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Cowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world.
I am Malcolm.
I am my father’s son. But to be my father’s son means that they will always come for me.
They will always come for me, and I will always succumb.
Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that's nothing but a pack of lies—after all, his father's been murdered, his mother's been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.
But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory when what starts as some small-time hustling quickly spins out of control. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can't run forever.
X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.
I am Malcolm.
I am my father’s son. But to be my father’s son means that they will always come for me.
They will always come for me, and I will always succumb.
Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that's nothing but a pack of lies—after all, his father's been murdered, his mother's been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.
But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory when what starts as some small-time hustling quickly spins out of control. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can't run forever.
X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
318 people are currently reading
6581 people want to read
About the author
Ilyasah Shabazz
10 books225 followersIlyasah Shabazz, third daughter of Malcolm X, is an activist, producer, motivational speaker, and the author of the critically acclaimed Growing Up X and the picture book Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X. She lives in Westchester County, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 738 reviews
February 4, 2018
I got this book free from my local library as part of the Great Michigan Read. I am rather glad that I picked it up.
One of the authors was Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcom X's children.
What resonated with me the most about this story was that I have been to many of the places that Malcom went to in the Lansing and Mason, Michigan area.
Granted this story is fact based fiction, it is a good starting point to learn about Malcom X's early life and what the culture of racism was like in the North before the Civil Rights marches and Freedom Rides of the 1960's.
History happened and it can't be erased. The best thing to do is learn from the events that happened and make sure they don't happen again.
One of the authors was Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcom X's children.
What resonated with me the most about this story was that I have been to many of the places that Malcom went to in the Lansing and Mason, Michigan area.
Granted this story is fact based fiction, it is a good starting point to learn about Malcom X's early life and what the culture of racism was like in the North before the Civil Rights marches and Freedom Rides of the 1960's.
History happened and it can't be erased. The best thing to do is learn from the events that happened and make sure they don't happen again.
May 16, 2021
CW:
Well that will teach me for not reading the blurb!
Whilst I found this to be a really engaging story it was the last hour that made for compelling reading. This story follows a young Malcolm as he grows up and makes one terrible decision after another. His life to spirals down and he eventually hits rock bottom in a jail cell. It's in the final part of this book that he takes tentative steps towards becoming Malcolm X, the bold human rights activist who agitated for Black empowerment. The writing in this stage was phenomenal! The afterword written by his daughter was also really interesting. I do recommend this book as I found it hard to put down, but go in with an understanding you are reading about the fall of Malcolm and the very beginning of his 'rebirth', without seeing his rise to greatness.
Well that will teach me for not reading the blurb!
Whilst I found this to be a really engaging story it was the last hour that made for compelling reading. This story follows a young Malcolm as he grows up and makes one terrible decision after another. His life to spirals down and he eventually hits rock bottom in a jail cell. It's in the final part of this book that he takes tentative steps towards becoming Malcolm X, the bold human rights activist who agitated for Black empowerment. The writing in this stage was phenomenal! The afterword written by his daughter was also really interesting. I do recommend this book as I found it hard to put down, but go in with an understanding you are reading about the fall of Malcolm and the very beginning of his 'rebirth', without seeing his rise to greatness.
March 15, 2015
A novelization of the formative years of Malcolm X, written by the middle of his five children with Betty Shabazz and co-authored by the talented Kekla Magoon, following Malcolm from his birth in Omaha to his childhood in Flint & Lansing to his teenage years in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood and Harlem, and finally to prison. The book's strengths are its raw honesty, authentic speech, and reflections of oppression and pervasive racism, the destabilizing and destructive effects on Malcolm of a murdered father and depressed mother, who was eventually institutionalized. On the other hand, I think that daughter Ilyasah, who was three when her father was assassinated and who forged a compelling story from anecdotes of relatives, has idealized some of Malcolm's actions and decisions, most especially his conversion to Islam. It is crystal clear that Malcolm had no guiding force in his early life, other than narcissism.
The substantive endnotes are an excellent resource, helping to sort out facts from fiction. I actually skipped back to them in the middle of the book, and in retrospect, would have liked to read them first.
The substantive endnotes are an excellent resource, helping to sort out facts from fiction. I actually skipped back to them in the middle of the book, and in retrospect, would have liked to read them first.
December 29, 2014
Fictionalized history is a tricky business. On the one hand, the past is a wealth of fascinating material for use in creating imaginary worlds. On the other hand, those doing that creating can't go wild, they must honor the historical truth the best they can, especially when they are writing about real people from not so long ago. And so we come to X: A Novel, a gritty and glorious rendering of Malcolm X's youth by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon.
