A bit outrageous of a book, but that's the point. Enjoyed it, though sometimes pretty uncomfortable. Reminiscent of being around incessant microaggressions in the workplace but blown up comically.

I put off starting this books for reasons I don’t even know. While some parts were satirically cringeworthy, it kept my attention and I enjoyed the journey. Some of the time jumps did catch me off guard, but was easy to get back on track. I can’t wait to see what Askaripour comes up with next.

This is Wolf of Wallstreet with a black lead and it was a ride! Our book club had the best time discussing it. We thought some of the pacing felt a bit disjointed but overall, we found the novel incredibly entertaining. Mateo Askaripour is an author to watch for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley for an electronic ARC of this book.

Is Black Buck supposed to be satire? I think so, but "satirical novel" didn't jump out at me. Darren works at Starbucks and gets offered a sales job at a start-up. He's the only Black employee and is called "Buck" (reference to him working at Starbucks previously). The story is his journey of losing and then finding himself. I found it to be a little up and down,

Interesting premise with a funny narrative style and funny side characters. The beginning and middle of the book are stronger, and the ending kinda fell off a bit for me. I do like how Darren/Buck learns a lot of lessons along the way, but I don't like at all how the story ends.

Admittedly, satire isn't normally my thing, but this sounded so interesting--and it was! This book is structured kind of like a memoir meets a self-help book, which worked better in the beginning than it did later. There is some thoughtful commentary on workaholism culture and racism, but the author misses the boat on his treatment of women and disabled or other-abled people. While some of the writing is intelligent and witty, some of it is cringe-y and so unrealistic; some of the characters motivations are questionable and not clearly developed. This is a strong debut. 3.5 mixed feelings stars.

I absolutely loved Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. It was funny while at the same time being unsettling. I read a lot of books by women and that I don't think the men in my life would enjoy, but this was refreshing because I feel like I can recommend it to ANYONE! A great commentary on workplace harrassment and racial microagressions. It is listed as satire but the haunting part is how many of the "absurd" parts are truly rooted in reality. The voice of the main character was fresh and fun. GREAT boook!

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley and all options are my own.
A book full of twists and turns paired with good writing. This book details the rise of Buck, formerly Darren and the changes, both good and bad, that arise as a result of this. It includes many themes including racism. There is a lot of depth in this story to explore and it is an addictive read.

I really enjoyed Black It is an interesting portrayal of how people change when they earn more money and success isn’t always a good thing. Black Buck is a great story which does a great job of portraying race issues.

Darren leads a moderately successful life, in charge of a local Starbucks, and happy at home with his longtime girlfriend and his mama. But all of them know that he can do more with his talents, and so when a recruiter from Sumwun comes for Darren, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. But you know what they say; be careful what you wish for.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
When Darren changes jobs, he moves out of his familiar surroundings, comfortably populated with people of color, many of whom he has known all his life, to a corporation where he is the only Black man. He is demeaned and subjected to almost every possible stereotype and racist trope, but he perseveres, because this is a sales job, and the timid and weak stand no chance at all. He knows that the longer he stays there, the stronger he’ll get, and as far as that goes, it’s true. When a disaster befalls the company, it’s Darren that pulls it out of the water. And then again. And again. And yet, the crap thrown by others keeps hitting him.

The magic of good satire is the recognition it draws, the moans and the nods and the headshakes. The author tells us in his introduction that the book is written for Black people, and it doesn’t take long to see why Caucasian people may not relate as well. Even those of us living in mixed families can only glimpse the edges of what Black people put up with; even so, I do find myself groaning and chuckling as the story progresses.

This is a strong work of fiction and an impressive debut, and I recommend it to everyone that knows that Black Lives Matter, and especially to those that only suspect it’s true. I look forward to seeing what Askaripour writes next.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. I was not able to finish this. It was very hard for me to get into. Appreciate the opportunity to read it!

What a wild and fun ride while being poignantly relevant to the current state of affairs. I devoured this well written novel in hours while both smiling and laughing. I'm so glad it is receiving g such praise.

