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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. The concept is good but some parts of the plot and the characters seem far-fetched and it moves a bit slowly until about halfway through. Every chapter is a cliffhanger.
The sexism and respectability politics —no thank you
I'll be honest, I read this book for the premise. I am a premise person. This idea COMPLETELY intrigued me. The writing is not great. He frequently over states things that have already been established. But the story was so good! There were quite a few sex scenes I felt were completely useless and didn't fit with the context of the story. That being said I was enthralled to the very last page.
I'd give this book a 3.5. It didn't become a page turner to me until I'd practically reached the end. All in all it was a good read.
The sins of the fathers...
When up-and-coming lawyer Martin Grey is hired to fight a racial prejudice lawsuit against a big corporation, he finds himself up against a fellow black lawyer, the slick and successful Damon Darrell. Pulling off a shock victory, Martin is surprised when Darrell shows up at the celebration party and begins to draw Martin into his circle of exclusively black friends. As well as growing to like Darrell, Martin sees how useful these successful and powerful men could be to his career so, although his white partner is a bit miffed at being excluded from the charmed circle, Martin allows himself to be flattered by their attention. So although he’s not an outdoorsy type, he agrees to join them on one of their regular white-water rafting trips. But as he’s enjoying the journey aboard the luxurious private jet, Martin suddenly realises they’re not heading in the direction he was expecting…
In some respects, this could be seen as a fairly standard thriller – good guy, villains, jeopardy etc. But the underlying premise is much more thought-provoking and quite disturbing. The title refers to the promise made to emancipated slaves that each would be given forty acres and a mule – a promise subsequently broken. Martin soon discovers that the group he has joined is something of a cult, under the leadership of the guru-like Dr Kasim, dedicated to taking revenge for the cruelties and inhumanities their forebears were subjected to under slavery. My first feelings were that it was all too far-fetched, that these men would not be angry enough several generations on, and that their actions were too extreme. But each time I halted from the book and looked at the news, we were seeing pictures of race-related violence on the streets of Missouri, and that added a certain chilling possibility to the whole concept, and a feeling that, as a Brit, I can’t really know just how deep (or otherwise) the racial divide still is in the US. (That’s not to make any kind of smug point – we have our own race issues over here, too.)
There is some pretty graphic violence in the book, but it isn’t gratuitous. It is portrayed powerfully, but with a degree of restraint – it is clear that the author was trying to avoid being overly sensationalist in this regard, on the whole successfully. Martin is a very credible hero – we see him move gradually from feeling flattered by the attentions of these powerful men, to being confused and bemused, and finally to having to face some agonising moral dilemmas as he tries to work out what is the right thing to do. A modern, liberal, successful black man, he feels he’s moved on from the legacy of the past, but we see how close to the surface his sense of grievance still is in the hands of a clever manipulator, how easily he can be roused to anger and a desire for vengeance. It’s not only Martin’s life that is in danger, but his character – his own sense of who he is and who he should be.
There were some flaws in the book. It took a little too long to get going, and I continued to feel that these successful men wouldn’t have been so easily influenced by the somewhat simplistic spoutings of old Dr Kasim. I also felt the portrayal of the wives was somewhat old-fashioned, with most of them appearing to care only about manicures and hairdos, and which restaurant they would lunch in. (But maybe rich men really do still marry trophy brides!) But these flaws were minor in comparison to the strength of the main thrust of the story and in the second-half of the book, Smith built the tension very skilfully towards an explosive thriller ending. A layered book that kept me struggling throughout with the same moral questions as Martin had to face and finally left me feeling uncomfortable, as the author surely intended. One of the best thrillers of the year for me, and undoubtedly the most thought-provoking.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Faber & Faber.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When up-and-coming lawyer Martin Grey is hired to fight a racial prejudice lawsuit against a big corporation, he finds himself up against a fellow black lawyer, the slick and successful Damon Darrell. Pulling off a shock victory, Martin is surprised when Darrell shows up at the celebration party and begins to draw Martin into his circle of exclusively black friends. As well as growing to like Darrell, Martin sees how useful these successful and powerful men could be to his career so, although his white partner is a bit miffed at being excluded from the charmed circle, Martin allows himself to be flattered by their attention. So although he’s not an outdoorsy type, he agrees to join them on one of their regular white-water rafting trips. But as he’s enjoying the journey aboard the luxurious private jet, Martin suddenly realises they’re not heading in the direction he was expecting…
In some respects, this could be seen as a fairly standard thriller – good guy, villains, jeopardy etc. But the underlying premise is much more thought-provoking and quite disturbing. The title refers to the promise made to emancipated slaves that each would be given forty acres and a mule – a promise subsequently broken. Martin soon discovers that the group he has joined is something of a cult, under the leadership of the guru-like Dr Kasim, dedicated to taking revenge for the cruelties and inhumanities their forebears were subjected to under slavery. My first feelings were that it was all too far-fetched, that these men would not be angry enough several generations on, and that their actions were too extreme. But each time I halted from the book and looked at the news, we were seeing pictures of race-related violence on the streets of Missouri, and that added a certain chilling possibility to the whole concept, and a feeling that, as a Brit, I can’t really know just how deep (or otherwise) the racial divide still is in the US. (That’s not to make any kind of smug point – we have our own race issues over here, too.)
There is some pretty graphic violence in the book, but it isn’t gratuitous. It is portrayed powerfully, but with a degree of restraint – it is clear that the author was trying to avoid being overly sensationalist in this regard, on the whole successfully. Martin is a very credible hero – we see him move gradually from feeling flattered by the attentions of these powerful men, to being confused and bemused, and finally to having to face some agonising moral dilemmas as he tries to work out what is the right thing to do. A modern, liberal, successful black man, he feels he’s moved on from the legacy of the past, but we see how close to the surface his sense of grievance still is in the hands of a clever manipulator, how easily he can be roused to anger and a desire for vengeance. It’s not only Martin’s life that is in danger, but his character – his own sense of who he is and who he should be.
There were some flaws in the book. It took a little too long to get going, and I continued to feel that these successful men wouldn’t have been so easily influenced by the somewhat simplistic spoutings of old Dr Kasim. I also felt the portrayal of the wives was somewhat old-fashioned, with most of them appearing to care only about manicures and hairdos, and which restaurant they would lunch in. (But maybe rich men really do still marry trophy brides!) But these flaws were minor in comparison to the strength of the main thrust of the story and in the second-half of the book, Smith built the tension very skilfully towards an explosive thriller ending. A layered book that kept me struggling throughout with the same moral questions as Martin had to face and finally left me feeling uncomfortable, as the author surely intended. One of the best thrillers of the year for me, and undoubtedly the most thought-provoking.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Faber & Faber.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Forty Acres was a riveting, shocking read. Martin Grey constantly annoyed me with his out-spoken ways, but that was part of the integrity of the character. This book made me feel mad, indignant, and justified. This book truly is a thrilling ride. Like it or not, it is a ride you will not forget.
How is this not a movie! The only thing I did not like about this book is how it ended. I hate having questions unanswered. How did he get from the compound to the hospital. This book was incredibly good. Revenge is never a good thing-an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. No matter what, I just could not feel good or feel justified to torture someone. Good job Dwayne for writing a book that had me anxious to finish it!
What a great change of pace from books that I've recently read. Full review to come at a later date. 4 stars.
This book can definitely be a hard read at times but it truly makes you rethink the themes of revenge, fear, accomplishment, etc. All the while being a great thriller to read. I don't think there's ever been a black person who hasn't thought at some point what if the roles were reversed but here we're slapped in the face with that and just how problematic it can be.