These first tense sentences introduce readers to the young Malcolm. It is 1945 Harlem and he is clearly in trouble. Big trouble. By the next page we know more about the trouble and more about Malcolm. He's shrewd, clever, and at this moment very scared, rueing the direction his young life has taken. And then we are taken back to 1940 Lansing, Michigan where we see a younger Malcolm setting out on his new life. The novel goes on, fluidly moving back and forth in time, filling in elements of the young man's history. There is family: a tragically lost father, and supportive siblings. After a childhood of profound poverty, Malcolm leaves for the city, exploring exciting and darker places, girls, drugs --- a very different world from that of his childhood. Settings are remarkably evoked, the dire poverty and horrific racism of Lansing swirling in and out amidst the jittery jazz environments of Boston and New York. Shabazz and Magoon do a remarkable job generating atmosphere, balancing family love in the face of dire circumstances against the pulsating energy of a self-assured young man swaggering through Harlem streets in a fine zoot suit and a conk. At times the language is blunt and challenging, appropriately in this fierce rendering of the youthful development of an iconic figure of America's past.
The story of a reckless young man finding himself, X: A Novel is historical fiction at its best --- an artistic exploration of a part of a renowned person's life , one that stays true to his time and place.
At educating alice.
Friends tell me trouble's coming. I ease out of the restaurant onto sidewalk, gun in my pocket. Hand in there, too, keeping it close for good measure. I gotta get back to my pad, and quick now. One foot in front of the other. Keep my head down, hope no one sees me.
These first tense sentences introduce readers to the young Malcolm. It is 1945 Harlem and he is clearly in trouble. Big trouble. By the next page we know more about the trouble and more about Malcolm. He's shrewd, clever, and at this moment very scared, rueing the direction his young life has taken. And then we are taken back to 1940 Lansing, Michigan where we see a younger Malcolm setting out on his new life. The novel goes on, fluidly moving back and forth in time, filling in elements of the young man's history. There is family: a tragically lost father, and supportive siblings. After a childhood of profound poverty, Malcolm leaves for the city, exploring exciting and darker places, girls, drugs --- a very different world from that of his childhood. Settings are remarkably evoked, the dire poverty and horrific racism of Lansing swirling in and out amidst the jittery jazz environments of Boston and New York. Shabazz and Magoon do a remarkable job generating atmosphere, balancing family love in the face of dire circumstances against the pulsating energy of a self-assured young man swaggering through Harlem streets in a fine zoot suit and a conk. At times the language is blunt and challenging, appropriately in this fierce rendering of the youthful development of an iconic figure of America's past.
The story of a reckless young man finding himself, X: A Novel is historical fiction at its best --- an artistic exploration of a part of a renowned person's life , one that stays true to his time and place.
At educating alice.
April 4, 2015
I wanted to like this, but it was hard to read about Malcolm's life spiraling out of control for most of the book. Most of the book is him making selfish and/or bad choice one after another. Until the very end, it was a pretty hard read with little redemption.
Read
January 18, 2015What an excellent read.
This is a fictionalized account of Malcolm X's youth. It's told in a few different time lines, and the way that his past informs his current situation and his future, are really woven together nicely.
Perhaps the thing that makes this most stand out, aside from how historically important the story is, is that Malcolm wasn't perfect in his youth and it comes through in the story. But it's done in a way that would be relatable to young readers especially -- people who make an impact aren't perfect but indeed, are human and make poor choices.
Without doubt, this would make an excellent classroom or book club title, and I can see teens picking this up to further what they've read in Malcolm X's autobiography AND picking this up then being excited about picking up the autobiography.
Great historical fiction.
This is a fictionalized account of Malcolm X's youth. It's told in a few different time lines, and the way that his past informs his current situation and his future, are really woven together nicely.
Perhaps the thing that makes this most stand out, aside from how historically important the story is, is that Malcolm wasn't perfect in his youth and it comes through in the story. But it's done in a way that would be relatable to young readers especially -- people who make an impact aren't perfect but indeed, are human and make poor choices.
Without doubt, this would make an excellent classroom or book club title, and I can see teens picking this up to further what they've read in Malcolm X's autobiography AND picking this up then being excited about picking up the autobiography.
Great historical fiction.
July 6, 2020
I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X quite a few years ago. I thought this would be a simplified version of the autobiography for a younger audience. Instead this book focuses on early life of Malcolm X , Malcolm Little from his early life in Lansing Michigan through to his imprisonment.
As I finished reading this book I felt this novel couldn’t be the easiest novel for a teenager to read. And it is unflinching in its portrayal of life in the 1930s through the 1950s. Despite this, the actual content makes for a grim but realistic tale. It would have been natural for Ilyasah Shabazz to write about the more famous aspect of her dad’s life. But by choosing this lesser known aspect of his life this serves as an introduction to the life of Malcolm X. Readers should follow up by reading other books.
As I finished reading this book I felt this novel couldn’t be the easiest novel for a teenager to read. And it is unflinching in its portrayal of life in the 1930s through the 1950s. Despite this, the actual content makes for a grim but realistic tale. It would have been natural for Ilyasah Shabazz to write about the more famous aspect of her dad’s life. But by choosing this lesser known aspect of his life this serves as an introduction to the life of Malcolm X. Readers should follow up by reading other books.
February 25, 2025
“I’m pushing this line. Moving it. There’s always another side. The line moves. It moves and it moves.”
——————-
I read Malcolm X‘s autobiography a few years ago, so I had a lot of context going in. This was a very immersive and engaging first person retelling of his life up to the time he truly shifted to the person we speak of today. This also had a strong and engaging open that kept the reader on the hook as we backtracked in chronology.
