Deacon King Kong by James McBride
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5 Stars
My Read Time: 7 days
Originally published: March 3, 2020
Author: James McBride
Page count: 370 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards:
New York Times Bestseller
The book takes place in 1969 at the dangerous yet lively Causeway Housing Projects of South Brooklyn. One ordinary afternoon, a drunk Deacon “Sportcoat” Lambkin walks up to and shoots off the ear of the neighborhood’s most dangerous drug dealer, Deems Clemens. Sportcoat practically raised the 19-year-old Deems, teaching him to play baseball and giving him life advice in Sunday school. The day Sportcoat shot Deems, life changed for everyone in the Causeway Housing Projects.
This beautifully written story, full of humor and soul, follows the many colorful lives of the people who make up the Causeway Housing Projects. From Sportcoat’s friend Pork Sausage to a second-generation Italian mobster – and everyone in between – each character was well-written and thought out. As the characters have near-death experiences and unexpected epiphanies, the story unfolds as we read on to see how some way or another, their destinies are intertwined – whether they like it or not.
In my opinion, the book got off to a slow start, and I considered walking away from it multiple times. However, I’m glad I stuck with the story and continued reading. The slow start leads to the build-up of a very well-thought-out plot and well-structured story. There were multiple times when I laughed out loud. Other times I felt sympathy for a few of the characters. I felt happy when reading the ending. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and rate this book 5 stars.
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