Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Darren “Buck” is a 20 something black man living in Brooklyn, working as a supervisor at a Starbucks, when he seizes a rare opportunity by unintentionally impressing Rhett Daniels, the CEO of a new wildly successful mental health start up company, Sumwun. Though Rhett takes Buck on board as his own protégé, the racist head of sales, Clyde, makes Buck's life a living hell. Nonetheless, Buck climbs to success, proving himself time and time again. But with great success comes greater opportunity, and things become complicated when Buck gets sucked into his new world, and tries to overcorrect by helping his minority community reach the same opportunities he was given.

Buck was a challenging protagonist to like — at times he’s selfish and unkind, pushes away those that love him, and is blinded by opportunity. And yet, it’s also not difficult to see why he acts the way he does. The book definitely feels written through his eyes, and the amount of unabashed racism he experiences at Sumwun, let alone the challenges he contends with from the media and others, is infuriating and unwarranted. It was also shocking and frustating to see Rhett's treatment of him, gaslighting him as a protégé while continuously highlighting his minority status, linking it to his worth.

I can’t say there’s any character I truly enjoyed here, although Buck did somewhat redeem himself toward the end. I really appreciated that the book did not neatly tie itself up in the end, though I can’t say I am particularly invested in what happens to any of the characters. I do feel like the book could have been a bit shorter, maybe as the Happy Campers were being developed — also because the more we learned about the Happy Campers, the more exaggerated and outlandish the plot became.

Overall, this book was snarky and honest, which I enjoyed. A bit long and a bit prickly, but an important perspective to have been shared from the world of startup culture.

I did not like this book at all. The plot is very random, going off in disparate directions and never really coalescing. The characters, none of whom one can really root for, switch between making extremely poor decisions to acting in such a way that does not coincide with the point the author was trying to make. The situations are not believable, especially in the present where this novel is set, and the main issues the writer attempts to bring to light are obscured behind a muddled piece of nonsense. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook but was extremely disappointed in this hyped-up novel as a whole.

Black Buck is about a young man named Darren who has worked at Starbucks for four years. One day a man is ordering coffee and ends up giving Darren opportunity to work at a start up company that sells a vision. Darren wasn't initially interested but his mom and girlfriend convinced him to give it a try. Darren is one of three new hires, and the new hires have to go through hell week before they are able to be on their own. Darren is the only person of color in this entire office and he feels it. The rest of the book is his journey to becoming successful with some bumps along the way.

Although I liked this book, I was bothered by the author's use of talk about the female character's bodies. It just felt very unnecessary and kind of made me uncomfortable. Other than that, I enjoyed the satire in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

With all the buzz this book is getting, I was expecting more. Instead, I closed the book feeling unfulfilled, with my only takeaway being, "this is why I'm not in sales." I don't think I recognized the satire. It's all too often true that white people will tell a black person that s/he looks like (fill in blank), when the only thing similar is the fact that they are both black. So, yes, it's kind of funny, but mostly it's kind of sad.

The blatant racism Darren encounters in the workplace from day one is extreme. (Maybe that is satirical, that people wouldn't wear it so proudly?) But somehow Darren gets on and thrives in the environment, and then helps other people of color to achieve as well.

I was really uncomfortable with the sales training methods, regardless of who it came from. I wished there was a more positive spin in the book. But I'm a softy who likes to feel good when I read a novel. Or at least who likes to read something that makes me feel something more than just being thankful that I'm not working with any of these characters.

My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved everything about this story - the plot, the writing, the themes - definitely one to recommend. Bright future for this author!

In the same way there’s no such thing as a halfway crook, there’s no such thing as a halfway success. In sales and life, you’re either all in or you’re not.

I picked Black Buck up with an open mind. I had seen this book all over social media and especially on Black bookstagram. I kept seeing people compare it to The Wolf of Wallstreet and stating that it was satirical. I thought for sure it would be a winner.

