A wild ride of a book. Our hero, Darren, nicknamed Buck, will teach you how to sell. And selling is everything he tells us, in work, life, politics, everything. Author Mateo Askaripour takes us into the heart of white corporate America where racism is aggressive and relentless. It’s an environment where no one “sees colour” except when a Black person is needed “for optics” to wheel out in front of the media in a crisis.
A high school Valedictorian who didn’t go to college, Darren is coasting as a manager at Starbucks, “waiting for the right opportunity” to come along. His mother wants more for him, but his widowed mother is one of the reasons that heis reluctant to move on as he worries about her. He’s pretty content with his work, his life in Bed-Stuy and his girlfriend Soraya. Then he is spotted in Starbucks when he decides to impress a white start-up exec by “reverse closing” him on a coffee he didn’t order. He starts working for him at Sumwun, where success leads to Darren, (now nicknamed Buck), losing himself, his community and his values. Then some pretty crazy things happen that lead him to giving back to the people he’d turned his back on. With humour and energy, Askaripour’s first novel is both a satire and an all too real description of racism. Original and well worth reading.

Black Buck is a satirical novel that follows Darren who is a 22-year-old that lives with his mother and works at Starbucks, saying he is waiting for the right opportunity. He gets an unexpected opportunity to work at a startup company as a salesman, he is the only black person in the company and get’s nicknamed ‘Buck’. His work environment then starts to seep into every part of his life.

This book was definitely a wild ride. The writing is very engaging and partly reads as a self-help/sales manual and part fictional memoir. The book focuses on racism in the workplace, his colleagues are gross and when it suits them, they want him to perform as their trophy of diversity. This book is over the top but that is the point, but so much of this is real life. I felt like the narrative voice was really strong and that the other characters were well developed and felt real.

The story's pacing was a bit off, it got a bit slow in the middle and started to drag and felt a bit rushed sometimes at the end. Some of the jokes and analogies in this novel were cringey and eye roll worthy which I really did not enjoy. The books had its twists and I did enjoy them although sometimes they did seem a bit farfetched.

Overall, this was an engaging and entertaining read, that portrays workplaces in America and the racism and classism within them in a strong but wild way. But it definitely won’t work for everyone.

I must be honest, when I first started reading this I was a bit lost. I wasn't understanding the concept but I am happily surprised.
I enjoyed the writing style, but what I didn't enjoy was some of the irony and satire that he uses. Sometimes it was a bit too much and underwhelming. Not my cup of tea, but overall the book was still amazing

This book was a solid DNF for me. I wanted to like it, but it just wasn't my type. However, please take my rating and review with a grain of salt, because I know tons of other enjoyed Black Buck much more than I did.

This is a fast-paced and engaging story. Written in the first person narrative structured around a self-help book about learning how to sell, its hero is a young black man working in Starbucks who is given the opportunity to work in a high pressure sales job. The only black man in this corporate environment, he initially gets sucked into the work hard play hard culture of his new employer before a life changing event forces him to re-evaluate and use his success to help others, with devastating consequences. The satire works well and the portrayal of the cultist corporate environment and its attitudes to race is uncomfortably familiar. Not a easy ride but highly enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The journey of a young man who seemed to be blind to the world around him. He's both clever and naive. He seems oblivious to the toxic ethos of the company and what is happening in his personal life! Certainly a well paced, compelling if uncomfortable read.

I didn't dislike it, but didn't totally enjoy it. It covered racism and the micro-aggresions that is prevalent in society well and was thought provoking, especially with what is going on just now. However, I didn't like the 'sales' aspect of it as I didn't like the tone and dynamic it brought with it. Maybe it's a book to read twice to fully get the feel for it.

Found it difficult to place this book , it seems like advice from a sales manual linked with a strong storyline . The story itself is quite good outlining the formation of a group from ethnic backgrounds without a future being formed as a strong tele sales force and forging ahead to the top of different companies . The group is formed by Buck (previously called Darren ) after he is lured away from his job at Starbucks by Rhett , the founder / partner in a company selling companies access to "advisers "to help their employees with mental health problems . Buck rises to the top of the sales force and after the company faces problems due to the suicide of a person being advised and media looking in to the backgrounds of the advisers , goes on TV and manages to turn things around . Once people start noticing the rise of people from the group a white people sales group sets up in opposition and tries to bring things back to how they were . Bringing to the forefront some Racist and Reverse Racist arguments , an interesting book.

This novel is definitely something. I finished it more than a week ago, and even though I've now given it a rating, I don't know if it's the right one. This feels like a book that deserves a second read, just to get some clarity on the feelings it evokes.

The writing style is very engaging. It reads half as a sales manual/how to do sales book and half as a memoir. I really enjoyed the self-help style interjections that would tell me as a reader to pay attention to something, or that so and so is the first rule of sales. My background isn't in sales so I have no idea how on point it is, but it was definitely entertaining.

I can't speak in detail about the macro and micro-aggressions that Darren suffers, but as a Muslim woman in tech I absolutely relate to the feeling that Darren's journey at Sumwun evokes. Being the only minority at a company is incredibly hard even when the people you work with aren't total jerks, and the things that were done to Darren made me fume, especially because none of it seems like something that could never happen. Having Sumwun push Darren forward into the spotlight when the company faces scrutiny just to prove they hire diversely had me rolling my eyes because it felt very real.