Malcolm, his siblings, and their mother were targeted and their family unit deconstructed by a racist white system of power designed to oppress them. I thought it was an incredibly powerful moment when Malcolm gave up his shoeshine job and views an earlier version of himself with condescension, unaware of the trap he and countless others are fallen into.
I liked being present for the scene with his brother in Lansing: to himself and the reader, the changes have been gradual, but the stark contrast is jarring and brings a kind of newfound awareness. I also liked the parallel between Malcolm and Laura when they ran into each other and held a mirror up for the other to recognize their unrealized dreams and goals.
I loved that the book ended with self realization and the beginning of his journey as Malcolm X. I think this may be a series for younger audience, so I may look for the rest of it if so.
An important story to witness, great read!
——————-
I read Malcolm X‘s autobiography a few years ago, so I had a lot of context going in. This was a very immersive and engaging first person retelling of his life up to the time he truly shifted to the person we speak of today. This also had a strong and engaging open that kept the reader on the hook as we backtracked in chronology.
Malcolm, his siblings, and their mother were targeted and their family unit deconstructed by a racist white system of power designed to oppress them. I thought it was an incredibly powerful moment when Malcolm gave up his shoeshine job and views an earlier version of himself with condescension, unaware of the trap he and countless others are fallen into.
I liked being present for the scene with his brother in Lansing: to himself and the reader, the changes have been gradual, but the stark contrast is jarring and brings a kind of newfound awareness. I also liked the parallel between Malcolm and Laura when they ran into each other and held a mirror up for the other to recognize their unrealized dreams and goals.
I loved that the book ended with self realization and the beginning of his journey as Malcolm X. I think this may be a series for younger audience, so I may look for the rest of it if so.
An important story to witness, great read!
August 25, 2024
the autobiography of Detroit Red
June 28, 2015
Some books just stick to our bones and X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon will remain with me forever. It kept me awake late at night, and I was floored by the captivating writing. This is a very special book and well worth the hype it has received. I plan to use it in my future Methods classes because there are so many themes and topics for discussion. Most texts are written about Malcolm Little's later life, but this book encapsulates his early years---this restless young man is dissatisfied with his circumstances and attempts to make a name for himself. He does not always make the best choices, but he learns from his many mistakes, and his spirit will inspire readers. I highly recommend this book for all readers. Malcolm has a lot to teach us.
Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6472
Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6472
March 31, 2015
Ilyasah Shabazz, youngest daughter of civil rights activist Malcolm X, has already written two books about her famous father, but now she, with Kekla Magoon, has written a fictionalized version of his youth and the circumstances that led to his conversion to the Nation of Islam. X, a novel makes for fascinating, gritty reading that once you start will be hard to put down, even if you have already read The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (yes, the author of Roots).
Almost from the beginning, Malcolm Little's life is filled with strife, anger, and disappointment. Living in Lansing, Michigan, his father, Earl Little, a black activist, is killed, pushed in front of a streetcar most likely by the Black Legion (a splinter group of the KKK) when Malcolm is 6 years old. As a result, the Little family is forced to live in abject poverty, his mother working only when she could pass herself off as white and get a job.
Malcolm is an intelligent, straight A student, even becoming class president in junior high, but he has always been a bit of a wild child as well, mostly stealing food to help feed his family. When the authorities finally succeed in having his mother committed to a mental institution against her will. the now teen aged Malcolm, his brothers and sisters are all placed in different foster homes. Malcolm is stunned when a teacher he likes tells him that he "didn't need a high school diploma to be a nigger." (pg 83) Suddenly, Malcolm realizes that what he often took for friendliness by the white kids was racism, plain and simple. Naturally, when his half sister Ella comes to Lansing from Boston, and invites Malcolm to come live with her, he jumps at the chance to get away and start over.
In Boston, Malcolm has a room and bed of his own plus plenty of food to eat, but his eyes are also opened to the racism that still surrounds him, and it doesn't take long for him to become completely disillusioned about the lessons his father had taught him about pride and equality for black people. And it doesn't take long for him to discover liquor, jazz, drugs and women, particularly one white woman named Sophia as ways to shut out what he knows to be true.
But life soon becomes very dangerous and dark for Malcolm in Boston, and after seeing Harlem in New York, he decides that is where he belongs, where he can start over again. But it doesn't take long for trouble to find him in Harlem and Malcolm is forced back to Boston. Malcolm has never let go of Sophia, even after she marries, and once he is back in Boston, she proposes a scheme that will bring Malcolm, his friend Shorty, Sophia and her sister an abundance of money. But when he is caught by the police, Malcolm is sent to prison and it is there that he is really able to start over, finally finding his true self when converts to Islam.
X, a novel is narrated by Malcolm but you need to remember that it is a historical fiction and the perspective is not that of the real Malcolm X. The story begins in Harlem, in 1945 with Malcolm fleeing from a numbers runner he cheated but immediately and continuously begins to move fluidly between his past and his present. Shabazz and Magoon don't spare the reader much in writing about the kind of gritty debauchery Malcolm fell so easily into, but they also make it clear that his self-destructive behavior resulted from a combination of disillusionment with this father's teachings, cruel racism, feeling that he can't change any of it, and the desire to keep these truths at bay in a constant haze of women, liquor, and reefer.
