Black Buck lives up to the hype! I was hooked after the first page and fully invested in Darren Vendor's story. Darren gets the nickname Buck, after leaving Starbucks to enter the sales world at a startup. Darren is the only black person at the company and has to deal with micro-agressions (and flat out racism) on a daily basis. We follow Darren as he navigates his new workplace, ambition and all that comes with it. There's a lot to unpack in this debut novel. It's a satire that takes on race, class, privilege, power and greed all while in a startup environment. The format was original and the writing was sharp. I can't wait to see what Mateo writes next.

Book review: ☆☆☆☆☆

Just as I’d started reading Mateo Askaripour’s scintillating page turner ☛BLACK BUCK, I was lucky enough to catch his Greenlight Bookstore conversation with fellow author Nafissa Thompson-Spires. I’ve listened to several interviews with Mateo since then, and am genuinely floored that, short of Nafissa and Spines & Vines creator and bookstagrammer Jamise Harper, so few interviewers and reviewers mention how the title of the book is provocative at best and racist at worst, intentionally so, but still. Nonetheless, I can’t front. It was both the title and vibrant cover design that hooked me.

First of all, I love every single time the main character breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader. Full confession: I legit wrote down most of Buck’s advice that he so gratuitously bestowed. I also love that the New York Times best seller is written like a manual and a “cautionary memoir.” More than any of that though, I love that the 24-year-old debut author created characters that still linger with me—the kind I find myself talking about, as if I know them personally, days after finishing the novel.

Take Darren/Buck’s 50-year-old, good-looking mother who could pass for 35 with makeup, 40 without, and who allows her son to occupy the entire top floor of the brownstone they own because “grown men need their space.” I know sis! His childhood best friend Jason that hugs the corner and struggles more than Darren to find his footing in life. Yup. Familiar. His wise, gardening downstairs tenant, Mr. Rawlings reminds me of so many of the elderly and spirited neighbors that I grew up with as well as the ones I currently chat with daily (from a safe distance and with our masks on). Wally Cat, the all-knowing hood philosopher is too real. Oh, and I can’t forget the main character, Darren—who is renamed Buck…by a white superior (for real)—a content 22-year-old Starbucks supervisor [also valedictorian of the elite Bronx High School of Science] who loves his job, his Yemeni girlfriend, his uncomplicated life and his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York until a convo with Rhett, a Starbucks regular who convinces Darren to work for him at his tech startup Sumwun.

While many described Black Buck as a satire, I did not read it that way at all. The micro-aggression that Darren experiences in an all-white office? Too real. Granted, as ridiculous as it is that six different white people ask Darren/Buck if anyone’s ever told him that he looks like MLK, Sidney Poitier, Malcolm X, Morgan Freeman, Dave Chappelle, or Drake, it’s still believable.

This book reads like a movie and the fact that there’s a Hollywood bidding war to adapt it does not surprise me. I rooted for Darren and hated Buck, then sympathized with Buck and missed Darren. I despised all of his co-workers, except one, ok, one and a half. I laughed a lot. I teared up a couple of times. My heart raced once, my bad, twice. And my mouth dropped open often.

I’m looking forward to the adaptation as well as more books from newcomer Mateo Askaripour. Salute.

Wow, this book blew me away!
There were several elements that made this book stand out to me:
1) I enjoyed reading about business from the black male perspective. I have only read a few fiction books set in the workplace and it focused on the female struggles, but not the black male POV.
2) The way Mateo wrote this story was hilarious. I loved how the narrator interjects in his own story to point out key details. It was almost like a personal development book, but not because its fiction. But I love how he blurred the lines between the two.
3) The story was so entertaining at the end of the day. While it encompasses important and relevant subjects, it had thriller tendencies as well. That ending was mind-blowing, and I did not expect all these events to happen.

This book is long because so much is packed into it, but it is worth the read. I can't wait to discus with the author on Feb. 15th!

3.5 stars. Askaripour spins a compelling and satirical debut... I just wished I enjoyed it a bit more. It was a little bit inconsistently paced; at times the story dragged on, at other points it went too fast. I thought the last third of the book was a bit ridiculous and was not satisfied with the ending. All in all, I would still recommend for people who enjoy satirical stories about wild start-ups and lavish living!

