Scan barcode
babybearreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a messy, beautiful joy to read!
The book opens with our main character, Deacon Cuffy Lambkin, aka Deacon King Kong, aka Sport coat, shooting the streetcorner drug dealer, an act he does not remember (because he was wasted drunk) upon a young man he knew very well, even coached in baseball. Then even more question marks come into play in this 1969 Brooklyn neighborhood -- will the local drug kingpin get back at Sportcoat for killing his guy? Where is the treasure hidden that Tommy Elefante has to find, one that his father held onto for decades? Where did Sportcoat's wife, now deceased, hide the church Christmas gift money?
It is a wild ride watching all these threads unravel, full of so much heart and love for humanity. You'll laugh (there are some amazing slapstick scenes) and you'll cry -- McBride gives you a window into this community and I didn't want to leave at the end.
The folks in this neighborhood are not protected or cared for by the systems of America, and they know this. As they see the signs of things about to get worse, not better, the residents of the Cause housing project choose to be a family and support each other despite everyone's flaws, to face and survive -- perhaps thrive -- in this world TOGETHER. This book is hard to put into words, but I couldn't recommend it more.
The book opens with our main character, Deacon Cuffy Lambkin, aka Deacon King Kong, aka Sport coat, shooting the streetcorner drug dealer, an act he does not remember (because he was wasted drunk) upon a young man he knew very well, even coached in baseball. Then even more question marks come into play in this 1969 Brooklyn neighborhood -- will the local drug kingpin get back at Sportcoat for killing his guy? Where is the treasure hidden that Tommy Elefante has to find, one that his father held onto for decades? Where did Sportcoat's wife, now deceased, hide the church Christmas gift money?
It is a wild ride watching all these threads unravel, full of so much heart and love for humanity. You'll laugh (there are some amazing slapstick scenes) and you'll cry -- McBride gives you a window into this community and I didn't want to leave at the end.
The folks in this neighborhood are not protected or cared for by the systems of America, and they know this. As they see the signs of things about to get worse, not better, the residents of the Cause housing project choose to be a family and support each other despite everyone's flaws, to face and survive -- perhaps thrive -- in this world TOGETHER. This book is hard to put into words, but I couldn't recommend it more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Gun violence
keatynbergsten's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Gun violence, and Drug abuse
This book got so much hype and just didn't live up to it for me. While I did enjoy the book I think I may have liked it more if I weren't expecting so much.annareads9898's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
James McBride is phenomenal writer and this book was absolutely fantastic. I loved it so much (the characters were incredibly loveable despite their flaws) and when I wasn't reading it all I was thinking about was how I wanted to be reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Police brutality, and Rape
More...