Darren Vender was a proud employee of Starbucks and loved his life for the most part. He had a job that he excelled at even though it wasn’t very challenging, a great relationship with his Mother, plenty of time to spend with his girlfriend and a pretty decent life. The only problem was Darren graduated from the Bronx School of Science as Valedictorian and everyone around him it seemed wanted more for his life than he appeared to. Darren understood their concern but he knew that he was waiting on the right opportunity to come along.
That opportunity came by way of Starbucks when he pitches a new coffee to one of his regular customers Rhett Daniels, CEO of the tech startup Sumwun that was housed in the same building as the Starbucks Darren was employed by. That successful sales pitch was the start of a new life for Darren, one that changed everything about life as he knew it. Thrust into a new sales career and being the only black person in the entire office, Darren was forced to reckon with the corporate culture that plagues so many industries. Darren was a fast learner and started incorporating the things he’d learned at Sumwun to every aspect of his life much to the detriment of his friends and family. That is where this book turns into a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of losing yourself to gain the world. Fed up with the way the game is set up for white people to win, Darren forms a secret organization called The Happy Campers to help black people in sales and try to even the playing field and make a contribution to society.

The first half of this book was very interesting and kept me intrigued to see what would happen next. At the halfway mark, this seemed to turn into a totally different book and started to feel disjointed. I feel like I forced myself to finish it. If the entire book had kept going like it started out, this could have easily been a 5 star read, but the second half even with a shocking ending just didn’t do it for me. From the reviews, it seems that I am in the minority of people who wasn’t impressed by this novel. I would give it a 3.5 star rating. While the second half of the book was lackluster, the portion I did love provided a lot of little sales gems and tips that can be applied no matter what your industry is I also appreciated what the author tried to do with this work even though I didn’t love the story and I would be open to reading more work by this author in the future. I’m not sure why people categorize this as satirical as there wasn’t very much humor for me. If you still want to give this book a shot, try it on audible. I’ve heard that the narration made it much more enjoyable.

Black Buck is an in-depth story that examines Race and Ambition. It's about a man named Darren works as barista at a coffee cafe the at a tech start up company. He gets caught up in many different situations and becomes lost in his way. Buck fighting racism at work and the way he treats his family and his girlfriend.

One of the best things I've ever read and it actually helped me in writing an assignment. I know it's not aimed at me, but I felt it anyway. My notes are extensive and probably unhelpful, but at one point, and I quote: "...since nslaved people weren allowed to learn how to readnwrote, when once of em somehow managed to become educated, it was his or her duty to teach as many as they could" - my ancestor could read and write. It's why he was freed.

'"Once you learn how to sell, to truly sell, anyting is possible", Reader: Quote that last sentence'.

Yes, sir. Read this. It will change your life.

Hilarious and witty! Was happy to see this one take off, will be purchasing my own copy to support the author.

In all honesty, I didn’t find this book to be as humorous as some other reviews have stated. Possibly, it’s just not my kind of humor. I can appreciate the running joke of “have your ever heard you look like...” however that was really the only part that was funny to me.

The main character made me sad- which is possibly the point- but I just found him so unlikeable towards the end of the story. I was obviously rooting for him as an underdog at the beginning, and when he “lost his way” I was hoping some redeeming qualities would shine through by the end of the story. But for me, he just became even more unlikable and I was ready to stop reading about him.

I think the idea of the novel was great and I loved the diversity it represented. However, I REALLY disliked hearing the word “retard” (yuck I don’t even like typing that out) several times through the story. The use of that word is NEVER, EVER funny in any form or fashion and is a huge turn off for me. I really hope the author realizes how harmful that word is and doesn’t use it in any of his future novels.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour is almost two stories in one novel. The first part, about Buck's rise from Starbucks barista to startup sales darling, felt almost too familiar. The second part, though, was completely unexpected in so many ways.

Buck is living in Bed-Stuy and working contentedly at a Manhattan Starbucks when he upsells (sort of -- it's a great scene and a great look at Buck's character) a startup founder and gets offered a job in sales.

Buck's hazed and harassed, constantly, at this new job. His hazing isn't covered with what? I was just joking, you're so uptight, though, the way it is for most women working in tech startups. Instead, it's presented as an essential part of the job. Buck isn't even his name -- it's a nickname from "Starbucks," just in case he forgets what his last job was.  I thought this whole section was terribly realistic. We love to say that the American dream is accessible to everyone who works hard, and we love a good rags-to-riches story, right? But there's plenty of shame and hostile jokes when the startup tech bros find out your last job was waitressing.