This book felt too smart for me. Probably closer to 3.5 stars, but rounded up. It was very engaging on the surface, but as a white woman working in education in a decidedly un-New York city, I think 80% of the social commentary went over my head. Mateo Askaripour is joining my book club for our March discussion (shoutout Bad Bitch Book Club!) and I'm looking forward to hearing him speak. I expect it will be one of those books where my feelings change after I've had the chance to talk through it and hear from the author.

A son a little lazy, happy pushing coffee at a Starbucks takes a job to please his mom and girlfriend. A mom afraid she will leave her son unprepared for the life ahead. A son with a gift for making customers pleased is spotted by a slick entrepreneur in the start up biz pushes said young man away from his comfort zone into the cut throat world of sales. So begins a spiral that takes a human toll, and the spiritual demise of Buck. As Buck achieves a large purse he loses that guiding light that kept him human. His mother’s death pushes him beyond redemption at least on the surface. A deep dive into what he has become helps him move a little closer to the man his mother envisioned .

Black Buck was a wild ride from beginning to end: not once could I say I was bored! Mateo Askaripour's writing style is dynamic, which made this book all the more intriguing. Part fiction novel, part satire, part informative, Black Buck contains something for everyone. The story itself was good---Darren was a complex character who transformed greatly throughout the book. Were his changes for the best? We'll get to that later! For now, suffice it to say, Black Buck is honest, raw, and powerful in its own way.

We follow Darren "Buck" Vender's path from high school valedictorian turned aimless Starbucks barista to hotshot startup salesperson turned mentor to those needing someone to take a chance on them. The good: there are many positive messages---from the importance of hard work to not letting work blind you from those who care most about you. Black Buck encouraged readers that they truly can go from zero to hero by believing in themselves and selling their value. The relationships strengthened and created through the course of these pages were inspiring and filled with depth. The bad: Without going into too much detail, at the end, Darren ends up worse than he started. To me, that's non-negotiable. It was unfortunate to see the author take this direction because it seemed to downplay the significance of the amazing transformation he went through and the accomplishments he was able to achieve. I was definitely let down by what I thought would be a story about a young black man defying & rising above this unspoken "self-fulfilling prophesy" he was destined for, only to meet that cliche after all. The ugly: the use of disturbing similes/metaphors in this book was unnecessary and distracting. The crude comparisons and stereotyping only took away from the many outstanding points & thought-provoking dialogue.

Ultimately, while Black Buck fell short for me in terms of plot development, I enjoyed the raw, human emotion that was put on full display and the valuable lessons on priorities and hard work.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Mateo Askaripour for the ARC of Black Buck in exchange for my honest review.

I have way more respect for what I believe this author was trying to pull off to show a POC perspective. However, there is a lot about this book that I can't even put in words how confused or in ways incomplete this novel is. The cover is literally so nice.

This is the story of a young, unambitious black man who is jappy being the way he is despite repeatedly being encouraged to want more. One day, he convinces a hot shot CEO to pick a different drink at Starbucks and somehow lands himself a new job in a sales startup.

Darren's new job at this seemingly dream startup full of perks sounds too good to be true because it is; instead he finds a group of adrenaline junkies, bullies with a cult-like sense of worship for money and success. But he toughs it out, and just over the course of a few months he changes completely, from the kind guy who used enjoy his free time with his girlfriend to a shallow wannabe workaholic, among other things.

The writing style is a mix of colloquial language, slang, and little sections addressing the reader directly that were fairly humorous and insightful.But, for a satire, Black Buck is daring with its "jokes", relying heavy on race discourse. Frankly, I didn't find it minimally funny.

I liked the critique on the sales world and American consumerism, but not much else.
Overall, I just didn't like this book, it wasn't for me. I kept on reading it because I received a free copy from netgalley but I would've stopped long ago if I had bought it myself.

Confession: This book sat on my Kindle shelf for a long while because I tend to shy away from finance fiction. After seeing several glowing review, I finally dived into the story of Darren's serendipitous fall into the society of sales, a land hugely occupied by affluent white employees whose larger-than-life behavior sets him on high alert. At first. As time passes, however, Darren, i.e. Buck, hones his natural talent for sales and soon becomes a different man than the Starbucks employee of his past. With each passing month, Buck's whitewashing transformation removes him more completely from the community that raised him, one that now worries that Darren won't be able to find his way back. Sharp and witty, Askaripour's firebrand debut novel is a must-read for lovers of intelligent, satirical social commentary.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Digital Review Copy!

