Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Long Division

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Long Division by Kiese Laymon

16 reviews

fraeyalise's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Edit: Unfortunately, I read the digital copy as that was the only copy at my library and from reading other reviews I really missed out. Apparently, in print it's a book you read half and then flip over. I would have LOVED to experience that reading it the first time. :c

Original review: What a beautiful, weird piece of Southern sci-fi. Really glad I picked this up.

At some points, I'd feel confused, but not in a bad way, or a frustrating way, but in an intriguing that-was-not-what-I-expected way. I loved the main characters constant "random" questions that were never really random. I loved the layers in this book. I'm absolutely positive it will give up more secrets on a re-read.

The part where Shalaya gives up Baize to change the future, though, that was super hard to read. I couldn't have done it. I couldn't look my son in the face and then choose a different path to where he doesn't exist.

I wish the book had been more explicit in the end about what happens to them and their family. And I wish I had a more concrete why on how the two Citys were connected.

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miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I knew this was gonna be clever but i was still not expecting most of what happened here and im also pretty sure i missed quite a lot also

‘I bet no one else knows how truth can change except the sky’

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sarah984's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Fascinating time travel novel with great characters, use of place and language, and mind bending meta elements. Dark and sad and funny and hopeful all at once, and full of characters I'd love to meet. Some parts were a bit confusing to me (what was up with the cat??) but if you can handle that I highly recommend it.

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imofmw's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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cassielaj's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is… confusing, funny, smart, and intricate. I started confused and ended even more confused, but I was intrigued throughout. The writing is great and it definitely makes you think.

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meemawreads's review against another edition

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challenging lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I picked this book up because I was intrigued by reading half a book, flipping it over, and reading the book-within-the-book next. I’ll admit I’m not smart enough for time travel stories, but I still LOVED this book despite my confusion.
In the first book City Coldson, a Mississippi teen in 2013, comes across a strange book with no author in which a kid named City Coldson is the main character… but in 1985. I read that this was initially published with the books in alternating chapters but the author intended it to be read this way, so even though I was confused I’m glad I experienced it as intended. I adore City and the voice of this whole book, I love the playful language, I admire the ability to write kids who don’t understand everything without coming off as adults playing ignorant. If you have the patience and are comfortable not knowing everything, this book is a fun ride. Four and a half taters 🥔🥔🥔🥔🍠/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

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taratearex's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A completely unique book, I'm still not sure I understand what happened but time travel and magical realism does that to me. A character driven story of a young Black boy who finds a strange book that leads to a time travel mystery. Clever word play and fantastic prose, delving into heavy themes with humor. One of those books you just want to start over from the beginning to catch everything you missed.

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