Sumwum feels like any Silicon Alley startup, where the swag, the extremely visible office perqs, and the high-energy group activities almost entirely obscure what's being made or sold. Their business model is based on selling wellness and happiness, and it's clear that Sumwum's profit comes from charging companies thousands for employee wellness, and paying out a couple dollars an hour to the life coach "assistants" found in developing countries. (For another fictional look at the wellness industry, check out Happy And You Know It.)

But when the company's in trouble, Buck's brought out to show young Black sales talent, in a way that felt too familiar as a woman at a tech startup.

The second part of Black Buck is an almost total departure. I spent the first part of this novel feeling like Buck's startup experiences were so familiar and recognizable, and the second part having no idea where anything was going and what would happen next. The whole thing is told in first-person, and I'd connected with Buck enough in the beginning that I was still on for the absolute wild ride that came next.

Buck's making a killing with his high-risk, high-reward sales life.  He has loads of powerful connections, high-stakes work and fun in Manhattan, even if the Bed-Stuy part of his life isn't going well.  He's almost a different person here. Buck's complete reversal from never drinking alcohol (or even coffee!) to casually doing a line in the car was a bit hard to accept.  Still, he's enough of himself to help his old Starbucks coworker learn sales, even though he's kind of a dick about it, the way the Sumwum management was to him.

Helping to teach someone else leads to wider questions of what Buck owes his community, and what even is the difference between selling promises at a startup and selling on the street. There are elements of satire and exaggeration, but by this point, I was so invested in his story that I accepted it to see what came next.  From here, the story blends systems of racism and privilege into a completely wild ride (a secret code for hiring! I mean, one that isn't going to an Ivy or having family connections), with the return of themes from the first section, into a strange and believable ending.

Black Buck is about a man named Darren Vender who is recruited to work at a new startup company. The story explores what he’s willing to do to achieve and keep professional success and how that impacts all the relationships around him. I didn’t see the end coming from where the novel started, but thought this was an amazing read. I loved the dark, sarcastic humor and the commentary on race. It definitely made me cringe in places, but unfortunately is probably pretty accurate for what some people experience. This story explores the transitions in Darren “Buck’s” relationships with his family, his friends, his coworkers and the choices he makes and the regrets he has to live with. This was a great read and I would love to see it made into a movie.

A satisfying read. Most of the characters are flawed, unlikable sometimes BUT in progress. Hustling, striving, and attempting to make sense of their world and how they can change it.

ARC from publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are solely my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading Black Buck by, new to me author, Mateo Askaripour but am so glad to have read this book! I was quickly whisked away by a tale that kept spinning in different directions, so don't think you know where it's going. Darren, while working in a Starbucks in Bed-Stuy, NY is discovered by Rhett Daniels, CEO of a tech startup Sumwun, and persuaded to join its Sales team. Darren notices that he is the only Black employee in this hip company and is immediately assigned the nickname, Buck, while hazed during the hell week like orientation. Buck's career takes off from there. The book reads as a how to for Black Salespeople, with life advice disguised as sales tidbits. To be honest, when I first finished Black Buck I thought it might have been too far-fetched, too stereo typical. But the book stayed with me. And as I thought about it more, I appreciated the satire and all the messages that evolved in this story. The racism isn't exaggerated but we're just not expecting the brute portrayal woven into a comical hip novel. l I'm wondering if that thinking characters were stereo-typical says more about me, and that was Askaripour's point. While racism is the forefront of this novel, in a very slap you in the face way, there is so much more. It covers relationships, what would you sacrifice for a "successful" career, and how will success change you? Most importantly, this book will continue to weave the thoughts in your head long after you've finished it! #Netgalley #BlackBuck

