First of all a big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

I loved how different this book was to anything else I've read. I love that its written in the style of a sales manual. I know the synopsis says that this book is a little like 'Wolf of Wall Street' which I haven't watched but I get the gist, this book was insane. As soon as Buck gets a job at SumWun in sales everything goes crazy.

I love the characters apart from Clyde and Rhett who I just couldn't bring myself to like. The former is a racist and the latter uses Buck to show that the company and Rhett agree with diversity, however he gets upset when anyone 'pulls the race card'. *rolls eyes*

I loved the idea of a group of people like the Happy Campers. They are like one big extended family. It gives people of colour a step up and opportunities that they may not receive otherwise.

Thank you NetGalley and John Murray for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I truly enjoyed this book! Hilarious and uncomfortable, really thought provoking and broaching such an important subject that is racism.

Needs to be enjoyed with a "big" pinch of salt but a truly well executed satire of the corporate world.

I cannot wait to see what Mateo writes next!

Thoroughly enjoyed this satirical look at the world whilst tackling serious issues of the disenfranchised youth, race, diversity all wrapped up neatly in the style of a self help manual. Buck’s story is darkly funny and a somewhat wild ride of debut novel. An author to watch.

This has left me very confused. Some bits I really liked. There was a lot of racism that made me quite uncomfortable. The stuff all about start ups and sellers left me feeling old because I still don't really understand what Sumwun and Happy Campers did. On the whole I didn't like any of the characters Darren was strangely despicable. His mother's decision was ultimately wrong (in my opinion). Rhett seemed impotent. Clyde was abhorrent. I think this would make a really good choice for a book group.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and John Murrays.

It says that this is recommended for fans of ‘Such a Fun Age’ (which I loved) and ‘Luster’ (which I didn’t like) so this will be interesting!

I wasn’t sure about this one, it took quite a while for me to get into it - and even then I was reading it just to finish it.

I liked the general plot of this book, it was very interesting. It made me hate literally all white people, the sheer amount of racism was horrific.

I do agree that people who liked ‘Such a Fun Age’ and ‘Luster’ are likely to enjoy this one.

Funny, satirical and insightful look at the world of tech start ups and sales through the lens of race.

The first half is definitely funnier than the rest, and the 3rd quarter is a little baggy but it picks up again for the ending.

The question he really wants answered is, are we buying what Buck is selling? You'll have to read it to find out.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel unlike any other I have ever read, and I have read thousands. It is the debut novel of a young Black writer, Mateo Askaripour, who has said that white readers are welcome to come along for the ride. As one such reader I’m happy to endorse that sentiment. The book is a satire on so many levels, notably on the black-black and black-white dynamics within urban USA, the operation of call centres – tech start-ups and corporate dealing, and the relative status of individuals within these communities. It is also a training manual for salespeople, since there are instructive messages interspersed throughout, especially in the early parts. However, it is not “The Black Art of the Deal”! It is much cleverer than that. The writer’s background ensures that the language reads like it’s authentic and adds to the pleasure.
Darren Vender (the surname might be a deliberate pun) is a 22 year old Black guy living in his mother’s Brownstone in the Bedford-Stuyvesant (known as Bed-Stuy) neighbourhood of Brooklyn. He has a Yemeni girlfriend, a few close Black friends, no white folks in his orbit except for those who are customers of the Starbucks shop where he is the branch manager. Until one day when, Rhett, the CEO of the company on the 39th floor of the skyscraper where the Starbucks is located, comes in for his usual choice of coffee and Darren ‘sells’ him on a different type. Impressed by the young guy’s innate skill, Rhett offers him a job as a telesales operative and so he joins this 100% white organisation. Nicknames are common for new people and he is christened ‘Buck’ because of his previous job. Despite set-backs and racial tensions he becomes a star performer but the quid pro quo is that he becomes alienated from his Bed-Stuy roots. Apart from the language in which it is written, and the racial factors, that is an old plot line – “Rags to Riches” – or ‘pure soap opera’ to paraphrase Cole Porter. However, this is much more complex than that. There are so many twists and turns, none of which is flagged in advance, all of which are unanticipatable. I defy you to work out the switches in advance and applaud you if you can spot the twists (there are more than one) in the ending.
I started reading this wondering why I should be interested in something so far from my norm and ended up feeling like I knew this world, and delighting in that feeling.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This book was an interesting read, sold as a salesman's manual to succeeding in life, it covers the story of Buck as he steps out of his comfort zone in to the cutthroat world of sales. Buck is young, charasmatic, and can sell you everything, or even more impressively sell himself anything. The book didn't take the journey I expected it to, which I think is what made is interesting. We didn't end where I expected us to, but there was a lot of good story telling inbetween. Parts of the book are funny, parts of it will make you squirm, but I think in a good way.

