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A review by lilybear3
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I wish I had read this book earlier. I don't have a lot of words to describe this experience. In short, it was incredible and it is a must-read for everyone. Abdurraqib's writing is beautiful and accessible. There is so much emotion, it is impossible to keep it all in while reading. He has inspired me to think about the ways music has impacted and interwoven itself in my life.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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