Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala

15 reviews

meganlikesreading's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

A really well written book which reflects on the concepts of race and class through both a personal and informative lense, giving readers an insight into Akala’s own experiences with the two topics, often in an interweaving sense as the two major societal concepts work together to give power and privilege to some, and simultaneously disempower and disenfranchise many.

This has only resulted in the extreme issues of inequality and inequity that we have seen throughout history and will continue to see if change is not made where needed. 

Akala’s writing style is very fitting, as he introduces these complex historical events in a way that contextualises them and makes the reader think about their own position in society, and how that impacts themselves and those around them.

4.5 stars; would definitely recommend for its important reflection on racism and classism and their prominence in British society and the lasting impact of the British empire.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Slavery, Police brutality, and Violence

waybeyondblue's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Classism

Moderate: Racial slurs, War, Slavery, Islamophobia, Genocide, Violence, Police brutality, Gun violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Cultural appropriation

selimhannah's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Classism, Slavery, Colonisation, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Islamophobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Violence

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Sexism, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Deportation

rmannion's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Thoroughly-researched and based on often seemingly watertight arguments, this is an important and fascinating examination of class and race in modern Britain and the world. I certainly learned a lot and underlined a lot of pertinent passages.

I sometimes got frustrated with assumptions made about the reader's knowledge of 20th century politics and history (I did have to get my phone out and Google a few things along the way, ngl). However, overall, Akala has a very distinctive written voice that is a pleasure to read. 

I am now eager to try some of Akala's YA novels and to get to grips with how he communicates such complex ideas to a younger audience.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery

epellicci's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

I struggled to keep up with some of the history in Natives. There is a lot of it and I’m very bad with keeping timelines organised in my head, so it did make the beginning of this book, where these details are most focused, a little tricky. But that is not a reflection of the writing.
 
 Natives is impassioned, which made it a brilliantly engaging audiobook. Superbly preformed and packed with individual testimony alongside the fact, it presents the human cost of class and racism in a way that could only be ignored by wilful ignorance. I found it reflective, uncomfortable, and engaging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Classism, Police brutality, and Slavery

Minor: Deportation, Genocide, Cultural appropriation, and Religious bigotry

esme_may's review

challenging emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.5

Everyone in the UK should read this. It would make a great introduction to reading about race as well, it's petty accessible and the narrative voice is delightfully sarcastic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Violence, Racial slurs, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Antisemitism, Bullying, Classism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Genocide, and Blood

Minor: Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Rape

jasleen14's review

challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Racism

beca_reads's review

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Hate crime, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, Cursing, Gun violence, and Religious bigotry

thesinginglights's review

medium-paced

5.0

Akala is one of my favourite thinkers. Clear-eyed, well-informed, and just overall interesting. This is a brilliant blend of Akala's life and the socio-political context that informs him: he being a mixed-race man growing up in London, a fact that made his white mother be disowned by her family.

His story informs aspects of race in the UK from history and concurrently with his life, argued with accessible prose, similar to how he speaks in public. That's part of the draw: it's informative without being overwhelming and speaks deeply and broadly on topics. The one thing I would have liked a bit more of is his reflections on his adult life, of his music career and where he is currently. We get glimpses of it (especially for racial profiling) but the bulk of his personal stuff is from his childhood, especially when he was being a "roadman" in his teens.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Slavery

britgirlreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, Classism, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, and Hate crime