I found this to be one of the most compelling novels I have read in a long time. My only complaint is that I thought a few short footnotes would have been useful to explain some people young readers may not be familiar with, for example, Marcus Garvey. And although there are useful notes in the back of the book and a timeline of Malcolm X's life, it is kind of annoying have to flip to the back to find something. But, I also think it is the kind of novel that will lead you seek out more information about this controversial but often misunderstood man regardless of what you may think of his activism.
No matter what you feel about X, a novel, it is definitely a book that will make you think.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book as received from the publisher, Candlewick Press
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
Almost from the beginning, Malcolm Little's life is filled with strife, anger, and disappointment. Living in Lansing, Michigan, his father, Earl Little, a black activist, is killed, pushed in front of a streetcar most likely by the Black Legion (a splinter group of the KKK) when Malcolm is 6 years old. As a result, the Little family is forced to live in abject poverty, his mother working only when she could pass herself off as white and get a job.
Malcolm is an intelligent, straight A student, even becoming class president in junior high, but he has always been a bit of a wild child as well, mostly stealing food to help feed his family. When the authorities finally succeed in having his mother committed to a mental institution against her will. the now teen aged Malcolm, his brothers and sisters are all placed in different foster homes. Malcolm is stunned when a teacher he likes tells him that he "didn't need a high school diploma to be a nigger." (pg 83) Suddenly, Malcolm realizes that what he often took for friendliness by the white kids was racism, plain and simple. Naturally, when his half sister Ella comes to Lansing from Boston, and invites Malcolm to come live with her, he jumps at the chance to get away and start over.
In Boston, Malcolm has a room and bed of his own plus plenty of food to eat, but his eyes are also opened to the racism that still surrounds him, and it doesn't take long for him to become completely disillusioned about the lessons his father had taught him about pride and equality for black people. And it doesn't take long for him to discover liquor, jazz, drugs and women, particularly one white woman named Sophia as ways to shut out what he knows to be true.
But life soon becomes very dangerous and dark for Malcolm in Boston, and after seeing Harlem in New York, he decides that is where he belongs, where he can start over again. But it doesn't take long for trouble to find him in Harlem and Malcolm is forced back to Boston. Malcolm has never let go of Sophia, even after she marries, and once he is back in Boston, she proposes a scheme that will bring Malcolm, his friend Shorty, Sophia and her sister an abundance of money. But when he is caught by the police, Malcolm is sent to prison and it is there that he is really able to start over, finally finding his true self when converts to Islam.
X, a novel is narrated by Malcolm but you need to remember that it is a historical fiction and the perspective is not that of the real Malcolm X. The story begins in Harlem, in 1945 with Malcolm fleeing from a numbers runner he cheated but immediately and continuously begins to move fluidly between his past and his present. Shabazz and Magoon don't spare the reader much in writing about the kind of gritty debauchery Malcolm fell so easily into, but they also make it clear that his self-destructive behavior resulted from a combination of disillusionment with this father's teachings, cruel racism, feeling that he can't change any of it, and the desire to keep these truths at bay in a constant haze of women, liquor, and reefer.
I found this to be one of the most compelling novels I have read in a long time. My only complaint is that I thought a few short footnotes would have been useful to explain some people young readers may not be familiar with, for example, Marcus Garvey. And although there are useful notes in the back of the book and a timeline of Malcolm X's life, it is kind of annoying have to flip to the back to find something. But, I also think it is the kind of novel that will lead you seek out more information about this controversial but often misunderstood man regardless of what you may think of his activism.
No matter what you feel about X, a novel, it is definitely a book that will make you think.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book as received from the publisher, Candlewick Press
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
February 7, 2017
You know, at the beginning, I wasn't totally taken by this book. Part of it might have been that the time hopping didn't work for me so much, though I appreciated its purpose, but I've also been pretty overwhelmed by the rest of my life which has provided ample distraction. However, by the time everything was going pretty much in straight chronological order, I was bummed to put it down, and by the end, it was nearly impossible to even pause reading. By the end, I was totally bowled over. Shabazz and Magoon paint such a thorough picture of Malcolm's complex youth, and even though it's a fictionalized biography, it gives a deeper context to his life and legacy. It's been a while since I've read such a beautifully crafted character, fact or fiction--there is some incredible artistry going on in the authors' collaboration. I want this to get into as many hands--teens and adults--as possible.
A great effect, as I'm sure is one of the main intentions of this book, is that I really want to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X for real now. I tried reading it several years ago, but I found it difficult to dig in...I was probably too immature. So I read a lot *about* him instead, and watched the movies and documentaries and all, but it's high time get back to it.
Read it.
A great effect, as I'm sure is one of the main intentions of this book, is that I really want to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X for real now. I tried reading it several years ago, but I found it difficult to dig in...I was probably too immature. So I read a lot *about* him instead, and watched the movies and documentaries and all, but it's high time get back to it.
