Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

18 reviews

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful relaxing sad medium-paced

5.0

 - THEY CAN’T KILL US UNTIL THEY KILL US might be the single best essay collection I’ve ever read in my life. Abdurraqib is one of those writers who is able to cut clear to the heart of existence in just a few sentences, and I’m continually in awe of his craft.
- It does help that I was big into the 2000s emo scene, which many of the early essays in this book center on. No, YOU cried about Fall Out Boy while reading this book!
- It’s not just about the music, though, it never is with his writing. Music is life, and it illuminates what it’s like live in Abdurraqib’s body in this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Racism, Murder, Cursing, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Slavery, and Suicide

shoohoob's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.75

 I loved this so much. As a musician and lover of music, reading how Abdurraqib so vividly talks about music is amazing. The way he just weaves artists into stories of his life and experiences is impactful. I’m not usually a big non-fiction/essay reader but I am so so so glad I picked this up and read it. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I knew/heard all of the artists he talks about, but the ones I did know HIT. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Islamophobia, Racism, Death of parent, Police brutality, Xenophobia, and Grief

meganpbell's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This poignant, perceptive, and piercing collection of essays explores, through pop culture, primarily music—from Chance the Rapper to Bruce Springsteen, Carly Rae Jepson to My Chemical Romance, to name just a few!—such subjects as race, class, gender, privilege, police brutality, gun violence, grief, growing up, joy and community, and so much more.

I think not being a major or well educated music fan probably hurt my experience of this book, but I’m still so glad I read it and think anyone can enjoy and benefit from reading it. I highly recommend listening to a playlist of all the songs mentioned as you go! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Sexism, Grief, and Racism

boneloose's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Death, and Death of parent

tenderbench's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, Death, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide

toffishay's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Racism, and Violence

smallredboy's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective fast-paced

5.0

I loved this book; I truly didn't understand the concept of a lyric essay until I got into Abdurraqib's work. He makes reading about anything and everything interesting, even topics I have no interest in. Although, of course, the topics I do have vested interest in did call out to me more: I nearly cried while reading "Fall Out Boy Forever".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Islamophobia

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

If you haven't yet read Hanif Abdurraqib's writing, you are missing out. Absolutely stellar.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Suicide, and Islamophobia