the book (finally. Sorry, I just have a lot of thoughts I need to get out of my head on this one). The book follows a successful lawyer named Martin Grey, and it opens with him representing a case of civil rights, of racial discrimination, and he is up against another successful lawyer, who is representing the white owners of the company who mistreated their employee... the shocker? The representing lawyer is black. So is Martin. After winning against this lawyer in court, he is basically “initiated” into the circle of wealthy, black men but it isn't very long before it turns out that their “white water rafting” trips are something much more sinister. Throughout this book, Martin has to wrestle with his own morals. Do two wrongs make a right? Would this be what his ancestors would have wanted? What is the right thing to do, and at what price?
This book did suck me in and I read it pretty quickly once it got going. The pacing was nice and the writing was enjoyable. I must say though I didn't really get too attached to any of the characters. There were one or two plot holes throughout which didn't make much sense, I feel like they could have been addressed much better, but overall I really did enjoy this book. I gave it three stars because it isn't one I would “re-read” in the future, but if you like thrillers and controversial issues, I'd probably recommend this to you.
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No