Black Buck - 4.25⭐

Thanks to @Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out 1/5 or pick it as an add-on to your January botm box! I think this book is best to go into blind, it was a treat.

Super quick synopsis: Darren, a Black 22 year old valedictorian living at home in NYC and working at Starbucks, is recruited for a sales position at a start-up called Sumwun.

My thoughts: I loved this book and stayed up way too late not able to put it down - it's one of my top 2 reads of December. I was hooked from the author's note at the beginning. The writing style (the narrator is writing a memoir/self-help/sales guide) was really fun & fresh, and the interjections from the narrator to the reader actually taught me a lot about sales -- and life! I thought the satire was done quite well; I had moments where this book made me chuckle and just as many times that I physically cringed. As someone that works in HR, there were so many angering moments, by how horribly Darren was treated and targeted by his white co-workers. There were also some really good lessons here - like how some get an unfair advantage in life by getting a leg up on the competition and can't even recognize it. Throughout the 400-pages and over the 2 years the book takes place, there are turns in several different directions; not shocking plot twists necessarily but the story moves in totally different directions. This kept me engaged and interested throughout the novel.

Read this: If you also enjoyed The Boys' Club, I think you'll like this. While very different from each other in both plot and writing style, I couldn't help but think back and compare. Themes of power imbalances and mistreatment of women and minorities in a high pressure NYC company were both present. With both novels, my feelings for the main character evolved throughout the story, as we see them both change into very different people than how we were introduced to them.

A note on content warnings: While there are multiple here, I wanted to draw attention to two of the more unexpected ones. This novel has several instances where the r- word is used in character's dialogue. I understand that it's unfortunately still used by many in conversations as a way to demean (and no doubt used by those in a position of high power...), so while I hate it, it's not necessarily a knock on the book. I also noticed, that while the reader is provided education and facts on Tourette's syndrome, which a character has, it's also used as a device for humor. Please keep this in mind if either could be trigger for you.

I waited a long time to get my copy of this book, mailing snafu, emails back and forth, etc. So was it worth the wait? Oh my word, YES! This was everything I was hoping for. It was smart, funny, satirical, and I couldn't put it down.

Darren is working at Starbucks (Buck is his nickname) when he encounters CEO Rhett. Darren sells him on a coffee and off the story goes. Rhett sees potential in him and offers him an interview. He gets the job in sales for an internet startup called Sumwun. Imagine "The Wolf of Wall Street" kinda place. Will he succeed or go sown in flames.

This is SATIRE. I will say it again for the people in the back, this is SATIRE. crazy smart satire too. The entire book was funny with a running joke throughout the entire book and made me laugh out loud several times. Another title could be the world of white sales according to a black man trying to find his way. Buck goes through some nasty changes too. While trying to emulate his coworkers, he becomes that slick salesman we all know and hate. He alienates friends and family.

So why 4 stars, I didn't love the ending. I understand why but still, it left me with a bad taste. hasty to take away a whole star, maybe but I am ok with that. I really didn't enjoy the ending and wanted nothing more than to put it down, walk away, and hope the ending changed.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and author for providing me with an advanced copy to read and review.

First thank you to HMH for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do i even begin? This book was a rollercoaster. And quite frankly i don’t even think rollercoaster is the right word—maybe adventure is better.

I personally feel that there is no way to review the full content of this book without giving anything away because this story weaves so many things together that if you say one thing you reveal another.

I have read Askaripour’s personal/critical essays prior to reading this debut novel and i feel that prepared me for what to expect. In a 2019 essay he discusses Willy Loman (death of a salesman) and race in America. This truly is the precursor for understanding the wild ride we are in with this novel

It’s not hard to see the parallels between Darren and a character like Willy Loman; however, more was at stake for Darren. Yes there’s the survival (read as financial state) of his family but also Darren is bearing the weight of the entire Black community on his shoulders at his job at Sumwun. That is present thru the constant celebrities his white co workers say he looks like.