Read it.
February 24, 2017
X by Ilyasha Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter, and Kekla Magoon follows the life of a young Malcolm X before he became a great human rights activist. Even though this is a work of fiction, X is based on the real life of Malcolm X and his actions from boyhood until his arrest for theft at the age of 20. This is a great novel that will challenge teen readers while teaching them more about the human rights movement and the work of Malcolm X.
March 13, 2019
3.5 stars. This was just as good the second time through as the first. Malcolm's character arc is clear and well written, especially when it gets to the end and he reflects on all that has happened to him. I appreciated the attention to detail with all the people he met and places he went, but I would have liked to see more of how all the people in his life influenced him. The use of slang from the time period was interesting, but some of it felt a little randomly dropped in. I liked reading more about Malcolm before he became the public figure we all know. However, the time jumps were just too much. It changed seemingly at random. I would have liked much more to read about Malcolm and his family in one linear narrative so his relationship with his brothers would be more impactful. It would have made his descent into street life all the more sad without breaking up the story as much.
February 20, 2018
Read for "Great Michigan Read" 2018
This novel is one of the most powerful book I've read. I was born the same year that Malcolm X was assassinated. The only thing I "knew" was that he was a radical man. Wow, has my thinking changed! This novel, written by his daughter, shows the reader Malcolm's life from birth through his incarceration.
After reading the novel and seeing the struggle that the Little family lived in Lansing, I'm appalled at the behavior in the 30's and 40's. I'm appalled at the realization that things haven't changed all that much. I feel like I've gained such insight into the mind of this child. He wanted to be a lawyer and his favorite teacher told him to be realistic. He figured out that his father was murdered and pushed onto the streetcar tracks. He watched the welfare people come and send him away to foster care, send the other children to live with relatives and send his mother to a mental institution for 22 years! He had no power , no control over his own life.
The most excruciating part for me is that there is rampant and real racial discrimination emanating freely from those in the highest political offices of this nation. The fact has been staggering to me; now I'm so incredibly sad that our country cannot seem to come together for any reason.
The very last line of the book, words from Malcolm's father than helped him through: "I am my father's son. They will always come for me. But I will never succumb."
This novel is one of the most powerful book I've read. I was born the same year that Malcolm X was assassinated. The only thing I "knew" was that he was a radical man. Wow, has my thinking changed! This novel, written by his daughter, shows the reader Malcolm's life from birth through his incarceration.
After reading the novel and seeing the struggle that the Little family lived in Lansing, I'm appalled at the behavior in the 30's and 40's. I'm appalled at the realization that things haven't changed all that much. I feel like I've gained such insight into the mind of this child. He wanted to be a lawyer and his favorite teacher told him to be realistic. He figured out that his father was murdered and pushed onto the streetcar tracks. He watched the welfare people come and send him away to foster care, send the other children to live with relatives and send his mother to a mental institution for 22 years! He had no power , no control over his own life.
The most excruciating part for me is that there is rampant and real racial discrimination emanating freely from those in the highest political offices of this nation. The fact has been staggering to me; now I'm so incredibly sad that our country cannot seem to come together for any reason.
The very last line of the book, words from Malcolm's father than helped him through: "I am my father's son. They will always come for me. But I will never succumb."
September 27, 2015
This is an incredible novel, it builds up slowly and falls into place at the end.
I don’t know much about Malcolm X aside from the little bit we learned in high school. I was hesitant to read a YA fictional novel based on him when I heard about it, but the fact that his daughter co-wrote it made me secure that it will be handled with care and respect.
This novel is certainly hard to read; we see racism and how it beats down and defeats young Malcolm. From when he first becomes conscious of racism as a child, when he realizes just what the “n” word means, how despicable white people can be even when they see you as a friend. Malcolm sets off on the wrong path and he falls fast and deep. But it’s the only road many African-American young men see themselves taking because every other opportunity is not available to them.
I found Malcolm to be an unlikable character for most of the book, but he is still a good character. He does bad things, he becomes arrogant, he falls into the easy city life of being a drug dealer and then a thief. He does not want to be better… and he knows he’s running from a person he could be. But I think this characterization is very important. His relationship, the fact that he loved a white woman, and how that plays into his future rhetoric. It shows that he’s still somewhat naive about some things, even though he is living the hard life.
We get to see Malcolm’s life, his downward spiral, his fall, his lowest point, and then the beginning of his rise to greatness. The novel ends there. With a promise of a man to come, the man his father and his mother wanted him to be, the man he will be.
I don’t know much about Malcolm X aside from the little bit we learned in high school. I was hesitant to read a YA fictional novel based on him when I heard about it, but the fact that his daughter co-wrote it made me secure that it will be handled with care and respect.
This novel is certainly hard to read; we see racism and how it beats down and defeats young Malcolm. From when he first becomes conscious of racism as a child, when he realizes just what the “n” word means, how despicable white people can be even when they see you as a friend. Malcolm sets off on the wrong path and he falls fast and deep. But it’s the only road many African-American young men see themselves taking because every other opportunity is not available to them.
