Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

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

26 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

There is so much contained is such a short book. I really enjoyed the author's reflections and interjections about the contents of the essays in the audiobook.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, Suicide, Police brutality, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Death

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Police brutality, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

erinmcav's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Police brutality, and Death

Minor: Islamophobia

bookbrig's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide

savvylit's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Suicide, and Racism

danimcthomas's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Classism, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Violence

annejmartin's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Violence, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Racism, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Hate crime

emmasbelovedbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Suicide

beezinda's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Insightful collection of essays that perfectly explore the swirl of identity, race, grief, change, and music. Genuinely beautiful prose and masterfully evocative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Police brutality

blackberryjambaby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Homophobia, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Terminal illness, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Drug use, Child death, and Alcoholism

Minor: Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Pedophilia