There were multiple cringe worthy moments, but yet those moments seemed to fit the culture of the type of place this start up was/is.
The hardest part for me with this book, tho (besides the use of the r word), was the amount of characters names to keep track of at sumwun and other locations in the book.
I enjoyed that the book was split into parts, reminded me of a play being split into Acts that are designated to tell a specific story.

I thinks askaripour does a fantastic job writing a satirical story about start up culture in America. The use of symbolism thru the name BUCK is actually brilliant because it takes on very different meanings throughout the story.

Just like with death of a salesman, BLACK BUCK seeks to address the cruelties of capitalism but instead of focusing on the white American dream it focuses on the Black dream (necessity) of survival and longing to thrive instead of just survive.

There are so many themes here and i think this book would make a good book club pick for discussion. I think overarching the book is well put together and tells a story that we’ve seen before (kind of) but never with a Black person at the center.

Black buck is an awesome read. I went in not knowing what to expect, certainly not expecting the end twist, but I enjoyed the experience. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about sales and companies and everything you have to do to get ahead in that world, and this book shows the ugly and the uglier. It certainly made me mad most of the time, mostly for all the things that would be said and done to the main character. I liked how the story develops and how it flows as movie. I liked, but didn’t like, how the author represents the sales environment. It’s not my go to genre but I did enjoy it a lot, it definitely changed my perspective on how I act and how I take in my environment. It’s a great read, I can’t recommend it enough.

If I were a HS English teacher or a college English professor, I would assign this book to my class. I've been ruminating on this for a few days and I think now that I'm finally extracting my analysis and putting it into words I have much more of an appreciation for what this book is meant to do. What the author has accomplished here is pretty remarkable. The more non-POC who read books like this and supplement that with research and conversations from POC, we can work towards really trying to make things better. With that said, the skeptical part of me thinks that if you choose to read this then you're already trying (and maybe already willing to really look at how things are), but the more we can get books like this into the mainstream and into our classrooms or in front of young people who don't recognize this as their life - we can maybe, just maybe help open eyes that might have otherwise been closed.

While I was reading my rating was all over the map. After finishing it, I initially didn't like it. I told myself to stop being so old and out of touch. As I previously mentioned, it has taken me a few days to analyze this and while this is an extremely provocative book with a lot of extremes, I think there is a lot of value here. If you don't feel like you were just slapped in the face after reading it, then you're either too close to what this is about or you need to try reading it again. You should also feel really uncomfortable at times (at least I hope you do).

What I think worked in a lot of ways for me about this was that it was written as a sales manual. I liked how the narrator would talk to the reader and provide context on certain things that were happening to further illustrate a point. (The end was particularly clever.) What I was a little confused by was the rapid transformation of Buck. I felt his descent into vile behavior was a little too rapid and rushed, but I haven't seen much else about this from other reviews so it might have just been me.

I predict this book will be on a lot of lists next year and I hope it catapults Mr. Askaripour into the limelight. He has a lot of talent and I look forward to how his next book will challenge me too.

Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt & Co and Mateo Askaripour for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

Review Date: 12/29/2020
Publication Date: 01/05/2021

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. 
 
I initially received a preview through Bookish First Impressions of Chapter 5&6.
This excerpt begins with Darren Vender who seems to be satisfied working at Starbucks and hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya. He is swooned to work for Rhett Daniels, CEO of Sumwun a start up company as a sales representative. This seems to be a fortuitous opportunity for him to change his family’s financial situation. His mother works for a chemical company and has a letter of interest on the sale of her home, “should she need” it. He assures her that he will be successful and alleviate any financial woes. 
 
On his first day at Sumwun he feels like he walked into the twilight zone. Aside from being the only black person he seems to be surrounded by hyped up loud and obnoxious sales team. It seems they give all newbies nicknames which coins him as “Buck” due to him working at Starbucks. Every Monday is Sales Week fury and excitement celebrated with food and drinks. He is flummoxed when white paint tips in his head as a “welcome joke” so he wouldn’t be the only Black person. This story had me cringing as I wondered what lengths the sales force will go to achieve success! 

