“Well.
I have mixed feelings.
The book is a fun read, no doubt.
If you like Petey Wheatstraw, this is about as close as a book is gonna get. If that comparison made you smile, you’re gonna want to read this.
That said…
The book is written in a language that a lot of white people here on Goodreads are calling “urban vernacular” and shit like that:
So in his mind, he equates that wit FRIENDSHIP
As long as he kan git sumpen frum you.
You gotta be kareful.
Basikally.
What’s weird, though, is it’s sometimes the way a person would speak, like typing “ion” instead of “I don’t.” But sometimes, it’s something like “kareful” where, far as I can tell, you’d pronounce it the exact same way.
And mostly, it’s both.
Here’s what makes me suspicious: it’s consistent, far as I can tell. I flipped through a bit, and I can’t find a “can” anywhere, just “kan.” “Mite” and “rite” are both consistent, two different words, both spelled incorrectly in the same way.
It makes me suspicious that Duvay Knox knows exactly what he’s doing. Because if this was the true way the book was written, I think you’d have flip-flops and inconsistencies. Things would be misspelled in inconsistent ways.
This is a just a longshot hunch, okay? Not an indictment.
Because this book isn’t a bad thing, and I’m not trying to say that we’re being taken for a BAD ride. I liked the ride, I was entertained, so it really doesn’t matter whether this is a huge persona someone’s putting on. I’m game.
I don’t really give a shit whether something “feels” gritty and real or actually is gritty and real, same book as far as I’m concerned.
I’m just curious if anyone may perhaps recognize Duvay Knox as their English professor or something someday.
And just know: No fair going back and changing your opinion on this one later if we find out Mr. Knox is a Guggenheim fellow or some such shit.
Just sayin.
I loved the book, I had a good time with it, and I think a lot of you will like it, too. It’s weird, it’s got an unusual voice, and it’s short enough that the extra brainpower it takes to read it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
I kind of want Duvay Knox to be a street genius, and I also kind of want him to be an ivy leaguer who just wanted to try something weird, see what happened.
I think those are shades of the two most likely outcomes, and either one leads to interesting questions and answers, so we’re good either way. “