Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this one. I’m always looking to push my reading boundaries and explore stories outside my own demographic, but Great Black Hope left me feeling a bit disconnected.

📝 Why It Didn’t Quite Land:
🌆 Bougie New Yorker Vibes – I have to admit, the world of high-status, effortlessly cool New Yorkers is one I just don’t understand, and that disconnect made it hard for me to invest in Smith’s story. The main character’s detached, almost apathetic approach to his life made it tough for me to care about his journey.
🔀 Scattered Subplots – The book introduces a lot of interesting threads, but few of them felt fully resolved. It’s like the plot kept reaching for something meaningful but never quite got there.
🗣️ Snobby Tone – The writing itself was fine, but it occasionally slipped into a tone that felt a bit too self-consciously clever, pulling me out of the story. It felt more like an exercise in style than a truly engaging narrative.

🔎 Final Take: While I can appreciate the author’s attempt to capture the messy, often chaotic lives of young, ambitious New Yorkers, this just wasn’t a world I wanted to return to. I’m glad I gave it a shot, but it ultimately left me a little cold.

💬 Have you read Great Black Hope? Did you connect with Smith’s story, or did it leave you feeling adrift too?

#BookReview #GreatBlackHope #NetGalley #ARCReview #LiteraryFiction #MixedFeelings #NewYorkNovels

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. Based on the blurbs, I was expecting something much different than what I read. This is not a murder mystery or a story of the descent of a young man who has been arrested. There was no central plot to the story at all. It read like a memoir of a privileged young queer black man in NYC (and briefly in Atlanta) during a tumultuous year in which his friend is murdered and he is arrested for cocaine possession in the Hamptons. This period and milieu is beautifully rendered, and the writing is superb. In this gilded age, it seems that, after the top 10 university and all the accolades, all there is to do is work at nonsense start-ups and find the right mix of highs. The characters are very distant and, as a result, their struggles seem superficial. The commentary on race is belied by the experiences of both the main character and the woman who was killed. Instead, the story seems to be making the point that money cures all ills if you stay within your class.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange fo ra honest review.

Unfortuantely the book moved too slow for my liking. The writing itself was good but just took me too long to get through.

I really enjoyed this book--thank you NetGalley and Summit publishers! I'm not even sure how to describe this book--maybe a modern day Catcher in the Rye about a young Black man in New York who is dealing with a lot of things--parental expectations, being the 'Black' guy at work, the death (murder?) of a friend, an unfortunate arrest and its aftermath and I'm sure I'm missing something. There's a cast of characters that each see David Smith as a particular trope, and navigating these perceptions is the focus of the book. it's so well written and sad and hopeful all at the same time.

Let's stop right here and call it now. Book of the year 2025. I've been fortunate to read this novel in different iterations over the last couple years--Franklin is simply a marvel. Astute, poignant, funny, charming and gorgeous while unafraid of tackling things that most writers are too afraid to even mention. This doesn't read like a debut, it reads like the start of a brilliant and legendary career.

A young gay man, Smith, who lives in New York among friends, is caught using drugs. As he works on getting his record expunged, he is also actively trying to understand what happened to his well-loved roommate Elle. She has been found murdered after last being seen at a wild nightclub.

Through his interactions with friends and family we get a sense of his life and how he feels about it. In his family, though loved, he has not taken to his parents’ way of thinking about his future. Like him, many of his friends have come from privilege, yet none are really whole. To Smith it seems like his group has gone from rich to decadent, using drugs not as a relief from pain but to escape intimacy.

Smith’s musings give us a vivid picture of what happens when drug usage becomes a problem. What it takes to name oneself as an addict and how that works out is wonderfully portrayed in this story.

Great Black Hope is a thoughtful, messy exploration of identity, grief, and survival in the space between privilege and marginalization. Through the character of Smith—a queer Black Stanford alum whose life begins to unravel after a drug arrest—the novel examines the friction between class protection and racial vulnerability in a system that sees only part of who he is.

The book shines in its portrayal of the emotional disorientation that follows trauma. Smith’s grief over his friend Elle’s death is deeply felt, and his spiral into the city’s nightlife and legal entanglements is both chaotic and realistic.

While the plot occasionally loses focus, and some supporting characters are more evocative than fully realized, Smith’s inner conflict keeps the story grounded. His journey feels authentic, even if the path forward is uneven.

Overall, Great Black Hope doesn’t always hit its mark, but it offers a compelling look at how grief, race, class, and queerness intersect in modern America—and what it means to try to find hope amid all that complexity.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of The Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin.
While the synopsis for this book sounded amazing, the writing style was not for me. I found myself bored and struggling to make to the end. While I 100% agree that this is a “me” problem, I just don’t think I was the right audience for this one.

"The Great Black Hope" is the debut novel by Rob Franklin, exploring themes of race, class, and identity. Similar to the works of James Baldwin, Franklin addresses these historical and contemporary issues through the perspective of a queer Black man.