Although labeled as satire some parts just didn’t feel too funny for me. When things seem too good to be true they usually are. Being the only person of color at this company certainly made him a target for Clyde who was determined to see Buck fail. The company is oddly representative of all things inappropriate with the names of the conference rooms to team groups. When Clyde claims not to be racist you know it’s because he is the definition of the word. He is a totally unlikeable character who is unfortunately present in most work places.

Buck represents the epitome of what one can achieve with determination and hard work. He literally bucks the status quo to prove he is worthy of success. There are many times when he wants to quit and go back to Starbucks where he had more control over his day. The story does end chapters with side comments and advice in a clever manner. Bucks internally processing is amusing as he maneuvers his way though obstacles that don’t appear for other employees.

The author states that he wrote this book as inspiration for other struggling black workers to realize it is possible to be successful. If you are not a person of color then you will most likely get a sense of how life experiences can be different based on the color of your skin.

At twenty-two, Darren’s loved ones worry he isn’t living up to his potential in his job at Starbucks. But when he gets a sales job at a New York tech startup, he recreates himself as Buck, an aggressive salesman who behaves nothing like before. Can he reach the top when he’s also hit rock bottom?

This is a really sharp, entertaining, satirical novel about startup culture. It's clever and relevant, but it's also just great storytelling. Buck's journey was invigorating and infuriating in equal measure. I honestly couldn't put it down!

Darren is 22 and perfectly content living with his mother and working at Starbucks. One day, he impresses a CEO of a hot startup in the building he works at, as Darren convinces him to change his coffee order. The CEO, Rhett, offers Darren an opportunity in sales at his company, Sumwun.

Darren has his doubts in his first hellish week of training/hazing, as he is the only Black person in the company and so endures larger hurdles put in place by his white superiors. He is dubbed “Buck” since he came from Starbucks, and eventually earns a reputation as a ruthless salesman. As he becomes more successful, he starts to shift into someone that his friends and family no longer recognize.

In a string of unfortunate occurrences, Buck digs himself deeper into a hole, and pays the consequences. But the real story is his comeback.

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to see a clear path forward.
This was a totally unexpected satire on microaggressions and overt racism in the workplace. The writing was hilarious, and kept me interested throughout. Buck’s journey from being someone who was likeable but complacent, to someone who you just want to shake for the decisions he starts to make.
I loved the way this was written, it was witty but at the same time drove home the ugly reality of systemic racism in America’s workforce, and gave a new perspective to what the “American Dream” could look like.

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Interesting read! “Black Buck” is part satire, part sales 101 manifesto. It’s perfect for young people who are just starting out in life—those who are interested in their big break.

It’s a quick and easy read that will keep you thinking about your job and your purpose. And how people can change (for good or bad) once they change their job, housing, colleagues, etc.

At the beginning of the book, our 22-year-old narrator, Darren Vedder, gets plucked from his supervisor role at Starbucks in Manhattan. Not only does he have the “it factor,” he’s demonstrates it by upselling one of his regular’s on his order. Turns out, that customer is the CEO of a successful startup. Begrudgingly, Darren takes a chance on a new job opportunity as a way to help his widowed mom who he still lives with in Bed-Stuy (Brooklyn).

The mission at Sumwun, the startup with a cult-like culture, is to sell a “vision.” And their sales training is intense! Suddenly Darren and his fellow trainees are thrust into the company’s “Hell Week” (one guy doesn’t make it through the first hour). Everyone new on D’s team has a nickname and his becomes “Buck” (because of Starbucks). And since Buck is the only Black person at the organization, there’s a ton of racist dialogue and social issues mixed into the narrative.

Of course, things soon go array at Sumwun. Will Buck sell his soul for his white colleagues? Or will he save the day? Will he ultimately change who he is? Or stay true to himself and those who he grew up with? What is the vision he’s really selling?

In a 2020 interview, the author Mateo Askaripour explains that he, too, was the director of sales development at a start-up at age 24. “I always told stories,” he says. “I made my emails a creative writing exercise, a narrative. Writing was an escape, but now it’s my life. And Darren is partially me. My journey and my book are one and the same. I feel a level of responsibility to help people.”

Darren is a 22-year-old black (sales)man on a mission. He lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mom. He's content working at Starbucks, hanging out with his girlfriend and eating mom's home-cooked meals. He is not living up to his potential...yet.

