Citizen was a good read that got me out of a reading slump where I've felt demotivated for a while. It made me think, it helped me understand and it kept me engaged. I often choose books that are set in different worlds and different lands, this was very much grounded in our world but in places we wish didn't exists.

Citizen by Claudia Rankine is a selection of prose poetry about racism and being black in America. Many of the poems are written in the first person which does give me the impression that those people who racism affects the most have had the chance to contribute towards this poetry. It looks at how people may feeling either when they are in a situation where most people are white or in a situation when they are being racially abused.

I like this book because it highlights a big issue which does not only take place in America but around the world. Racism shouldn't be happening because regardless of your skin colour you are still a human, still a person. I have met a few black people and they have all been lovely so why judge someone on appearance? This poetry also makes the reader think how they would feel if they looked different as we are introduced to how many black people feel.

The one thing I disliked about this book was how it did not make any sense and the plot was not easily understandable. You could pick up the themes of the text but I personally failed to pick up the details of the plot, I only know about the different scenes which are all an example of being different and racism. The reason I was unable to pick up the details of the plot were because the writer kept changing the plot with no warning or reason.

Altogether, I rate this book 3 stars because it is an alright book about a very important issue but the plot is hard to pick up meaning you are just reading words and this takes away some of the enjoyment of reading this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin books for giving me an Advanced Reader Copy of the book in return of an honest book review.

When he turns to you he is truly surprised.

Oh my God, I didn't see you.

You must be in a hurry, you offer.

No, no, no, I really didn't see you.



Citizen makes everyday racism in America understandable, and most essentially, relatable. I think it is this level of empathy that fights racism, and encourages everyone to be more vigilant and compassionate about these social problems we're slowly resolving. Claudia Rankine writes calmly about provocative material, while also showing the amount of willpower needed not to be enraged by it.

Citizen is written in 7 chapters, each chapter revolving around a theme. Some of these are occurrences of racism in public the author has encountered, whereas others focus on more recent events in American history, from controversy in Serena Williams's tennis career to Hurricane Katrina. 'The encounters with racism' sections

There are interesting images to close chapters, and it's very approachable and readable. 'Enjoyable' is an odd word to describe reading about racial injustice, but it was, because Claudia Rankine deals with the narratives with humanity, grace, humor, wit, and poetic imagery. We can never feel what one feels but with enough documentation we can imagine, understand, empathize, and affect change to benefit the lived conditions of others.

I was particularly interested in reading Claudia Rankine as she featured in, and was the dedication for, a work of poetry called Bough Down, which I previously read and really enjoyed. It made me wonder who this writer was. So, looking up Claudia Rankine on Google, I saw this book was nominated for a prize and was very fortunate to receive such an excellent work of poetry for free from NetGalley, even well after its release date.

I hope now that black authors are becoming more accessible and popular, more people will rediscover books like this and know that they have existed, long after they could and should have existed, and they are not the end of the story.

This is my 8th advanced reader copy (ARC) review. This means I received this ebook for free, in exchange for this review by Netgalley. I'm not financially motivated, as I read library books, so I only read ARCs I actually think will be good enough for me to rate and review honestly.

This book was emotional, important, timely. The author wrote with brutal honesty, sharing stories illustrating just some of the racial aggressions that are wrongly still happening to this day. How, with how far the world has advanced, are these things still happening? Why do people treat people differently because of their skin colour? 

I loved the writing style. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but the subject matter is what’s important here. Although not an easy read, the writing was fresh, emotional and hypnotic. 

Everyone should read this book. Read it and learn. Read it and do better to make the world a better place for people of colour.

Rankine provides an amalgam between prose/essay and poetry in an acutely sincere collection, without shying away but through placing the topic of race at the core of the poems, a topic that truly needs to be addressed and keep on being addressed.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Reading this book in 2020 after everything that’s happened since it was published it was quite an experience. I love this author and her works, but now it feels even more necessary. I don’t know if I would call these essays, poems, lyrics, but her writing is both I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Reading this book in 2020 after everything that’s happened since it was published it was quite an experience. I love this author and her works, but now it feels even more necessary. I don’t know if I would call these essays, poems, lyrics, but her writing is somehow so raw and honest it is both beautiful and ugly. Necessary and well recommended