Review: Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: January 2021

Darren has been working at Starbucks for four years. The shop is in the lobby of a Manhattan office building and he frequently has the same customers. Rhett Daniels is one of them. When Darren convinces Rhett to change his regular drink order to something that will make his day go smoother, Rhett decides Darren must come and work for him. Darren soon realizes he is the only black person at the company. They change his name to Buck and he becomes a different person. A person, his family, friends and girlfriend no longer recognize. When tragedy strikes, Darren is forced to take a closer look at the life he is living and decides to take a different avenue. He decides to train more people who look like him, to be in positions held by white people.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning. It has been compared a lot to The Wolf of Wall Street. I listened to the audio and the narrator they picked for this book was spot on. If you have never heard the author talk about his book, the passion he has for it, then listen to him and then listen to this book and you will see what I mean. I love how Darren talks to the reader in this book. It makes you feel like you are on this journey with him. He gives you advice along the way and it made me feel like I could go out and conquer the world.

I was able to listen to this 12 hour audiobook in two days, so that should give you an indication of how good it was. Whether you listen or read this book, it is a must read. I want a physical copy of the book now, because there were so many quotable moments, that I was not able to capture by listening to the audio. Something I learned from listening to the author speak, is that a lot of the names for the white people in this book were taken from people who were significant in enslavement history.

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Review: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: January 2021

This book is a prequel to The Hate U Give. This book tells the story of Maverick, the patriarch of the Carter family, and how he got to where he is now. At the age of 17, he is a senior in high school, a member of a gang has one child and his current girlfriend is pregnant. Hustling isn't going to work anymore in order to take care of his family.

I loved this book I think even before I started reading it. After reading The Hate U Give, I wanted to know more about the other characters in the book. Starting with Maverick, one of the most complex characters of THUG was a great place to start. I would also like to have a book about Seven and his complicated life that he lives with his parents who used to be friends but aren't any longer.

Maverick is leading a hard life, but one that is supported by a strong mother. His mother has his back through everything he goes through. She is supportive when she didn't have to be. We should all wish to have a mother like that. She wasn't really a part of THUG, but I would have liked to have seen more of her.

What do you do when you have so much on your shoulders and you aren't even an adult yourself? It's a lot for anyone to handle, let alone a child. If you liked THUG, you'll love this one.

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