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annieebeeonly1's review
3.0
This book is real, raw and necessary. If you haven't added it to your TBR you need too.
whateverlydiareads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
cami19's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
Copeland is an East Oakland teenager from a run-down black community who gets sent to Juvenile Detention for trying to disinfect building mold with a chemical that was determined to be a flammable safety threat. Once out, he is hustling sneakers when he meets someone who gives him the opportunity to attend a prestigious prep school. But trouble still follows him. The odds are stacked against him.
Copeland's community, long neglected by the state, is now being gentrified and his family is losing their home. Police have been privatized. There have been numerous reforms for "Youth Control." Black boys get sent to a toxic detention facility for minor infractions. Copeland's world is so similar to the actual world, just a little worse.
This sounds like a dystopia, but because Copeland is so aware of the workings of the system, can see the propaganda, has a knowledge of the history, where society is headed and why, and is full of clever insights, it is a clever gem that made me LOL. Please listen to the audiobook. The actor who reads Copeland is hilarious.
This book gives a voice to a marginalized youth and those that gentrifiers have displaced. Copeland is a victim but also a hero, displaying his own moral code, attitudes, beliefs and strong spirit. I didn't think it needed the Jaqueline parts, but I still give this 5 stars.
Copeland's community, long neglected by the state, is now being gentrified and his family is losing their home. Police have been privatized. There have been numerous reforms for "Youth Control." Black boys get sent to a toxic detention facility for minor infractions. Copeland's world is so similar to the actual world, just a little worse.
This sounds like a dystopia, but because Copeland is so aware of the workings of the system, can see the propaganda, has a knowledge of the history, where society is headed and why, and is full of clever insights, it is a clever gem that made me LOL. Please listen to the audiobook. The actor who reads Copeland is hilarious.
This book gives a voice to a marginalized youth and those that gentrifiers have displaced. Copeland is a victim but also a hero, displaying his own moral code, attitudes, beliefs and strong spirit. I didn't think it needed the Jaqueline parts, but I still give this 5 stars.
tinamayreads's review
4.0
THE CONFESSION OF COPELAND CANE by Keenan Norris is a great novel! In this book Copeland Cane tells his life story about growing up in East Oakland, California in the very near future and how he became a fugitive.
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I found the writing took some getting used to as it’s told in African American Vernacular English but it really felt like Copeland’s own voice. I really enjoyed the format to the writing and how all was revealed. Copeland went through so much in his high school years. This novel brings up the issues of racism, police brutality, education disparity, and coming of age as a minority in America.
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This is a book I took my time with and read slowly which is rare. It’s thought provoking and I won’t forget it.
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Thank you to Unnamed Press for my advance reading copy!
.
I found the writing took some getting used to as it’s told in African American Vernacular English but it really felt like Copeland’s own voice. I really enjoyed the format to the writing and how all was revealed. Copeland went through so much in his high school years. This novel brings up the issues of racism, police brutality, education disparity, and coming of age as a minority in America.
.
This is a book I took my time with and read slowly which is rare. It’s thought provoking and I won’t forget it.
.
Thank you to Unnamed Press for my advance reading copy!
eric_roling's review
2.0
I couldn't connect with this story - possibly it was due to a combination of the elevated satire (not my cup of tea) combined with the dialect in which Cope speaks, which pulled me out of the story with the repeated "they"s for "theirs", etc. The story itself is compelling, another tale of the headwinds and obstacles that are placed in the way of a Black boy trying to grow up in and around Oakland, CA. There is much to think about, and Cope oddly wavers between naive and profound, likely an artifact of the author wanting to say important things while ensure that Cope is a victim of his circumstances rather than actively bringing them about. There is much to think about, but other books have done this better.
caitieh's review
5.0
I read this book for ToB 2022. It wasn't what I expected, and in a good way! I loved the vernacular - it felt like a friend telling me his story. The narrative was meandering but never boring. So timely and prescient.
jumbleread's review
3.0
Takes one to the world of ghettos, disadvantaged and poverty ridden communities, full of courageous and creative humans, making their way in the world.
boygirlparty's review
4.0
One of the most compelling character voices I’ve read in recent years. The ending wavered for me a little, but i LOVED this book.