I would actually give the book 3.5 stars, but I don't believe in rounding up for things like this. Coates uses unremarkable vocabulary and old ideas, but the book is certainly worth the read. It's an in-depth look at the black male experience. He does not attempt to say that his story is the one story, quite the contrary- he gives examples of stories that are unlike his own. The novel it written in the form of an anecdote-filled letter to his son, and the ideas are woven together beautifully. Each section introduced a subject that is clearly different from but also clearly related to the last one. I'm not sure if I would read it again, but I definitely plan to pass it on (and my children will for sure read this).