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bashsbooks's review against another edition
4.75
So the context easily gets a 5/5, full stars from me. Read the essays, read them again, read Abdurraqib's other work. Keen-eyed observers will notice, though, that I only gave this 4.75 stars. Why?
Well, I listened to the audiobook production of They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, and it is a super interesting listen... but it's not the same text as the text versions. Firstly, Abdurraqib adds in a lot of author's notes, editoralizing in a way that I can sympathize with because he came back to this text to read it for the audiobook a few years after publishing. Secondly, one essay is not conveyable verbally - it's an erasure essay, and Abdurraqib notes that he couldn't figure out a way to speak it without compromising the piece. I grabbed a physical copy of the book from my library to read that essay ("August 9, 2014"), and I agree with his assessment that it wouldn't be an easy one to read aloud.
The fact that the audio and written version of the book are different isn't a bad thing per se, but it is a complicated one. And so I don't consider my rating a mark against it as much of a signal/acknowledgment that I read a different version of the text than people with physical or digital copies.
All that said - my favorite essays from this collection were "Under Half-Lit Fluorescents: The Wonder Years And The Great Suburban Narrative," "Death Becomes You: My Chemical Romance And Ten Years Of The Black Parade," "Nina Simone Was Very Black," "Serena Williams And The Policing Of Imagined Arrogance," and "The White Rapper Joke."
Graphic: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Death, Police brutality, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Cursing, and Suicide
Minor: Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Murder, Drug abuse, and Drug use
blackberryjambaby's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Islamophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Terminal illness, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Drug use, Child death, and Alcoholism
Minor: Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Pedophilia
imstephtacular's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Gun violence, Grief, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Cursing, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexism, Bullying, Slavery, Child death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Minor: Religious bigotry
lilybear3's review against another edition
5.0
You don't have to have heard all of the artists, albums, and songs he mentions to read his essays, but I feel it might help. He gives readers the vibe of his references and it's pretty easy to understand how the music fits in the context. It will certainly open the doors to new-to-you music. I listened to Carly Rae Jepsen's Emotion after reading the first essay on it and, again, why did I wait so long to listen?
His stories and experiences on being black in the United States are a number of things: difficult, informative, joyful. Empathy is one of the most important feelings to be human. I read the 5th anniversary edition, the first edition was published in 2017. He writes on the turbulent year of 2016 and shortly after. What he has to say in this book continues to be relevant in 2023.
As a person who resides in the Columbus area, it was interesting to learn about Columbus through his perspective. I don't know a lot about the city, I've been here a little over a year and half. But knowing Columbus isn't a requirement, just a little perk.
I look forward to reading more of his work. I cannot recommend this book enough. It might be cliche to say, but my life was changed by this book.
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
Minor: Addiction
shoohoob's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Death, Islamophobia, Racism, Death of parent, Police brutality, Xenophobia, and Grief
toffishay's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Racism, and Violence