Definitely a different book...I kept reading but it was a hard read. I didn't like the slang that was used but overall it was a good story. It really showed how environment can change a person. I am not sure if I would recommend this to my friends are not because it was a difficult read. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Black Buck, it was so enlightening.

The character development on Buck was one i liked a lot, the plot twists were so good, the humor I loved and the satire in it was beautiful.

Black Buck shows us what's wrong with our society, it shows so much that a certain people have to go through while also teaching on sales which i think is applicable in any aspect of life and career.

Darren aka. Buck starts out selling coffee at Starbucks (just another drug, as he calls it). His journey as a salesman changes dramatically when he is offered a corporate job, by complete chance. After the plot takes numerous turns, the ending is unexpected, yet round and satisfying. For someone who works in sales at a tech company, this hit home. The sales simulations, the phone calls, the constant trade off between what is moral and what is not, the Barry Dees of the world (a clear unapologetic hint at Gary Vaynerchuck), these are all elements of an accurate depiction of the sales hustle - which the author Mateo Askaripour does very skilfully. The novel is a satire, about how diversity is just a buzzword being thrown around in the business world, and how people of color are too often a "token" made to earn a company credibility. They are however held to a much higher standard than their white counterparts, and they need to make bigger, often painful compromises to adhere to them. Overall, an enjoyable, funny and light read with a strong message.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this copy!

Buck works at a Starbucks, is able to convince Rhett, who comes in every day and orders the same thing, to try something different. After Buck is right, Rhett begrudgingly convinces Buck to come and work for his company, Things then change for Buck and not necessarily for the betterment of him or society.

I kind of think I understood the message in the book, but truthfully I'm not for sure. Some parts seemed to drag and It got a bit interesting around maybe 50% for me. Then parts of it turned stereotypical, which were the parts I really didn't enjoy. It was ok, just didn't seem like the right book for me, but It probably will be enjoyed by others

Black Buck is a phenomenal debut, and I look forward to what Mateo Askaripour decides to do next. It's a creative, sometimes hilarious, many times disturbing, all the time brilliant look at what the corporate world can do and often does to people of color, specifically Black folks. The microaggressions and overt racism are on full display, and there were times when I wanted what I was reading to be satire, but I knew it was all too real. It was not always my cup of tea and I think it's going to be a polarizing book, but I think it's a very necessary book to read. I enjoyed it. Content warnings: racism, violence, cancer, death of a parent, drug use, one instance of torture

My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy.

Welcome to Darren's world. A young man working at Starbucks who convinced a guy to change his drink, which in turn changed Darren's life. This satire is part memoir (of the fictional character), part self-help, part madness. Darren enters into the start up company, Sumwun, and learns to be the sales man of all sales men. As the only Black man within the company, he not only gets hazed the most, but he's also used to help Sumwun get out of some trouble when things go awry. The book touches on racism, the start up/corporate toxic culture, ambition and how money and power can inexplicably change a person.

I was rooting for Darren until he turned into a pompous ass. Then I rooted for him again when he decides to use his skills to help other minorities get the chance that he was given and in which he has excelled (but at what cost). And then I was mad again and how he treated them. But I also cringed at the way Darren was treated and applauded when he proved himself over and over.

I did feel myself losing interest toward the last end of the novel and was happy I decided to listen to this after hearing how amazing the narrator is and Zeno Robinson KILLS it. I also think that maybe satirical reads aren't really my thing, but I do appreciate how well Askaripour brings Darren to life.

First let me say, if you are in sales, looking to get into sales this would be a great book to read. I really enjoyed how the author was able to drop in tidbits of sales advice throughout the book. I also feel after finishing this book I could pitch water to a camel, but I digress.

Overall this book was ok-good. I felt the book started off really strong, I was invested, I needed to see how this opportunity presented to Darren turned out. From getting the job to the sales training, the author was writing fire! I did think the middle dragged a lot, entirely too much for my taste. It then began to spiral into the unlikely and ridiculous and I kinda wished his editor had reeled it in a bit. I also felt the book went on for much longer than necessary and a lot of the same conversations kept repeating.

Black Buck took me on a rollercoaster ride like nothing I’ve experienced in recent memory. Toward the very end of the book, I had an insight (or, more specifically, asked a question) and shifted my perspective accordingly. Then, the whole book opened up for me and became so much more interesting...