When Darren meets the CEO of NYC's hottest tech startup, it results in a job offer to join the elite sales team. Darren goes from taking coffee orders to working on the 36th floor as the only black person at the company. He takes on a new persona starting with nicknaming himself "Buck" and turning into a ruthless salesman. All in or all out, is his philosophy! Then a bunch of stuff happens prompting Buck to help young people of color to infiltrate America's sales force.

Satire at its funniest. Crackling with one-liners. Reminiscent of The Wolf of Wall Street and The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Razor-sharp delivery. Author Mateo Askaripour came through with a hilarious debut novel that explores race, ambition and a different interpretation of the American dream. Add Black Buck to your reading lists for the new year!

Happy Early Pub Day, Mateo Askaripour! Black Buck will be available Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

~LiteraryMarie

This. Book. Is. Wild. I would highly recommend it - Black Buck is definitely going down as one of my favorite books of the year.

Black Buck tells the story of Darren Vender, a young, smart, ambitious but hesitant 20-something Black man working at Starbucks. A chance encounter with the CEO of a fancy start-up, Sumwun, leads Darren to a job and a whole new world. But that new world is rife with danger, casual racism, and continuous challenges. As Darren's star rises, his morals deteriorate, asking the question: Can you have success and wealth without losing yourself? There is so much more to this book but the reader needs to find it out and be ready for a wild ride.

The racism that Darren faces at Sumwun, in corporate America, and in life might seem like a lot to people but it feels so true. There are different levels of racism in this book: the casual microinvalidations that Darren experiences as Buck at work; the more outright racial violence that comes from colleagues and the internet; the gentrification; the way the news treat Black people and elders. All of that feels extremely real and as a Black person, I have experienced so much of it. I am a bit frustrated by the reviews that stated that things that happen in this book feel extreme: those kinds of statements are microinvalidations in themselves, invalidating lived experiences of Black folx.

One important thing to note is that the book is written as a how to guide on steps to take to become an amazing salesman. I loved this - it made the book unique and gave Buck such a strong voice. Overall, I absolutely adored this book. It made me laugh, it made me extremely frustrated, it made me outright angry. I hope everyone reads this amazing book.

Black Buck is about Darren/Buck who by chance gets into the sales world. It is funny at times. However, my favorite parts are the more heartfelt parts. His personal relationships are well developed & so well written that you will laugh & cry with them.

I didn't like that Buck at times would throw a casual joke about mental illness or suicide. But this was mild enough for me to personally look pass. It should be noted for those who might be triggered by it.

This is a story pointing out overt & casual racism. The plot of the core story is one that feels while reading it like it weaves in & out but when you arrive at the end it make sense.

People who enjoy dark satire will enjoy this book. People who are character driven will enjoy this book but I believe people who are plot driven will enjoy it as well.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC: The title of this book is in keeping with the satire of the story. Buck--aka Darren--is a happy if underachieving young Black man who suddenly becomes a salesman for a somewhat ethically challenged startup. He is subject to overt racism and harassment constantly and the experience leads through a coming of age story. He punctuates the book with advice to salespeople which are pithy and often at odds with the character's lack of insight in the moment. Buck's story is compelling and while the book feels a bit uneven at times--ultimately the story of a young man who is swept up by an opportunity that is loaded with hostility, almost warfare and treachery but ultimately becomes an advocate--which is also met with hostility, etc is a worthwhile read. An interesting book and the protagonist's arc as he leaves his comfortable and loving family for upward (?) mobility creates an multileveled book.

In the vein of other startup novels like The Circle and startup memoirs like Uncanny Valley, Black Buck is a satirical startup novel viewed through the prism of race. Darren, a 22-year-old barista (hence his corporate-bestowed nickname, Buck) is lured from the easy life of coffee service to the cult-like hell of a startup that is "disrupting" counseling services. The company, Sumwun, sells corporations on zoom-based counseling for employees. But what Darren endures during his training goes well beyond the fervor of company pride and he is subjected to blatant aggressions as the sole Black employee of the company. And what follows is life-changing for Darren and everyone he knows. The plot is propulsive and lightning-fast, raising the melodrama and satire level. Readers are asked to examine their own biases and must also suspend disbelief to get to the end. Overall, Black Buck examines the ideas of saleship and adherence to personal, tribal, and corporate allegiances. Buck's relationships are mostly superficial, though he seems to yearn for more.