Darkly comic debut from a talented writer, Mateo Askaripour. This is a satirical take on a young black man, Darren “Buck” Vender, from Bed-Stuy inexplicably landing his dream job in high pressure Sales at an (all-white) tech start up. After a shaky start, Buck skyrockets to success through his natural talent and copious attention from the firm’s founder himself. Everything is perfect...until it isn’t, and the ending was, for me, jaw dropping. This is a book that holds no punches on the structural inequalities and the implicit/explicit racism present in the corporate world and some mainstream media. As a satire, it’s easy to dismiss the buffoonery and antics of the book’s aggrieved white people who resent Buck’s astronomical rise and deploy horrific tactics to destroy him. It can feel like the author lazily evokes a caricature of real people, until one uneasily recalls the social justice movement of 2020 and the rhetoric, actions and biases it exposed. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The prose and storyline are almost cinematic; would make a GREAT Netflix adaptation. This is of my 5-star reads for 2021.

This was a fantastic, eye-opening read. Witty and sarcastic, it gives us a much-needed perspective on what it's like to be the one black one in a sea of white. I cannot emphasize enough, how delighted I am to find these books and how much I learn from the world through these authors' views!

“My teeth are status quo and powerful, also known as white and straight.”
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Written as a self-help manual for Black people hoping to break into the sales world, Black Buck tells the story of Darren Vender who is plucked from a Starbucks by a white man who ‘see’s something in him.’ Darren quickly finds that he’s the only Black man working at a (horrific, my word) tech start-up. But his meteoric rise at the company despite overt and subtle racism leads to an even bigger fall.
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I’ve seen people DNF this book because they didn’t think it landed. In my initial run of this review I wrote it off as confusion between comic humor and satire — but help from a friend led to some reflection. I could read this book without trauma or real world experience lurking over my shoulder. Askaripour’s commentary on our allegedly post-racial world is dark, smart and skewering — I was uncomfortable — but had the privilege of reading through a white lens
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I think it’s important to understand the historical significance of the title. In post-Reconstruction America, Black Buck was a slur used to describe Black men who refused to bend to white authority. They were often labeled violent, rude and lecherous (showing offensive sexual desire). Knowing this, I was able to draw parallels between Darren’s modern day journey and how it wasn’t so different from what Black men have dealt with for centuries.
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A book for the moment and beyond, Black Buck is a fast-paced read that will leave you uneasy – but it’s well worth your time.

I saw this book all over bookstagram and while it’s not my typical genre of choice, I’m always open to branching out and I’m glad I did!

This was a clever, fresh and extremely entertaining debut novel that gave me full The Wolf of Wall Street vibes.

I really enjoyed how as a dark comedy type of read that it managed to present as a meaningful satire as it tackled some really important and heavy topics of race, stereotypes, white privilege and the dark side of corporate culture.

It also dabbled a little into the self help genre and presented as a sales manual with Buck’s “Sales Tips” interjections. Being in sales myself, I really appreciated this aspect!

My relationship with Darren/Buck was a true rollercoaster ride! I immediately fell in love with him but found myself personally struggling with who he was becoming in the middle. Ultimately, I’m glad he was able to win me back!

All in all, as a huge fan of sarcasm, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, witty and thought provoking book!

“The day that changed my life was like every other day before it, except that it changed my life”

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have mixed feelings about this one. This book is bleak, disturbing at times, way over the top... yet quite compelling. I can’t say that I enjoyed reading it. Satire or not, it’s hard for me to read a book where every woman character is entirely one dimensional. I also found the greater conversation surrounding the ethics of sales to be lacking. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to a friend, I definitely appreciate the originality of Black Buck.

Black Buck
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

This satirical office drama focused on the life of Darren, a young black man from Bed-Stuy in NYC who was valedictorian of his high school but ended up as the manager of a Starbucks in the city. When Darren pitches a new drink to a customer who turns out to be the CEO of a startup, he is offered a job on the spot for his excellent sales skills. Darren quickly discovers he is the only black person in the company, and is navigating his new job and staying true to himself. This book is told from Darren’s point of view and was laugh out loud funny at times.

I really enjoyed this book and although there were some heavy topics within, the humor mixed in was a perfect balance. I loved this story and @mateofriends is an amazing storyteller!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @hmhbooks for the digital copy!