The book deals with some big issues, predominantly race, but also about being truthful to yourself too and what you're willing to give up as part of yourself to get to where you think you want to be.

Not read a book like this before, god it was a good time, didn't realise satire was my thing. Very clever and excellent writing, so strong for a debut. It's screaming to be adapted for the night screen

Sweet Jesus I love satire and this delivered. I'm not familiar with the corporate world, but this made me laugh uncomfortably in places. It felt a bit rushed in parts, but I didn't mind - I was along for the ride. I've read some negative reviews, but those were by people who clearly don't understand satire or subversive prose and I'm sad for them. Read this with an open mind.

I hugely enjoyed this book. It was witty, funny, devastating and gripping throughout. Its style is unmatched in books I've read previously - part autobiography, part self-help guide, part novel. All knitted together to produce a really interesting piece of writing.

It follows the story of Darren Vender over the course of about a year, charting his, fairly remarkable, ups & downs. It follows him from his job in Starbucks where he thinks he's satisfied but unchallenged, to an opportunity that will change his life. The opportunity transforms his life, and transforms him, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. However, all is not lost, and a window of redemption appears.

The book deals with serious issues around race and diversity, loss, love and the disenfranchisement of many young people today. It does this in a straightforward, yet compelling, manner.

A true page turner and a fascinating story from start to end.

Imagine being a 22 year old Black man in America, imagine that you have finished High school valedictorian, imagine that you didn't go to college because of all the other responsibilities that you have, imagine the furthest that you will ever get in life is shift supervisor at Starbucks, imagine just wanting to make your Momma proud, imagine someone giving you a chance, imagine having to put up with covert and overt Racism to take this chance: "It is the duty of every man and Woman who has achieved some success in their to pass it on, because when you are gone, what matters most isn't what you were able to attain but who you were able to help"... A clever, and funny tale about Race and diversity in America. This book will have you laughing out loud, and reaching for your pen to take notes. An excellent story, executed with finnesse6and charisma

This is a wild ride of a book, best described as a satirical take on racism in corporate America (and a smackdown of tech bros) written in the style of a self-help manual 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s acerbic, fast-paced and brilliantly absurd.

It takes off at a ferocious pace with our protagonist, Darren Vender, a quick-witted 22 year old barista at Starbucks, living in Brooklyn and cruising happily through life when he is recruited by Sumwun. Sumwun is a tech startup that provides online therapy services to employees of its clients.

He earns the nickname “Buck” and as the only Black (and only person of colour) employee at Sumwun, Buck is put through the ringer in order to prove his credentials, far in excess of the standard required of his white colleagues. The demands placed on him soon put him teetering on the verge of moral bankruptcy.

The first half of the book is quite sensational, the pace unstoppable and the tech startup absolutely cringeworthy and hilarious in how it is portrayed.

How Buck is treated might appear ridiculously over the top (it is satire after all), but I imagine there will be many people who find the overt racism and some of Buck’s experiences relatable, not least in his being treated as the “token” person of colour.

Unfortunately, about halfway through the pace drops off a cliff and story goes from being deliciously absurd to just plain old chaotic and what Irish people might best describe as “ah here” 😅.

It does find its way again towards the end and I did want to keep reading. Will Darren haul himself back from the precipice? Will white corporate America ever see the light?

A really unusual book. While I don’t think a white middle aged Irish woman like myself is necessarily the intended audience for a book like this (lol), I thought it was incisive, fizzing with energy, thought-provoking and really enjoyable. A stunning cover too 😍. 4/5 ⭐️

*Black Buck will be published on 27 May 2021. I read an advance digital copy of the book courtesy of the publishers @johnmurraypress via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.*

#BlackBuck #MateoAskaripour #netgalley #littlecassreads #bookstagram #bookstagramireland

TWISTS AND TURNS GOT ME TRIPPIN'!

About a black man called Darren or 'Buck' who is rising through the ranks of the corporate world.

I found it really interesting how the protagonist kind of has these internal battles with himself and he’s thinking - "I'm still a good person - right?" and its really interesting to see his journey.

For a debut novel i thought the quality of writing was awesome and Mateo Askaripour is definitely one to watch. I’ll be really interested to see what he comes out with next.

I got Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour from Netgalley for free, for a fair and honest review.


Black buck tells the story of Daren, who lives with his mum and works for Starbucksas, until one day Rhet Daniels, a CEO from a successful start up offers him a job, his name changes to Buck and his life never stays the same.

