trigger warning: n-word – Should Be Writing

Cover image from Goodreads.com

I have never seen the n-word so much in my entire life.

This novel was written in 1994 and I tried to keep that in mind while reading. I’d chosen this book because it’s the first in the Kenzie & Gennaro series by the author. I’d read a few in the series and figured it might be good to start from the beginning so I can get a full view of the timeline, character development, and callbacks.

I do enjoy this author. I loved Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone, and Small Mercies. These are all later works though. This earlier novel showed the author’s roughness in writing.

Firstly, the female lead, Gennaro, has only two main characteristics: she’s beautiful and in an abusive relationship. The male lead, Kenzie, often comments on her looks which got old really fast. There’s not a lot of character development there, except that she beats the crap out of her husband at the end.

Secondly, the novel felt like the author’s commentary on gang war in south Boston and came across as heavy-handed. Sure, it’s part of the plot that one gang leader is featured in photographs in an indelicate state along with a senator, but after a while I wanted to skim through the political commentary and get back to the detective work.

Thirdly, race was featured as ‘some Black people are good and some white people are bad’, which, reading through today’s eyes, felt very stereotypical. The gangs involved were all Black, which didn’t help matters. But again, this was written in 1994 so the nuance I’d expect today was nonexistent back then.

Overall, the story moved slowly, there was little character development, and I was tired of the n-word after the first instance of it. I’d recommend sticking to the author’s more recent work.

Cover image from Goodreads.com

This novel is an unflinching dive into racism and vengeance in 1974 South Boston, just before the schools became desegregated.

Mary Pat’s daughter Jules is one of the white students from South Boston that will be bussed to the black school for her senior year. One night shortly before school starts, Jules goes out with friends and never comes home.

That same night, Auggie Williamson, a young Black man, is found dead in South Boston under mysterious circumstances.

While the two events seem unconnected at first, the author weaves them together expertly and immerses the reader in South Boston; a world where the neighbourhood is run by a crime family and loyalty is rewarded with being left alone, a world where the good and bad guys are not so clear cut.

Mary Pat investigates her daughter’s disappearance only to learn some horrible truths about Jules. She powers on, seeking vengeance, while beginning to question her own role in sowing seeds of hate.

As I read, I felt teleported into this world and all it’s grittiness and hatred, with hard-luck, low income residents. Not once did the narrative waver, not once did it shy away from the ugliness of racism, hate, and vengeance.

The novel is hard to stomach, hard to admit that this is our past, but brilliantly written all the same.

Trigger warning: the n-word appears often and while the context felt appropriate, readers may be offended.

Tag: trigger warning: n-word

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