I found Malcolm to be an unlikable character for most of the book, but he is still a good character. He does bad things, he becomes arrogant, he falls into the easy city life of being a drug dealer and then a thief. He does not want to be better… and he knows he’s running from a person he could be. But I think this characterization is very important. His relationship, the fact that he loved a white woman, and how that plays into his future rhetoric. It shows that he’s still somewhat naive about some things, even though he is living the hard life.
We get to see Malcolm’s life, his downward spiral, his fall, his lowest point, and then the beginning of his rise to greatness. The novel ends there. With a promise of a man to come, the man his father and his mother wanted him to be, the man he will be.
June 19, 2018
4.5 Out Of 5 "The Pathway to X" STARS
A somewhat harsh, albeit enlightening, fictionalized history about Malcolm X. Centering on his informative childhood to young adult years. I learned some things and had some things laid bare for me. The audio by Dion Graham lends a very authentic voice and is well done.
At the end of the story, his daughter speaks about her dad and then there is a couple chapter's telling all about what they (Shabazz and Magoon) kept true to his story and what they embellished on. Plus an additional timeline of his life. I read this for a reading challenge (X title) and this is one of those instances where I'm content a reading challenge compelled me to choose something I wouldn't have normally had on my radar.
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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 4.5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 4/5
Pacing~ 3.8/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4.5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Awesome!
Narration~ ☆4.5☆ by Dion Graham with Ilyasah Shabazz
Setting~ Lansing, MI, Boston, MA, and Harlem, NY
Source~ Audiobook (Scribd)
A somewhat harsh, albeit enlightening, fictionalized history about Malcolm X. Centering on his informative childhood to young adult years. I learned some things and had some things laid bare for me. The audio by Dion Graham lends a very authentic voice and is well done.
At the end of the story, his daughter speaks about her dad and then there is a couple chapter's telling all about what they (Shabazz and Magoon) kept true to his story and what they embellished on. Plus an additional timeline of his life. I read this for a reading challenge (X title) and this is one of those instances where I'm content a reading challenge compelled me to choose something I wouldn't have normally had on my radar.
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~MY RATING~☆4.5☆STARS - GRADE=A-
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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 4.5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 4/5
Pacing~ 3.8/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4.5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Awesome!
Narration~ ☆4.5☆ by Dion Graham with Ilyasah Shabazz
Setting~ Lansing, MI, Boston, MA, and Harlem, NY
Source~ Audiobook (Scribd)
December 23, 2017
A historical fiction of the early adolescent life of Malcom X, when he made a lot of questionable decisions and buried a lot of grief in unproductive ways, that in all likelihood served to help transform him into the man he would later become. This story may be fiction, but it is written by his daughter, with all the conversations, history, and family letters to supply the structural facts and timeline of the story. She also does a great job at the end discussing which figures in the narrative are real, composites, or otherwise. It’s an easy read of a young man, disillusioned with the world by a very young age, and all his attempts to start fresh and bury that grief.
April 27, 2020
Rep: Black mc & side characters
October 8, 2018
This was a pretty fascinating read. I thought the authors did a great job of bringing us into the character of Malcolm/Red and his world. The side characters were there to be just that, to be on the side to further illustrate and highlight Malcolm's character with his strengths and his weaknesses, his reasons and reactions, while at the same time showing the strengths and weaknesses of the different cultures in which he found himself. It was a different take on such a strong and widely-known person, I am glad I picked it up.
There is swearing, drug use and selling of multiple types (reefer and coke being the main ones), hustling of all types, references to prostitutes and sex but no outright description, references to violence and lynchings.
There is swearing, drug use and selling of multiple types (reefer and coke being the main ones), hustling of all types, references to prostitutes and sex but no outright description, references to violence and lynchings.
November 22, 2022
I've read 2 young people's bios of Malcolm X - Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary: By Any Means Necessary by Walter Dean Myers and a Lerner one not worth finding - but I enjoyed learning about Malcolm Little or
November 2, 2017
OK THIS BOOK HAS ME SHOOK!!!!!!!!
So this book was incredible I really felt it the entire way I don't know what all that passion was but it worked in the beginning when Malcom was a good old family man I was in love with his character but then he became Red and I lost that love for him but then in prison I loved him again!!!
I would recommend this to anyone mature enough to read about drugs/sex/violence/etc.
So this book was incredible I really felt it the entire way I don't know what all that passion was but it worked in the beginning when Malcom was a good old family man I was in love with his character but then he became Red and I lost that love for him but then in prison I loved him again!!!
I would recommend this to anyone mature enough to read about drugs/sex/violence/etc.
October 4, 2019
Wonderful historical fiction about Malcolm X's early years. This novel is written by his daughter and it's a wonderful addition to any library.
June 20, 2020
X Book Review
X was a fictional telling of the early childhood and life of Malcolm X, a human rights activist, and it was written by his daughter. I also like how it felt just like a normal narrator, so it didn't have a bias.
I liked how even though it was fiction, the facts and what he did when he grew up and his time in prison was factually based, and true, but it added fiction writing techniques to help enhance the story. They even used the same quotes and names of the people in his life, so it was interesting to read something like this.
