Cover Image: Black Buck

Black Buck

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Member Reviews

Great book.....love the characters. Mostly enjoyed how racism was placed in the book. All the typical things that happen working in a field dominated by another race. Also, let you see how people can become part of a cult. They break you down and build you up!!!!

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"An opportunity means change. An opportunity means action. But most of all, an opportunity means the chance of failure. And it’s the potential for failure, more than failure itself, that stops so many people from beginning anything. Back then, I was no different."

Wow. This was an incredibly difficult book to read and I can't believe how much I enjoyed it. I typically don't gravitate towards novels that are satirical because they either are too outlandish that I have difficulty relating to the circumstances or they aren't satirical enough meaning the authors point was lost. In Black Buck, Mateo Askaripour handles every character, circumstance, and joke with the deftest hand and had me hooked from page 1.

Living with his Mother in a close knit neighborhood, Darren Vendor is content with his life and career as a manager for his Starbucks, until given the opportunity to work for the major start-up company Sumwun. Upon passing Sumwun's brutal initial "hell week," Darren begins to slowly become known as Buck, the savvy and ruthless salesperson who would do anything to make his sale. Centralizing on themes such as being a person of color in business, the corrupt nature of business, and ambition we watch the rise and fall of the incredible Darren "Buck" Vendor.

Black Buck set up some of the best developed characters I've ever read. From clearly establishing everyone's character and beliefs in the beginning, we can see them change and grow through their adversity. I can't articulate how frustrated or uncomfortable I became with certain situations that happen, that actually make complete sense and aren't written out of convenience. The way Buck begins to question himself or others around him was so difficult to read about that I had to put the book down a number of times to breathe before returning to the current catastrophe.

The commentary about the black communities views and how non-POC communities engage with them was super interesting. There were ongoing jokes such as Darren constantly being met from white strangers with a "You look like Chadwick Bosman," "You look like Lebron James," "You look like Will Smith," or "You look like Drake." Another was an introduction to the philosophy about not freestyling in front of white people because they will treat you like a circus act always asking for you to do it again. There was also the commentary about how and why businesses use POC's in the workplace.

I did have difficulty with the last third of the book as the satire and characters began to be pushed to their collective extremes. Askaripour introduces a lot of large topics towards the last 100 pages of the book, which felt like they didn't belong in this current narrative. However, after taking some steps back, I can appreciate them for the dialogue and reflection it puts upon modern America, even if the action felt rushed and not as well developed.

Black Buck reads as a modern, and controversially, more impactful Great Expectations. This book will change how people perceive the world and POC communities and issues around them. I'm so appreciative to have read Black Buck and excited to see what Askaripour creates next!

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It was a Struggle to finish this book. I found it a difficult & hard read due to the level of racism and some of it was just to unbelievable. I also felt the main character used his race to benefit himself in his career even when he was being treated poorly due to his color and culture.

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Thanks for the chance to read this book in exchange for honest feedback. I actually received a print copy of this ARC so I decided to request it on NetGalley so I could provide feedback in multiple platforms.

I don't think that I need to provide any summary thoughts, as many other readers have done an excellent job at this. I think ultimately my thoughts about this book are a mixed bag. While reading, I wondered if it was me or the book -- why wasn't I finding any of it funny? It's satire, and I love satire. I love modernity and relevance, especially in humor! However, it was reminding me of a bad Trevor Noah skit.... that is, until I started reading past about 25-30 pages in. I think it was more so me than anything.

The book was funny and engaging most of the time, and smart and clever some of the time. I thought that this would make a really great audiobook (which I have read reviews saying it definitely is). The best audience for this book is probably depending on sense of humor.... I think also that it just depends on your mood. Sometimes it's just nice to have something that entertains you. I am glad that Black Buck is having a great success across bookish platforms and hope the author is encouraged to write more novels. I am glad to have a copy of this book physically so I can pass it along to another reader to enjoy. Thanks for the chance to read through this book!

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I don't think this is a bad book and in fact I think that many people will enjoy it. I appreciated the social-commentary-satire-dark-comedy and think that it was done very well. Realistic characters in over-the-top situations. Ultimately, that's just not something that can hold my attention for an entire novel length work. However, if that is your kind of thing, definitely pick this up.

