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beckbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
kimmeyer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
stellarsphyr's review
3.0
I was very excited about this book and had been following Moore for a while. It was a refreshing representation of a voice too often ignored. However, I was expecting more development and an overarching narrative. Perhaps that shaded my perception of a memoir more keen on snippets and developing a human-ness to a voice than in wallowing in details.
The book is more vignette than anything and seems to flash by good and hard truths too quickly. It seems like Moore perhaps is willing to engage in some subjects (a difficult task for any memoirist) but still keeps some experiences at arm’s length. It’s a fair thing to do, of course, considering the subject matter. As a reader though I wanted to say “we’ve come this far, can we go a little farther? I don’t just want to know but I need to feel.”
The book is more vignette than anything and seems to flash by good and hard truths too quickly. It seems like Moore perhaps is willing to engage in some subjects (a difficult task for any memoirist) but still keeps some experiences at arm’s length. It’s a fair thing to do, of course, considering the subject matter. As a reader though I wanted to say “we’ve come this far, can we go a little farther? I don’t just want to know but I need to feel.”
alexis_maturana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
jonapelson's review
4.0
A powerful memoir that also acts as a contextual social commentary. I really appreciated how he dove into the surrounding forces (both internal and external) that shaped his life. I especially loved that Moore was honest about his role in society's systemic issues like toxic masculinity and the patriarchy. it is rare to get such a wrenching, honest look into a person's history. His ability to consistently speak about the moving pieces of socioeconomic class, race, gender, and sexuality at the same time is also seriously impressive.
I leave with this quote that stopped me dead in my tracks (pg 108) - "Queerness is magic for those brave enough to make use of it, but it can feel poisonous for those who have yet to give in to its power."
I leave with this quote that stopped me dead in my tracks (pg 108) - "Queerness is magic for those brave enough to make use of it, but it can feel poisonous for those who have yet to give in to its power."
whtbout2ndbrkfst's review
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up. I appreciated the research / historical context provided for events unfolding in his personal life. There is a ton of insightful commentary on systemic racism, misogyny, violence, internalized hatred, stereotypes, and homophobia. I think because of the title I expected this memoir to be a bit more balanced by joy, but Moore’s story focuses primarily on violence and the trauma (personal, familial, systemic) he experiences. Definitely a hard look at the many ways we (personally and societally) fail those in the margins … especially our poor youth
finnthehuman217's review
5.0
So I was at a reading by Darnell L Moore back in February at my school. He read the part of the book about being queer and having his first experience with a boy. It was so eloquent. No accolades can make it clear how important this man is to our society. He organized the freedom ride to Ferguson, he helped serve on the the Newark City LGBTQ advisory board. However, Moore is also human. He had struggled with accepting himself and his sexuality for a while. His struggles are ones that many queer people face during their time both in and out of the closet. His book resonates with me after the countless murders of trans Women of Color this year. Moore’s personal fight against Anti-LGBTQ violence in the inner city of Camden, NJ is still sobering in a year where we are supposed to be celebrating 50 years of our queer liberation but the same group of people that started this whole mess are being murdered in the streets. I was at the rally on Stonewall Day on June 28. And there was a protest against the silence of the murders of trans women. There is a national march on Washington for trans visibility on September 28 and these women were chanting “we will not be erased” and holding up the banner for the march. We need to be aware of how we react to some murders and not others. And Darnell Moore’s book explains how to deal with violence by fighting back.
awkblackgirl's review
5.0
Darnell L. Moore has blessed us with such a beautiful, brilliant memoir that offers an important telling of what it means to grow up Black, male, poor and gay in Camden- a place historically and presently rejected and brutalized by the state. He uses eloquent prose to weave together a narrative that gives voice to what it means to hide in plain sight, exist on the edges of margins while searching for identity in dark places, and fight for freedom despite the gasoline doused on you. In this book I found a gripping story of trauma, longing, reckoning, and intense Black love that left me profoundly moved. It is a book about unbreaking and unlearning, about leaning into healing and hope. A must read for anyone wanting to better understand how racism, homophobia and patriarchy intersect to form the conditions that make life as Black queer person particularly vulnerable.