It’ll take me awhile to form my full thoughts, but this was one of the most memorable books I’ve read in a long time. It’s dark satire that’s compulsively readable- Bucks a character you can’t look away from. Reminded me of Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s We Cast a Shadow. Great for book club. I

This book took me on a rollercoaster. I went from laughing, scratching my head, to crying, shaking my head, getting upset, and feeling happiness over again. This story focuses on Darren "Buck" Vender who enters the WWW (World White Web) / corporate world. He was used as a guinea pig to save his company from bad publicity, but ended up trashing his personal life/friends in the process of building his professional life. This book does a wonderful job of exposing the perceptions that corporate America has about Black men entering the chat. We get to meet characters that we have all encountered, including that one racist who is in denial about being racist. We get to see the perspective of a "token Black" man in the corporate sales world. Towards the middle of the book, I found myself really disliking who Darren had become, Then, as he was on the path to becoming a better person, the book took more twists and turns. This was definitely an entertaining read.

Black Buck was a great read! I loved reading about the wacky world of sales and the culture of a tech startup. Some of it seemed awfully outlandish, but somehow I don't doubt that it hit pretty close to the mark. It was really interesting to see the rise and fall of "Buck" and witness how he grew and changed over the course of the novel.
I thought the whole cast of characters was interesting and entertaining. While there were many unlikable characters, it totally fit the story and didn't take away from my enjoyment of it.
I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I just didn't know where it was going to lead. It definitely took some unexpected twists, which added to my overall enjoyment of the book.
One of the things I liked most about the book is that while it is fictional, it's written like a memoir and sales handbook. The reader is given lots of sales tips (most of which actually sound like valid, helpful tips for anyone in sales). I loved the inventive way they were worked into the book.
Overall I found this a very enjoyable book that manages to tackle some heavier topics while still being a light read.

Wow.
This is quite the commentary on corporate culture, capitalism, racism, and so much more.
When we first met Darren he is an underachiever, afraid to take advantage of an opportunity, but fully content with where he is in life. Soon he becomes unrecognizable.
This book was, justifiably, hard to read. The treatment of “Buck” in the workplace was abhorrent.
This was twisty, at times funny, and probably too close to a lot of POC’s real life experiences.
This left me with a lot to think about.
I also wish we could have a different ending, but I do know that was the ending the book was working towards however.
But, this book was very well done. Definitely need a hard copy on my shelf.

This debut novel from Mateo Askaripour is a great way to start 2021. It's the story of Darren Vender, a young black man content with his mediocre station in life yet full of the talent & intellect to be more. Everyone of significance in his life recognizes his potential and tells him so yet when a job opportunity presents itself in the form of a white man from corporate America (the most trusted form of white man) Darren finally sees the light and becomes the token Black Buck. "F*ck the old Darren...I'm Buck."

Satirical literature is rarely done right but Black Buck hit all the marks for me. The striking title and cover had me immediately. The book reads like part memoir, part horror story, part self-help book, part cautionary tale. I had moments where I wanted to hug Darren and then throat punch him, moments where I was proud of him and moments where I felt shame and sadness. I never quite got him and that's what I loved. Set in the fast paced world of the startup/sales culture This book hilariously tackles the issues of racism, cultural appropriation, loss and much more. A well written and entertaining story.

The language is different from what I am accustomed to while reading a novel.

This novel is a modern novel. I thought that the language and the dialogue was reflective of the current generation of young adults.

The protagonist is a young biracial man whose mother has high ambitions for Darren. Though he does not seem to have ambition and is happy working as a barista at a coffee chain.

While reading this novel by a new to me author, I feel as if I am watching a movie. I think fans of modern fiction will enjoy this novel.

Note: I received a free digital copy from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers in exchange for an honest review.