I also like how this book detailed his life before he was famous and before he got into the human rights movement, and it was interesting to see what type of environment he grew up in and the struggles and hardships he had to go through, even at a young age.
Some themes in this book were, never give up, fight for your beliefs, and think before you act, and all of them were shown through the outcome of his life and the choices he made. I think that the book could have been better if it at least got into a little bit of the human rights movement, whether through Malcolm X's experiences or just what was happening by that time because it didn't touch that much on the racism that was happening. It also left out information and clues about how his father died, and I get that the author wanted to let the reader figure it out by themselves, but the author didn't provide enough clues to the reader, so I was confused when I read it.
I found that it is good to do a bit of research when reading or after reading the book because it gives you detail and insight the book might have missed and it can answer your questions and predictions you might have, which helps you understand the book and the characters inside more clearly.
I would rate this book 4 stars and I recommend everyone to read it.
X was a fictional telling of the early childhood and life of Malcolm X, a human rights activist, and it was written by his daughter. I also like how it felt just like a normal narrator, so it didn't have a bias.
I liked how even though it was fiction, the facts and what he did when he grew up and his time in prison was factually based, and true, but it added fiction writing techniques to help enhance the story. They even used the same quotes and names of the people in his life, so it was interesting to read something like this.
I also like how this book detailed his life before he was famous and before he got into the human rights movement, and it was interesting to see what type of environment he grew up in and the struggles and hardships he had to go through, even at a young age.
Some themes in this book were, never give up, fight for your beliefs, and think before you act, and all of them were shown through the outcome of his life and the choices he made. I think that the book could have been better if it at least got into a little bit of the human rights movement, whether through Malcolm X's experiences or just what was happening by that time because it didn't touch that much on the racism that was happening. It also left out information and clues about how his father died, and I get that the author wanted to let the reader figure it out by themselves, but the author didn't provide enough clues to the reader, so I was confused when I read it.
I found that it is good to do a bit of research when reading or after reading the book because it gives you detail and insight the book might have missed and it can answer your questions and predictions you might have, which helps you understand the book and the characters inside more clearly.
I would rate this book 4 stars and I recommend everyone to read it.
August 4, 2018
As a reader, we know what happens to Malcom Little in the end, however I enjoyed this fictional look into his young life. There are parts of this story I already knew, but I forgot how young he was when some of the life choices he made were not so great.
The author takes us back and forth through time and provides a glimpse into the internal struggle of loss and hurt young Malcom was navigating. Despite his efforts to the contrary, Malcom Little aka Red aka Detroit Red survives and goes on to continue the work of his parents and became a great leader.
A little non-fiction amongst fiction and at the end of the book the author describes that for us. A great book & window into Malcom X.
The author takes us back and forth through time and provides a glimpse into the internal struggle of loss and hurt young Malcom was navigating. Despite his efforts to the contrary, Malcom Little aka Red aka Detroit Red survives and goes on to continue the work of his parents and became a great leader.
A little non-fiction amongst fiction and at the end of the book the author describes that for us. A great book & window into Malcom X.
March 4, 2021
The book is interesting and it informs you more about the roots of Malcolm X, but it relies too much on the reader. The book is rather repetitive as you reach the catalyst, and you start to lose interest rather quickly. It also assumes that those reading know enough about Malcolm X to keep up, when in truth this is directed towards a teenage demographic, meaning they might not know as much as the book assumes. It still has important themes on racism in the system and the treatment of African Americans now and then. I would recommend that you read this book if you wish to know more about Malcolm X and if you are willing to push through the final 100 pages or so when you lose interest.
April 6, 2015
Malcolm Little's life encompassed the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil Right's Movement. His parents, Earl and and Louise Little have always told him, along with his brothers and sisters (Wilfred, Hilda, Philbert, Reginald, Wesley, and Yvonne), that they can achieve anything. 'Up, Up, You mighty Race!" - by Marcus Garvey- was preached to them through their parents. However, as Malcolm grows up, he realizes what his parents told him before, was a pack of lies. He got in trouble for stealing food in Lansing to put food on the table, otherwise they would have starved, and instead of being let off the hook as he expected, the police and people around him showed no mercy on him/his family. The result of his action, was his family split up by the government. The government put the children in all different foster homes and sent their mother to the States (Michigan) Asylum because she was "crazy" and deemed unfit for her to keep acting as a mother to her own children! I find this astonishing and just absurd- she provided their family with food, shelter, water, clothes, and money daily! She may have not had ample amounts of food like the other white families surrounding her in their neighborhood, but she lost her husband, it was the Great Depression, and she received unfair work pay because of her skin color. She showed love, taught them about black power/history, and treated her children as like any other ordinary mother would. The government just wanted to get her and their family out of the house so they can later sell their land to a white family with higher pay. 6 years before, Malcolm's/the children's father was murdered on the railroad tracks to what was believed to be an "accident". In the black community, they knew the truth- Earl Little was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan (aka the Black Legion) for his preaches about black power/greatness and standing up for equality. The white either refused to believe this or sided with the KKK- either way they disregarded Earl Little's murder completely and there was no further investigation.