The story's protagonist, Smith, grapples with the complexities of privilege, the criminal justice system, and the impact of his close friend and roommate Elle's death. Together, they represent "The Great Black Hope," symbolizing the expectations of success and upward mobility for the Black community, much like their parents before them. However, the immense pressure they face leads to self-sabotage, resulting in a hedonistic and nihilistic lifestyle as they navigate a depressed, drug-fueled haze among New York City's elite.

Franklin's writing is characterized by smart and elegant prose that encourages readers to reflect on contemporary issues and consider both the spoken and unspoken rules, as well as legal and social norms. Fans of Baldwin, Kaveh Akbar, Aria Aber, Percival Everett, Danzy Senna, and Hanif Abdurraqib may find this emotionally resonant and socially insightful book compelling. Special thanks to S&S/Summit Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

bright, well written, interesting novel with a strong sense of self-propulsion. we sink deep into the mind of our protagonist. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Rob Franklin's debut novel, Great Black Hope, delivers a full-throttle portrait of 21st-century New York City decadence and nihilism. Smart, promising people seem unable—or unwilling—to control their basest instincts. It’s a familiar story, practically a genre unto itself. And yet, somehow, the pathology keeps leading to ever darker outcomes. Is it the drugs, the apps, the surveillance, the pathogens, Late Stage Capitalism, the addiction to incarceration and retribution—or all of the above?

Our protagonist, Smith, is just one generation removed from Jim Crow. His parents, stalwarts of the New South, want only the best for their children. But Smith is convinced his future lies in the bright lights of New York City. We root for him to succeed, yet it’s clear early on that society is neither willing to give him the benefit of the doubt nor the tools he needs to survive.

Great Black Hope covers a lot of ground. We experience, viscerally, the drug-fueled, gender-neutral, anarchic NYC dance scene. We see how far we’ve come in accepting racial, gender, sexual, and identity diversity—and, more importantly, how far we still have to go.

Stylistically, Franklin’s poetic sensibility shines through, as does his top-tier training from NYU’s MFA program. He’s clearly a rising star.

Thank you to S&S/Summit Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

First of all, the writing was truly exquisite. Smith was an engaging character from start to finish and reading about all of the different layers of him held my attention. However. the pacing of the plot was a huge distraction and kept me from feeling fully engaged into the story overall. There are great little nuggets here-the south flashback and the quality of pulling it back towards the present. I just couldn't connect to the novel as a whole, but I can still see it for what it's meant to be.

Rob Franklin's debut hits you like a shot of espresso. His protagonist Smith – Black, queer, Stanford grad – seems to have it all figured out in his glossy New York life. Then comes a cocaine arrest in the Hamptons, and everything shatters.

The story grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. Smith's wrestling with his best friend's death would be enough drama, but Franklin layers in something deeper: what happens when your carefully constructed identity starts to crack? When your fancy degree and Upper East Side apartment can't shield you from the reality of being Black in America?

Franklin writes like someone who's been doing this for decades. His sentences dance. They make you laugh, then punch you in the gut. Poet Kaveh Akbar wasn't exaggerating when he said this book has "sentences I want to cut out and glue to my forehead."

But here's what makes this novel special: it never feels like homework. Yes, it tackles heavy themes – privilege, class, the masks we wear to fit in. But Franklin wraps these ideas in a story so compelling you'll forget you're reading "important literature." The plot moves like a thriller, even as it asks uncomfortable questions about who gets to succeed in America – and at what cost.

Sure, some readers might wish for more plot and less introspection. But that's missing the point. This isn't a beach read (though ironically, part of it takes place on one). It's a mirror held up to our society, showing us truths we might not want to see.

Great Black Hope isn't just good – it's necessary. It's the kind of debut that makes you excited about the future of American literature. Franklin has arrived, and he's not playing it safe.

4.5/5 stars – A stunning debut that will have everyone talking.

I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review on my Goodreads page. The book is set to release in June 2025.

This novel follows a young Black man through several months of his life in New York City as he grapples with profound tragedy, including the loss of a close friend and roommate, and battles his own drug addiction, which ultimately leads to a criminal charge. From the outset, I’ll admit this book wasn’t quite what I expected based on the summary. It deviated from the narrative I anticipated, and as a result, it was a departure from my usual reading experience. But that’s part of what made this book stand out to me.

What really struck me about this story was the language and depth of thought woven through the narrative. The author does an incredible job of capturing the main character’s internal world and the external forces that shape his journey. His struggles, his resilience, and his attempts to make sense of it all felt raw, honest, and deeply human. While this is the story of one person, it resonates with the broader experiences of many who find themselves in similar circumstances.

As someone who works in the criminal justice system, I found the portrayal of the main character’s experience in court to be particularly eye-opening and realistic. The nuances and emotions of those moments were captured with such authenticity that it felt as though I were witnessing real-life struggles unfold on the page. The author’s insights into the system were not only informative but also thought-provoking, shedding light on the harsh realities many face when entangled in the legal system.