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This is a story about a young Black man, Darren, who ends up shifting his career from being a Starbucks manager to a salesperson at a tech start up. This book satirizes tech start up culture, with over the top frat house energy and performance stress. Along with that, it sharply highlights pervasive workplace racism from microaggressions to plain aggression. This story is very much focused on Darren's journey - the good and bad impacts of this new job on Darren's sense of self, ambition, relationships and community.

While the satire itself was well done, I didn't find this book to be funny as satire is not typically my type of humor. This is mostly a plot book written as a sales development book by Darren himself. As a result, most of the secondary characters didn't seem to have a lot of depth outside of their relationship with Darren.

While I had trouble understanding many of Darren's motivations this book highlights kind of microaggressions that many, perhaps all, POC face, in the workplace. It also sharply points out the dramatic defensiveness and aggression that Black folks and POC, face when either calling out the issues in the workplace or attempting to support and boost one another.

I wish that I could say that this book was a very over the top satire, but unfortunately, I think it's much closer to reality that most of us would hope.

Thank you to @netgalley and @houghtonmifflinharcourt for an ecopy of this book!

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Black Buck was such a unique reading experience. The author writes the story as if he is sitting at table with you and the two of you are having a conversation. It is an extremely fresh writing style that kept me pulled into the story and wanting to know what is going to happen to the characters. There were several parts of the story that I had not anticipated and was kept at the edge of my seat. The author addresses racism and inequities with bluntness and candor and a reader can't help but see the work that still needs to be done in the world of business.
I thought this book was entertaining and I would definitely recommend it.

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Very Wolf of Wall Street with more racism and microagressions. There are so interesting sales tips but overall, was not for me. Would not recommend to others.

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Very torn on this book. While it was a different type of book I normally read, I was also interested in what he had to say. Somewhat of a sales manual sometimes, but also a wild ride. While there was a lot of racist things in this book, It was interesting in see the world through him.

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I can't even begin to categorize my final read of February. It certainly does not fit neatly into a box of any genre. Described as satirical, yes, some of it is, but it is equally jarring, cringeworthy (in the behavior of many of the characters), a wake up call, a glimpse into one young black man's life, and the perils of selling your soul to gain wealth and power. Written as part memoir, part sales pitch and part fiction all from the voice of our protagonist, Darren(Buck)Vender. From the initial pages, I was reminded of the show Billions; the outlandish and almost unbelievable workplace environment (where Darren is the only POC when he is hired), the extremes people will go to, the manic energy, which of course includes copious amounts of coffee, drugs and alcohol. Every day at the offices of Sumwun in NYC is both hellish and a party all rolled up into one. Darren grew up in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn with a string, supportive and loving mother. He is obviously extremely intelligent, having graduated fast valedictorian from Bronx Science. He's had the same girlfriend since middle school and they are equally supportive of each other. One thing I loved about this book was this small family unit of Darren's and the depiction of the women as both strong and loving. Daren's mother installs a confidence in him and makes him believe he truly can be anything he wants to be if he works hard. Be careful what you wish for. Thank you to @houghtonmifflincourt and @netgalley for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. #goodreads #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #blackbuck #netgalley #goodreads #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️😂

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This book was funny, but not as funny as what I had heard it was going to be. There were some running jokes, but they got old after being brought up over and over.

Overall, this was a decent story line for a debut novel. I liked the character Darren and enjoyed his path through the world. I think this would be a good book for people to read to open them up to other cultures and how they see the world we live in.

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An interesting read that will entertain as well as stir up many topics for later conversations. After 28 years in sales, the sales manual format of the book is very close to what I read in many of the manuals I was required to read for promotions. One of the marks of successful business people is publishing their own "how to" book. From Walt Disney to Bill Gates and beyond, their way is the best way. But Buck's book is a little different. He is the only Black person in his corner of the Tech world and has managed to quickly work his way up the ladder. So his perspective is a little different from others you may have read.
Black Buck is written as a satire. When Mateo Askaripour put that spin on the story, he upped the entertainment value while insuring a much larger audience than a novel would have generated. It is most definitely entertaining, I found myself laughing at some of his more audacious observations while recognizing so many of the people I worked along side in the sales world. A great story that will definitely fill a niche in many libraries.

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This was a funny and thought-provoking read. The depictions of everyday racial micro-aggressions were horribly realistic and I like the fact that Darren was shown to be a relatable but flawed protagonist. I loved the dark humour which at some points was a mix between Horrible Bosses and Whiplash. I definitely recommend this.

