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A review by johnnyb1954
Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I would love to see how Gabriel Bump would write this book ten years from now. It’s a good debut novel but could be better.
Claude is a lump of clay being molded by time and place and people he lives with. Most everyone in his life leaves one way or another until he finally leaves his family for college in Missouri. But he can’t escape being black on America.
The book is like a series of scenes put in chronological order. More character and message based than plot based. It is a short book and not all the key characters are really fleshed out.
The white characters are ridiculous stereotypes, which I assume is intentional - just the way white authors often create back characters.
The humor in the book doesn’t always work for me but I appreciate the attempt to balance drama and lightness.
Some of the scenes seem like they don’t contribute to the story but maybe I missed the point.
Most of the book was compelling, though.
Claude is a lump of clay being molded by time and place and people he lives with. Most everyone in his life leaves one way or another until he finally leaves his family for college in Missouri. But he can’t escape being black on America.
The book is like a series of scenes put in chronological order. More character and message based than plot based. It is a short book and not all the key characters are really fleshed out.
The white characters are ridiculous stereotypes, which I assume is intentional - just the way white authors often create back characters.
The humor in the book doesn’t always work for me but I appreciate the attempt to balance drama and lightness.
Some of the scenes seem like they don’t contribute to the story but maybe I missed the point.
Most of the book was compelling, though.