Prior to that insight, I appreciated the satire (especially early on in the book), but had problems with character and plot... The characters seemed one dimensional. The decisions they made seemed unjustified. Without my ninth-inning insight, I probably would have given Black Buck a three-star rating. Good, not great.

Now, I highly recommend the book—and not just for the satire that hooked me in the beginning. Regardless of one's interpretation, Black Buck is a page-turner and highly readable. It drags at points, but when it's good, it's really good, and it raises a lot of questions. I'm eager to discuss this book with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the digital copy of the book!

What to do when the writing is good but the characters drive you crazy? You continue reading. Darren follows is a young black man that works at Starbucks as lead barista with a black apron and all to signify his position. Twenty-two and chose not to go to college, he lives with his Mom who holds out hope he will live up to his potential.
An unusual encounter with internet start-up wunderkind, Rhett Daniels, while he is ordering coffee, sets Darren's trajectory to riches and fame. But at a cost. First of which is his name which is quickly replaced with Black Buck shortened to just Buck.
Black Buck seems to be both a novel similar to The Wolf of Wall Street and a guide for potential salespeople. In a different font between chapters of paragraphs, the reader will come upon snippets of advice from the author or character extolling the potential of previous content found within the novel that can be used for people out there selling. It's a novel device that works within the context of the story.
But, the overall awful people that populate this story cannot overcome the locals and family of Darren.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 Stars. This book really takes you on a journey. A journey and a half indeed and in a really short time. This debut is part sales handbook, part self-help treatise, part contemporary exploration of race in Corporate America, part cautionary tale, all sly but astute humor.

The premise is that Darren (known as Buck after his glow up) is a young, unambitious man from Bed-Stuy, NY, who lives at home with his mom and is perfectly happy with his job as a barista and occasionally hooking up with his girlfriend in his childldhood bedroom, despite having been an academic highflyer in high school. One day, he gets the chance of a lifetime to join a prestigious tech start up where he gets a baptism of fire into the harsh world of corporate America as a young, black man and learns some difficult life and professional lessons on the way.

I really enjoyed this book. Quite alright it’s not my usual cup of tea but from the blurb, I was fascinated by a book that simultaneously promised sales skill building, self-help and humorous fiction. I’m far enough in my career now to know that all of us in the workforce, no matter our fields, are selling something even if we’re not technically “in sales.” I had to pick this up and I wasn’t disappointed. This book dragged my emotions from pillar to post here, there and yonder, but it was also filled with a lot of useful tips (about sales and about being a professional in an environment that wasn’t intended “for you” and about succeeding in life) that I think would apply to anyone whatever field they’re in. I’m very impressed with this debut novel and the story that the author tells of success and failure and change and equal opportunity through it. I’ve never read anything quite in this style before. It’s one of those that you read wondering whether it’s truth or fiction and are halfway to googling to find out if it’s a true story. This has some humour to it but it’s definitely more satirical than laugh out loud, and more than humour, I’d celebrate it for being a fast-paced breezy read with a truly deep, visceral emotional punch. You read this knowing that the author and the character had been through or truly understood the experience of microagressions and outright racism, the push and pull of wanting to be more than your past, wanting to be better than you were raised, but again not wanting to alienate your people and culture and those who “knew you when.” It’s a story about recognizing your humanity and making devastating mistakes, but also making amends and knowing you can always go home.

The feelings that this book stirs as I’ve said, we’re all over the place. I was angry and upset, I was relieved and happy, I was sad, I was judgmental, the twists and turns of Buck’s (Darren’s) experience had me questioning a lot of things about contemporary American society and even Black American society and male friendships and family dynamics. This book made me consider what success really is and how much change and growth in a person is desirable and when does it get toxic- what should we leave behind and move on from as we reach for success and what do we forgive and how far do we go for old family and friends? I think this book did a little too much foreshadowing in the telling so there was sort of an air of impending doom as I read, which made it sometimes a little hard for me to pick it up even though it was otherwise a really compellingly-told story. The ending was a bit of a surprise and I wasn’t in love with it, but I think reading the last page, I can grudgingly admit it fit in well with the book and I’m glad I read this. I highly recommend this- it’s good and would be great for discussion in a book club because there are so many bits of this to discuss and analyze. I think this would be a perfect bridge book for someone who doesn’t read a lot of fiction but likes self-help.

Many thanks to the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with a complimentary copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.