A review by jayisreading
X by Ilyasah Shabazz

adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

This was an interesting coming-of-age story of Malcolm X. I think it’s safe to say that most people aren’t familiar with who Malcolm X was before the addition of the X to his name, so this book was a great look into his younger days. The authors—specifically his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz—confirm this book’s authenticity, of course, with a few artistic liberties taken.

Admittedly, I wasn’t all that invested in this book. I thought the social, cultural, and historical aspects of the book were really fascinating. Shabazz and Magoon don’t sugarcoat things to really show the injustices that Malcolm X and Black people faced during the 1930s and 1940s. I think what made it difficult for me to get through this book was the way the story was told. I don’t know how accurate the personality of Malcolm X’s younger self was in this book, but I found him to be a frustrating protagonist. I guess when you’re young, though, you’ll often make life choices that, when looking back, were questionable at best.

Despite some of my issues (which, in the grand scheme of things, aren’t major), I think this book is a great introduction to Malcolm X for young adults. It’s also worth checking out if you’d like a storytelling approach to Malcolm X’s life (specifically when he was younger).
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