This review is part of Melody’s Summer Reading: Diversity Spotlight. Enjoy!
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
Narrated By: Dion Graham and Ilyasah Shabazz
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Candlewick on Brilliance Audio
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Running Time: Unabridged | 8 hours and 56 minutes
Source: Free via Summer 2015 Sync Program
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Cowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world.
I am Malcolm.
I am my father’s son. But to be my father’s son means that they will always come for me.
They will always come for me, and I will always succumb.
Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that’s nothing but a pack of lies—after all, his father’s been murdered, his mother’s been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.
But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory when what starts as some small-time hustling quickly spins out of control. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can’t run forever.
X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.
Review Checklist:
characters, relationships, themes, story, structure, fluidity, conclusion
X: A Novel is everything I expected and much of what I hoped it would be, making this a solid read fit for anyone looking for the greatest novelization of Malcolm X’s life. Because who better to write or in this instance, co-write such a novelization than one of Malcolm X’s daughters? What a way to get to know one’s own father by writing a story of their childhood!
This was a very well executed novel, which is very tricky since it does follow a real life historical figure but the fiction intermixed with X’s real life was seamless. It felt fresh because it was fresh in the details. That said, this would best be read after reading the nonfiction pieces of work about and/or by Malcolm X just so the reader is aware of what’s real and what’s been delivered to us here in this account where we are given an even more emotionally gripping handle on a young Malcolm X.
Speaking of emotionally gripping, the complexities of what it means to be black and racism and class and how all of this is seen in not just one place but various locations across the United States, across a number of years was fascinating. Yes, I am a black woman but I cannot speak to another black person’s experience (especially from before I was born) nor will we always have the same perspective on things and constantly, there is always so much to work out about the black experience so getting to see this experience, this experience that goes down in history…seeing the turning points from a young Malcolm and the racial injustice that accompanied him, knowing how his arc on his journey of self discovery and knowing how story ends, this story captivated me. It was so insightful and compelling. I think this would be quite a sweet treat to those in school learning about Malcolm X today. A great companion to the assigned reading.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel which was pretty good. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with the narration, the narrator’s voice is very calming, almost to the point that I fought falling asleep. So. That’s a bit problematic since the audiobook is basically nine hours long and I’m extending that time when I have to go back a bit and pick up where I fell off at because I was too busy getting lost in the voice and not the words. Ha! Drink a strong pot of coffee for this audiobook. Redbull. Increase the speed of the audiobook so you’re forced to really focus. Something. This issue aside, this was a solid audiobook and I love how much depth the narrator gave to each character. They really felt like distinct characters and that believability is so important in audiobooks. Great job, there! In a nutshell, if you’re planning on reading X: A Novel, consider making this your historical fiction choice for the summer!
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon is available today.
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