His father has been murdered, his mother taken away, his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school, and his brothers and sisters have been relocated away from him. Malcolm thinks there's no point in trying anymore and he becomes lured by the nightlife in the big cities of Boston and New York, so he escapes Lansing and decides to go live with his half-sister, Ella, for a little while. He dives into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, reefer, drugs, and crime. Malcolm's efforts of leaving the past have worked so far, but eventually is catching up with him as he enters dangerous territory belonging to West Indian Archie (a known Hustler and criminal) as his small-time hustling spins out of control. Deep down, Malcolm is smarter than he appears during his teenage/youth years- he knows that the freedom he's currently found is only an illusion that stays temporarily- and that he can't run forever from reality. Soon, his criminal acts of hustling and theft get caught by the police and he is sent to jail, along with his other friends who participated in his activities with him, for 6 years. The time Malcolm spends in prison sheds a new light on what was his old dark life. When Malcolm was 6 years old, he took the biggest punch of his life (his father's murder) and he still hasn't figured out how to get up yet. Malcolm has tried so hard to forget about his history, instead of rather learning how to deal with it and move on. Malcolm is angry at whites for having it good while blacks everywhere are struggling and suffering beneath their nose. In desperation, he writes a letter to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. His family just now has found wisdom in Muhammad's teachings, which, to Malcolm, this guy sounds very much like his father.
"I don't want to fight Papa any longer, to forget him. I want to remember. I want to come home, " (344).
Soon after, Malcolm receives a letter back from Elijah Muhammad. His black power inside his soul has been put back in place. It doesn't matter what he has been called (ex: Son, Brother, Negro, Malcolm, Nigger, Red, Homeboy, Detroit Red, or 22843), a number is all he is now. He can rise out of this prison hole to become a man of his own choosing and fulfill his father's left footsteps.
"The guards may come for me. The devil may come. The chains and the darkness. All the wrongs of the world may come. The noose. Every force that thirsts for the destruction of the black man in America.
I am my father's son. They will always come for me. But I will never succumb, " (348).
"X" is a fictional novel based on historical text/facts/history. Most of the characters are real, but some people/events are fiction. Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X and is a civil right's activist like her father. Grief, pain, and confusion prevented Malcolm from seeing his father's footsteps laid out for him in his youth, but overtime/the end Malcolm embraced his destiny and became one of the most powerful/popular civil right's black activist. This was a very good novel and I highly recommend everyone to go down this long and unforgettable journey!
His father has been murdered, his mother taken away, his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school, and his brothers and sisters have been relocated away from him. Malcolm thinks there's no point in trying anymore and he becomes lured by the nightlife in the big cities of Boston and New York, so he escapes Lansing and decides to go live with his half-sister, Ella, for a little while. He dives into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, reefer, drugs, and crime. Malcolm's efforts of leaving the past have worked so far, but eventually is catching up with him as he enters dangerous territory belonging to West Indian Archie (a known Hustler and criminal) as his small-time hustling spins out of control. Deep down, Malcolm is smarter than he appears during his teenage/youth years- he knows that the freedom he's currently found is only an illusion that stays temporarily- and that he can't run forever from reality. Soon, his criminal acts of hustling and theft get caught by the police and he is sent to jail, along with his other friends who participated in his activities with him, for 6 years. The time Malcolm spends in prison sheds a new light on what was his old dark life. When Malcolm was 6 years old, he took the biggest punch of his life (his father's murder) and he still hasn't figured out how to get up yet. Malcolm has tried so hard to forget about his history, instead of rather learning how to deal with it and move on. Malcolm is angry at whites for having it good while blacks everywhere are struggling and suffering beneath their nose. In desperation, he writes a letter to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. His family just now has found wisdom in Muhammad's teachings, which, to Malcolm, this guy sounds very much like his father.
"I don't want to fight Papa any longer, to forget him. I want to remember. I want to come home, " (344).
Soon after, Malcolm receives a letter back from Elijah Muhammad. His black power inside his soul has been put back in place. It doesn't matter what he has been called (ex: Son, Brother, Negro, Malcolm, Nigger, Red, Homeboy, Detroit Red, or 22843), a number is all he is now. He can rise out of this prison hole to become a man of his own choosing and fulfill his father's left footsteps.
"The guards may come for me. The devil may come. The chains and the darkness. All the wrongs of the world may come. The noose. Every force that thirsts for the destruction of the black man in America.
I am my father's son. They will always come for me. But I will never succumb, " (348).
"X" is a fictional novel based on historical text/facts/history. Most of the characters are real, but some people/events are fiction. Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X and is a civil right's activist like her father. Grief, pain, and confusion prevented Malcolm from seeing his father's footsteps laid out for him in his youth, but overtime/the end Malcolm embraced his destiny and became one of the most powerful/popular civil right's black activist. This was a very good novel and I highly recommend everyone to go down this long and unforgettable journey!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Written by his daughter, it’s a glimpse into Malcolm X’s young life. Although some parts are fictionalized for the sake of the book, the majority of it is based on true events. It was a great read I’m glad I picked it up.
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March 5, 2020Veryyy slow read for me
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