When I say that this book hooked me from the start, I mean it! I had never read any book quite like this before and it truly did not disappoint. This story follows Darren who was working at Starbucks when a higher up in a start up comes on and picks up on darrens natural talents for that world. Darren is apprehensive at first, but eventually agrees to check it out. This book is so dark, and full of satire which was so interesting to read. The writing in this was so well done, everything flowed and I never felt bored. I loved the way that with each chapter we got to a deeper layer of what was going on. Askaripour always used this story to represent how this society is for so many POC who are struggling to get into these large corporations and how this society was built to keep them down. Overall this is a one of a kind read, and I think this would make a fantastic audiobook!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

This is like The Devil Wears Prada for the tech industry, in that it's about a character who sells his soul to a career that he would have barely cared about before actually entering it. This was also such an interesting perspective to see, about being one of very few people of color in a particular workplace, because we see how even when the main character is the best dressed person there, people say he needs to dress better, etc.

I really enjoyed this novel disguised as a self-help sales guide. Our protagonist, Buck, is recruited from Starbucks to work at a tech sales firm. We follow his highs and lows in his new career. Even at his worst, we are still rooting for Buck. The characters were fully-fleshed out and the narrative included conflicts over race without getting “preachy.”

This book has really stayed with me, weeks after I finished reading it. It’s an ambitious book, and honestly I think it is perfection. It embraces the weird possibilities of the genre and pushes them forward, creating something utterly unique. I especially appreciate the way this novel works on so many different levels, while remaining an engaging, at times hilarious read. Depending on your background it might be good to brush up on your history of blackface minstrelsy in the US, as that’s something the novel works through in different ways. But I think there’s something for all readers here. I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done.

This was an important, quirky, well-written novel. It covered some hard-hitting issues like race and the workforce. I think this would be an absolute perfect choice for a bookclub pick or even two friends discussing it over coffee. There are some really well thought out ideas in this book and it was a wholly inspiring read. Extremely refreshing. I am so grateful to Netgalley for exposing me to titles I may not otherwise have known about. Definitely recommend.

Summaries of this novel call it a satire, but some of it feels all too realistic. Whether it's the excesses of bro culture in the tech startup world, or the blatant racism Darren faces on his quest from Starbucks manager (the origin of his "Buck" nickname and the novel's title) to the only Black salesman in his new company, these descriptions sound plausible, if outrageous. Which may be the mark of good satire, I don't know.
I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. The hero sounded like someone to root for, someone leading an underground movement to train an army of salespeople of color, but Darren spent too much of the novel acting like a jerk. He ignores his loving mama, stands up his girlfriend, and turns his back on his community and friends for nearly 70% of the book, according to my Kindle. Like an alcoholic who has to hit rock bottom before he will seek help, by the time he finally has his great awakening and hatches his plan to infiltrate sales forces with a BIPOC staff, Darren has spent too much time convincing the reader that he himself is at best thoughtless and at worst mean. Unfortunately, I was convinced, and I didn't really buy his turnaround. It was too little too late, and the ending was unsatisfying. On the plus side, the dialogue is witty and rings true, and Darren clearly knows his way around a Starbucks. I would have liked to learn more about his own community and less about the venal tech world he tries to infiltrate.
Askaripour is definitely a talented writer, and I will happily read more of his fiction, particularly of the realistic or literary genres. I'd also love to listen to some interviews with him to learn more about his process and his goals for this book. Why did he choose satire instead of realism? How does he want readers to respond to Darren? Is the ending meant to be cautionary or validating? So many questions! Like Darren, Askaripour leaves us wanting more.

Black Buck is a hilarious but serious contemporary fiction novel that I will recommend to everyone interested in race and class, especially stories that investigate those themes in New York City. Darren is working at a Starbucks when he is noticed by Rhett, a CEO of a start up in the building, Rhett recruits Darren, who is quickly nicknamed "Buck," to this elite sales team, and Buck is a natural. Buck loses himself in this new world, turning his back on his friends and family, but eventually makes some decisions that change his life and the lives of others forever.

I listened to this book on audio and the narrator was fantastic! Satire does not always work for me but Askaripour managed it expertly here. It's a fun read but at the same time very serious and tragic as well. There were a few plot points that did not quite make sense to me, but overall a highly enjoyable read.

This book gave me flashbacks to my days of B2B market research for Compaq, but aside from that unpleasantness, I really enjoyed this. It was well-written and well-paced. I cared about Buck, even when he was an ass, and I enjoyed watching his character development. My only complaint is the ending. The epilogue was fine, but the chapter before that - ugh. That was a plot twist that I could really have done without. It felt like an easy way out when the meat of the story was written and the author had no idea how to end the book. I'm a little crushed by that, to be honest, because right up until that point, it was a 5 star book.