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barefootsierra's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Murder, Homophobia, Slavery, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, and Colonisation
brittanykroeckel's review against another edition
5.0
The use/re-visitation of The Mecca, the black body, the dream, the struggle, and other ideas brought a cohesiveness to the book despite it shifting to different ideas. I noticed some other reviews saying they did not like the writing style. While I will admit I did get lost a few times and had to reread parts over again, this is a message from a father to a son -- and we are privileged in being able to enter that intimate space. These ideas are complex and challenging -- the writing reflects as such.
Graphic: Hate crime, Police brutality, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Slavery
serenspace's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Slavery, and Racism
nebulous_tide's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
Moderate: Classism, Death, Hate crime, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Homophobia
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Gun violence, Dysphoria, Confinement, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Trafficking, Police brutality, Slavery, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Genocide, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Grief, and Cultural appropriation
dreadspawn's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Slavery, Colonisation, Violence, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and Death
meghan1111's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Classism, Racism, Sexism, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Death, and Hate crime
Minor: Child death
gossamer_lens's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Rape
keyradiator's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Violence, Classism, Police brutality, Racism, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Slavery, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Gun violence
sellnow_hannah's review against another edition
5.0
A truly beautiful, moving, and poignant memoir. This is written as a letter to the author’s son about life in a black body in the world of the Dreamers. I read this at the same time as I was listening to The New Jim Crow and this was a great combination. Between the World and Me puts a personal face on some of the themes explored in the more academic New Jim Crow.
Coates’ writing is incredible - almost poetic at many points. I was in awe of his skill and the beauty of his words (and now I want to read his articles for The Atlantic).
As a white, educated woman this book - more than any other I’ve read - made me look closely at my own privilege. While I can never fully understand the experience of living in a black body, this gave a raw, personal, emotional insight into the lives of people Coates describes as living in another galaxy than myself.
I agree with the quote on the jacket, this absolutely should be required reading. This is a book to come back to again and again.
(I don’t rate memoirs below a 4 star because I think it takes a lot of courage to be this vulnerable and share your life story. So for me 4-4.25 is good, 4.5-4.75 is great, 5.0 is fantastic.)
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Slavery, Murder, and Police brutality