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Written from a first person perspective of Darren aka Buck in the style of a memoir mixed with self help and sales tips. this book takes us for a wild ride as we are plucked with him from his work at Starbucks to a start up with dubious ethics. Sumwun said start up has a toxic almost cult-like environment and Darren as the only black man in the company has to deal with a lot of racism. In the process of assimilating into the company Darren forgets his goals and hurts the people who are closest to him, but also mostly himself.
The book is both thought provoking and entertaining. It emphasize the barriers people of color have to face in a corporate environment that is almost entirely white and privileged. Buck is given dead leads at first and he lacks the social-club connections that can generate sales. He has to rely solely on his powers of persuasion and ability to butter up the gatekeepers.
There are running gags throughout the story, for instance every white person tells his he resembles a different famous black celebrity. It started up as a very biting grim funny read but I felt like things went a little off the rails as the story progressed. However, I really enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for giving me an Arc to review.

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What, what a debut! It's sharp, biting and witty. It is over the top but I think it's to make a point by yelling it (quite literally) instead of whispering it. Living near Silicon Valley, the start up culture definitely resonates. This is a fantastic satirical novel that examines race in corporate America but also in our larger culture as well. I found it hard to put down and the audio was excellent. It did get me some dirty looks by cyclists as I pulled up at a red light and the narrator was cussing up a storm but it was an amazing listen. My 14 year old son is reading this now and he has claimed to hate every book I've given him over the last 2 years but he is so engaged with this one and has said it's a great book. He's even voluntarily picked it up without me making him read an allotted time..

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This book had similarities with Erica Katz's book The Boys' Club—an inside look at a wild, demanding, unconventional workplace and all the drama that comes along with it—but really is unlike anything I've ever read before. It begins when a high-power CEO plucks the main character, Darren, out of his barista job at Starbucks and offers him a job at his wildly successful startup. His new coworkers have one thing in common: they're all white and privileged. It's a satire that takes all-too-common microaggressions and amplifies them big time, making the racism so obvious that it slaps you in the face so no one can argue, "that wasn't racist." I kept having to remind myself that this is a satire and lift my jaw off the floor. Mateo takes readers on a wild, unexpected, and shocking journey that is both important and entertaining and I couldn't put it down. I loved his approach to getting people to rethink racism and Black Lives Matter and better understand the barriers that people of color face right out of the gate—and why/how we should go out of our way to lift them up and do what we can to break down some of those barriers. Wasn't a 5-star read for me because I felt like things went a little off the rails with the twists and turns in the last quarter of the book, but I really enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend.

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Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Charming and quick witted, Askaripour's Black Buck is a contemporary Death of A Salesman. When 20 year old Darren joins Rhett Daniels of the new, lucrative startup Sumwun, he has no idea how his life is going to change. Dubbed Black Buck, Darren quickly climbs the corporate ladder only to find that success is not what he thinks it is. Interspersed with reflections of an older Darren, Black Buck sheds a harsh light on modern day corporate America, race relations, and much more. Fast paced and amusing read.

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This book had me hooked from the beginning It was incredible read, original and heartfelt I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. This book hit on so many relevant topics such as systemic racism, white privilege and corporate greed! Thanks to Netgalley for advance reader copy.

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Oh, this book. This book. Black Buck taught me so much about the modern world and it's issues. Books with an educative side >>>> Everything.

The author expressed the issues of racism in the form of satire - he is in one word, a Genius. This incredibly written novel is a gift for people of all ages. It's a book that should be read by EVERYONE. I loved following Buck as he tackled complications of white privilege and problems deeply-rooted problems of the system. The best thing about the whole reading experience was how I laughed through and through. I couldn't help but be mesmerized by how witty the whole storyline was. :')

If you're looking for a book to teach you important lessons about the real and important stuff - pick Black Buck up. You'll love reading it, I promise.

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This book is a wild ride!! I gasped! My jaw dropped! I was shocked and surprised! The writing was smart, satirical, witty, and compulsive. Mateo has a way with words that paints such a clear and sharp picture while still conveying a deep and meaningful message. The way he conveys racism is so painfully real that you wince because you can picture it really happening with such vivid imagery. I can’t believe this is his debut novel. I can’t wait to see what other stories he brings to life!

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