Ultimately, while this book challenged my expectations, it also provided a thought-provoking and heartfelt exploration of resilience and loss. It was a real exploration of the human condition.

Race and privilege in New York City provide the backdrop for this debut novel. Rob Franklin balance’s the social expectation that comes with this against a queer young man’s self destructive tendencies.
David Smith is a Stanford graduate from a wealthy, established African American family. He has a life of drinking and drugging without much consequence. However his life begins to unravel after the mysterious death of his best friend Elle, due to her involvement in drugs, and his arrest for cocaine. Similarly, we see his friend Carolyn’s life begin a downward spiral due the issues.
Franklin’s prose are elegant. He critiques the societal entitlement Smith is given. At the same time he exposes the racism he is subjected to. However the pacing is slow and it is difficult to stay engaged. In addition some of the characters seem underdeveloped. Despite these flaws it is a compelling debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy of The Great Black Hope. These opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed this book. It was a really good story. Very moving and emotional.

I started this book expecting an incisive exploration of race, class, and identity, but what I found was a slow-moving narrative that never fully grounded itself in a clear premise. The novel follows Smith, a queer Black Stanford graduate, as he navigates the fallout of a cocaine possession arrest, the grief of losing his best friend, and the pressures of his privileged yet complicated family history.
The story had potential—touching on systemic injustices, the isolation of being caught between two worlds, and the seductive pull of self-destruction. However, the plot meanders through courtrooms, addiction meetings, and New York nightlife without ever landing a central driving force. While the writing is stylish and the themes are compelling, the story feels scattered rather than connected.
That said, it was a quick read, and I found myself engaged enough to finish it. If you’re seeking a book with rich atmosphere and a reflective protagonist, this could be a good choice. However, if you prefer a tightly crafted, suspenseful narrative, it might not fully satisfy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster | S&S/Summit Books for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

The premise of Great Black Hope was intriguing to me, but the execution was not. This is a slow read that doesn’t follow a typical story arc and it didn’t work for me. The writing is flowery, often using long and gorgeous descriptions that don’t actually say much and, at least for me, made the intention harder to follow. I am sure other readers will be taken with Dave Smith’s plight, but I was so lost and bored by the writing that the social dilemma lost its power.

Not recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was captivated by Franklin's hypnotic, assured prose in this literary fiction debut. It unravels a slow-burning mystery about a woman's unexpected death within the world of the Black elite.

Smith, a queer Black Stanford graduate, seems to have it all—until an arrest for cocaine possession at a Hampton's party shatters his carefully constructed life. Pulled into the court system and mandated to participate in a treatment program, he quickly learns that while his class may offer some protection, his race does not.

Just weeks earlier, Smith's glamorous roommate Elle, the daughter of a famous soul singer, was killed, attracting significant tabloid attention. The media has revealed details about her private life, highlighting just how little Smith knew about someone he spent time daily with. To escape everything, he returns home.

However, it's a complicated homecoming for a young man now facing drug charges and bringing shame to his family. The conversations are repetitive and focused on highlighting his foolishness. His mother, a practicing lawyer, has witnessed the disparities in drug possession charges between Black and white individuals. How can a well-educated man with financial stability be in the same situation as so many of her past clients?

When another close friend, Carolyn, spirals out of control, Smith returns to New York, desperately searching for answers, especially after his Atlanta homecoming doesn’t bring the comfort he seeks. Readers are taken on a parade of adventures through these city streets to unravel a mystery.

I swam in Franklin's writing, where a simple description of the weather spins out so elaborately that it takes your breath away. "Georgia's winter was a deciduous jumble-days oscillating between fifties and sixties in the illusion of other seasons. The trees kept their leaves; cheating death, they shed them slowly, until one night, they fell all at once."

The book contains primarily unhurried, heavy passages that made me long to write better. However, the plot is very thin, and the presence of two mysterious women feels excessive when the story could have focused more on the journey of Smith and Elle, which turned out to be the most captivating aspect.

Thank you Rob Franklin and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my review.

Reading Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin was a moving and unforgettable experience. The story of Smith, a queer Black Stanford graduate navigating the complexities of race, class, and identity, resonated deeply with me. Franklin’s writing is both gripping and elegant, pulling me into Smith’s journey through the court system, his hometown in Atlanta, and the glittering yet dark underworld of New York City. The exploration of what it means to exist between worlds—upwardly mobile yet spiraling downward—was both thought-provoking and emotional.

I especially appreciated the raw honesty in the narrative and the way it tackled heavy themes like systemic injustice, societal expectations, and personal redemption. Smith’s relationship with his family and the lingering mystery of his roommate Elle’s death added depth and poignancy to the story. While a few moments could have been more tightly woven, the book’s heart and compelling character arcs more than made up for it.

Great Black Hope is a powerful debut that left me reflecting on its themes long after I turned the final page. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys nuanced, character-driven stories with social commentary. I’d give it a solid 4 stars for its striking prose, layered storytelling, and emotional impact.