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Blackout
It’s August, 2003. All of the Northeast is sweltering, but no place is hotter than Brooklyn, especially the gritty neighborhood known as East Flatbush. Then, in the midst of the heat wave, the unthinkable the power goes out. And stays out. And the longer it’s out, the edgier people get, until finally, edginess gives way to anger. For 48 hours, the community is in chaos. Looters are everywhere. No one is safe. Violence erupts suddenly, randomly, scarring the innocents as well as the agitators, until Flatbush finally explodes into deadly conflict. Based on actual events that occurred during the Northeast Blackout of August 14-15, 2003, this riveting novel tells the little-known story of a neighborhood thrown not only into darkness, but utter mayhem. Illustrated throughout with scenes from the film, Blackout is a heart-stopping, page-turning drama that keeps readers unable to put it down.
270 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2009
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 22, 2015
I was excited to read this book, a novel set during the forty-eight-hour blackout in New York City in August of 2003. Boy, was I ever disappointed.
The book is pretty short, but I still couldn't finish it. It was written in an incredibly amateurish, sloppy style. The author may or may not be authentically knowledgeable about urban slang, but he piled it on so heavily it made the reading awkward and distracting. Plus he couldn't bear to let a reader use her head and infer how a character was feeling or acting when they said something, so we get gems like:
"Hi, Mom" CJ greeted his mother. (My goodness, here I was thinking he was greeting the mailman.)
" ... the rappers stomped their feet with vigor." (Is there any other way for rappers to stomp their feet?)
"Hello, George." Ms. Thompson greeted him.
"Hello, Ms. Thompson, how was work?" answered George, returning her pleasantry."
And on and on and on that way. If an old bum tries to demonstrate a vacuum cleaner in a barbershop and the place fills with a boom and a puff of smoke when he plugs it in, I don't need to be told that the barber "shouted, already a little annoyed" at the bum. Give it a rest, Captain Obvious.
Plus the editing was really bad, almost nonexistent. Punctuation was a mess, and I am particularly irritated when I see things like "walked passed" in a book.
The idea of a book following many different people as they cope with a two-day power outage in a rough neighborhood not two years after 9/11 was intriguing and could have made, should have made, a gripping read.
This one, however, was an epic fail.
The book is pretty short, but I still couldn't finish it. It was written in an incredibly amateurish, sloppy style. The author may or may not be authentically knowledgeable about urban slang, but he piled it on so heavily it made the reading awkward and distracting. Plus he couldn't bear to let a reader use her head and infer how a character was feeling or acting when they said something, so we get gems like:
"Hi, Mom" CJ greeted his mother. (My goodness, here I was thinking he was greeting the mailman.)
" ... the rappers stomped their feet with vigor." (Is there any other way for rappers to stomp their feet?)
"Hello, George." Ms. Thompson greeted him.
"Hello, Ms. Thompson, how was work?" answered George, returning her pleasantry."
And on and on and on that way. If an old bum tries to demonstrate a vacuum cleaner in a barbershop and the place fills with a boom and a puff of smoke when he plugs it in, I don't need to be told that the barber "shouted, already a little annoyed" at the bum. Give it a rest, Captain Obvious.
Plus the editing was really bad, almost nonexistent. Punctuation was a mess, and I am particularly irritated when I see things like "walked passed" in a book.
The idea of a book following many different people as they cope with a two-day power outage in a rough neighborhood not two years after 9/11 was intriguing and could have made, should have made, a gripping read.
This one, however, was an epic fail.
August 15, 2009
I keep going back and forth between three and four stars because while this read like urban fiction (not based on real events) Whyte did a fantastic job of portraying everyday life in Brooklyn. Blackout goes between many, many different people yet I forgot none of them and remembered everything about each one. They were normal people with normal problems, trying to overcome those problems.
The Blackout caused more problems for some and helped others. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out the movie and reading more by Whyte.
The Blackout caused more problems for some and helped others. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out the movie and reading more by Whyte.
October 8, 2012
This was a very good read. I really enjoyed how the author was able to capture the behaviors and the emotions of each character in the book and how their lives intertwined with each other.
I remember seeing the news coverage regarding this situation but I guess I never really thought about what those people had to deal with by being in total darkness. The author really puts into perspective how a community can be torn down or built up by a few people. I really enjoyed the ending which I will not reveal to you.
I remember seeing the news coverage regarding this situation but I guess I never really thought about what those people had to deal with by being in total darkness. The author really puts into perspective how a community can be torn down or built up by a few people. I really enjoyed the ending which I will not reveal to you.
April 17, 2016
Blackout was given to me by my local bookstore and I really enjoyed all of the underlying messages found between the pages…listen to your parents, don't hang around the wrong crowd, and love the ones that lives you back-and-forth flaws and all! I highly recommend this five star page turner!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews