e-ARC, 288 pages
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Read from: January 3-12, 2021
Stand-alone
Source: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from the Edelweiss in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Use of the n-word, mention of the KKK and hate crimes, mention of racism in prisons and court rooms, a loved one in prison, & suicide (shown on page)
For fans of: Memoirs, Biographies, Historical, YAThe Awakening of Malcolm X is a powerful narrative account of the activist’s adolescent years in jail, written by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz along with 2019 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe award-winning author, Tiffany D. Jackson.
No one can be at peace until he has his freedom.
In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken — emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X.
Here is an intimate look at Malcolm X’s young adult years. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on black power, prison reform, and civil rights.
*MY THOUGHTS*
If you’re like me and don’t like history, this might sound unappealing to you. But you will be so wrapped up in the story that you won’t even think twice about the facts. Like me, you will learn so much about someone you thought you already knew about.
“American dream Papa used to talk about that. ‘How, whenever they came up with that talk, it wasn’t meant for us Negroes. […] This world doesn’t give a damn about our dreams.”8%
This depicts the early years of Malcolm’s life while he was in prison. It chronicles his life from the different prisons he was in, how he taught himself to read by copying the dictionary, and how he came to be a man of the Nation of Islam. This story is an in-depth look into the life of Malcolm Little as he became the historical figure of Malcolm X.
“They could destroy me, kill me… if I let them.”16%
I know this book was mostly about him finding himself and learning who he was, but I wanted more. I wanted to see more of his life outside the prison walls. After all he went through, I wanted to see more of him outside, being free. And not just from the flashbacks. Especially since those were kind of confusing. (In the e-ARC anyway. It wasn’t really broken up by anything.)
“If you aren’t careful, newspaper will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. -Malcolm X.”45%
I wish there had been more of an explanation of some things. Some of the things they were saying weren’t fully explained and if you weren’t already familiar with it, you were probably lost. For example Betty is introduced at the end. If you don’t know who she is, you probably were lost. I know this is a teen book and we would hope they would go look it up, but in the event that they don’t, they might not know who she is.
“I mean, on what ground did God give white people the authority over man, the authority to dehumanize us with the law on their side…”63%
The writing style was of course impeccable. She couldn’t have chosen a better writing partner than Jackson. As someone who’s not a fan of historical fiction, I fell into this story like any other. It took me a while to read it because of some disturbing things that happened in the USA and I was so wrapped up in seeing some of the same things said in the book being said or done in real life. It was disturbing.
“…you might be fine with accepting scraps as gold. But I never will be.”85%
Before you decide to read this book, take a look at the trigger warnings. This book is not for the faint hearted, but it’s definitely not one to miss! Don’t be put off by the genre, give it a chance and learn something new!
Overall, I give this