Black Buck is part satirical look at the world of tech startups and how they deal with race, part self help book and part autobiography,


The story is written from Buck’s point of view as though he is telling the story, to you as a reader and along the way there ae the odd selling tips pointed out to the reader as they fit in with the story.


What I like about the way the story was written from Buck’s point of view is that you knew that his life was changing and how this was affecting those around him.

However, the narrative style showed how Buck was affected by the people around him along with why he reacted that way as he started to move into this new world.

I do have one issue with the book, and that is the time when the British supermarket Tesco are with Buck and he is trying to sell them his product.

At one point he uses the word to get ‘Excited’, as a word for the involvement of the staff members with the product.

He then asks one of Tesco’s staff what would the aay in Britten, and they give the answer ‘Chuffed’. This word seemed not something any staff in Britain would use. In that context.

They should have used ‘Motivated’ or in that context “Excited’ would have worked just as well.

Having said that this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole and I would recommend this book for either those that wanted to read more about how inequality can have an effect on people, last year but still need help in going in that direction.

Or you could just read Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour, as it is really a thought provoking yet still enjoyable book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A satire of the modern, corporate workplace and startup culture, but also a commentary on the difficulties non-white people face in breaking into and staying in white-dominated spaces.

The first half is a look at how Buck comes to be a salesperson in a high-flying New York startup, but it also shows where he came from, his old friends and family.. I enjoyed it for the most part (in that way you can enjoy a book while cringing at all the antics and most of the people at the startup). However, it was the second part where Buck starts to teach other non-white people to sell where the book became a page-turner for me. Admittedly towards the end there was a lot of action and characters and it was starting to feel a little frantic, but it also kept me turning pages late into night which is always a good thing.

Give this book a try if you fancy something with the energy of Wolf of Wall Street or The Circle by Dave Eggers, but from a the perspective of a Black person in those spaces.

I received an ARC of this from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'Black Buck' is a satire novel about a young, black man named Darren, who is nicknamed 'Buck' when he is suddenly thrust into the world of sales and flashy lifestyles after accepting a job offer at a nearby start-up company.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and its concept- it definitely gave me 'The Wolf of Wall Street' vibes with its flawed characters and the struggle to hold on to your true self. The pacing began well, although I felt like the first half of the book was much stronger.

I liked that the story, although satire, explored the existence of racism within the American workplace and exposed uncomfortable truths to me as a white reader. However, I would have liked this to be explored deeper in the story as it felt as if the solution to racism was simply to hire more POC staff, rather than tackle the crux of it.

This is Mateo Askaripour's debut novel, and I'm excited to read more of his work.

A great start to the book, I was really rooting for Darren and a the underdog however the second half felt like a completely different book?! A LOT happened and I felt like it was a bit chaotic at times. Important messages throughout and the style of writing was fun and engaging.

Thanks to John Murray and Netgalley for ARC.

Darren has an ok life, living with his mother in his old neighbourhood, close to childhood pal Jason and beloved girlfriend Soraya. Others seem to have bigger dreams for him than he has for himself. There are changes afoot, in his neighbourhood and beyond.
He becomes Buck when he moves to what everyone thinks will be his dream job - selling at a New York start up, with the prospect of making money and changing the world.
What follows is a darkly comic, and sometimes just dark, exploration of the American dream and what it means for people of colour.
This really is a wild ride. It reads as if the author knows the world his characters inhabit. The writing is assured and there are very few missteps.
I loved the format of sales manual/memoir, but appreciate it won't be for everyone.
It has already led me to look for Askaripour's essays for a variety of publications.

Man's got energy. That is for sure. Buck's story sweeps you off your feet almost instantly and you buckle in for what you know is bound to be a wild ride.

Buck, fka Darren, has grown up with limitless potential and what he thought were limitless barriers to utilising it. Content to work at Starbucks, his Ma and friends knew he was capable of so much more but he wasn't willing to risk being told "no" even though there was no reason the answer could have been "yes". When he gets his big break at Sumwun and realises he's the only person of colour there, the opportunity soon presents itself to help more people of colour learn to sell.

The way to hell is paved with good intentions though. One needs to know when enough is enough before their hand is forced. As Buck tells us his story, interlaced with words of wisdom on selling, we learn how a young man deals with rising too fast in a world not ready for his skin tone.

Whilst I cannot fault the energy or the premise of this story, I found the language a bit vulgar for my tastes. It was quite sexist in language at times, e.g. talking about women creaming themselves like men are god's gift to women (so tired of this nerve!). The bits on race make sense to me; this is a novel satirising the racism rampant in corporate America. But the lines dripped in objectifying women would always knock this down a notch each time it happened.