The story definitely goes in directions I wasn't expecting. I will say that I enjoyed the first half more than the second half because I felt Darren made some strange choices towards the end that didn't fully make sense to me, and felt more like decisions made purely to move the story forward. One of the plot twists was a bit out there and doesn't really fit with the rest of the story in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the overall journey and I look forward to reading more from the author.

Fans of The Other Black Girl and Such A Fun Age will enjoy Black Buck. Everyday racism and casual micro-aggressions are flipped into this satirical, exciting and wild story. It’s about power, sacrifice and freedom, rolled into a sales manual. I felt a real connection with the main character and everything they were experiencing. Overall it’s a fantastic read and super innovative.

Growing up in the uk, I found this book was such an eye opener to the ‘American World’. I laughed out loud at times and also felt sick to my stomach, that race held people back from reaching their dreams. I hope that this story keeps helping people striving for their dreams.
Loved the way the main character seemed to have two totally different personas - very clever.
Fabulously gripping read.

An interesting satirical look at racism in the workplace and the drive behind success. I didn't really enjoy all of the sales talk but the characters interactions were pretty interesting.

Darren or Buck? Darren becomes Buck when he meets Rhett Daniels and life changes for him - big time.
It just doesn't affect him it affects all his family. friends and the whole black community.
Funny and tragic at the same time.

It is the story of a sale’s person. Darren at the age of 22 is working at an NYC Starbucks and is waiting for the right opportunity when a tech startup CEO gave him an opportunity and he becomes the only black salesman in his company. He has been given the nickname Buck as he was working for Starbucks.
It is a satire that covers the topic of racism, especially in the workplace. His coworkers are extremely racist and throughout the novel, he has been randomly called look-alike of famous Black men and none of those men look alike or anything like Darren.
It is full of sales tactics and you will find it a cross between a sales manual and a memoir. It was a roller coaster ride for me and a very quick read. Can be a good adaptation.I think people who belong to sales and marketing will enjoy it more.
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#starbucks
#blackbuck
#mateoaskaripour

Before reading the first word of Black Buck, close your eyes, breathe deeply, then recite this definition to yourself:

Satire = The use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

For if you don’t keep that definition in mind, this novel will be weighed down by its ridiculousness. The main character, Buck (so nicknamed because he worked at Starbucks), actually tells the reader repeatedly that his story is unbelievable. His story being that of a young black man who is plucked from his job making mochaccinos and thrust into the world of high-stakes sales at a New York tech start-up.

The entire book is written from Buck’s first-person perspective, including the Author’s Note at the beginning. There he writes, “I am a black salesman on a mission. And the point of this book - which I am writing from my penthouse overlooking Central Park - is to help other black men and women on a mission to sell their visions all the way to the top.” He’s not lying - the book is even written like a sales manual with specific tips on selling highlighted in bold for his readers.

And what if you’re not black, like this particular reader? He writes, “If you’re not black but have this book in your hands, I want you to think of yourself as an honorary black person.” If you can do that, and continue to bear in mind this is SATIRE, Black Buck is a heck of a fun read. Otherwise, the plot and characters will seem too over the top and unrealistic. You need to set aside your “why’s” and “how’s” entirely. You’ll also need to excuse a lot of cringe-worthy analogies like, “colder than Jeffrey Dahmer’s freezer,” “drier than a nun’s vagina,” and “sharper than Michael Jackson’s nose.” (Groan.)

My thanks to Mateo Askaripour, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for the Earc in return for an honest review.

Loud, brash, arrogant people with huge issues about race. There is no story telling, you feel sorry for his mum, you do not like the main character, and I do not see what he was supposed to be good at, apart from shooting his mouth off.

Sorry To Bother You (2018) is one of my favourite films of recent years, so you can imagine my excitement over Black Buck, billed as a satire for fans of Sorry To Bother You and The Wolf Of Wall Street.
The plot centres around Darren, a Black barista in his early twenties who is given an opportunity to go work at a mysterious New York startup. Things escalate from here, and the dizzying ride is compelling, though not without flaws.
It’s a book where you can practically see the Netflix adaptation play out in front of you - which isn’t always a bad thing. It’s pacy, sharp and has a really strong first person voice. The characters and setting are vibrant and real, rarely settling back into clichéd New York stereotypes.
I did, however, find it very hard to get past the sheer number of similarities to Sorry To Bother You; it took me out of the book quite a bit, and I found myself thinking ‘there is no way that this book can top that movie, so why is it trying?’. Similarities happen in media - of course - but the specificity of some of them really threw me off, particularly when combined with the screenplay-like writing style. At times, I just ended up seeing scenes from the film in my mind.
In Black Buck’s defence, things do deviate from the expected pattern as things progress, veering away from Sorry To Bother You territory. I relaxed into the novel then, and found it considerably more enjoyable and interesting. The second part of the novel is a meticulous satire on white affluence and startup culture, and it was absolutely delicious.
HOWEVER, by part three, I had become a bit bored by the wild twists and turns - some of which I saw coming. Plus, the pacing goes a bit awry towards the end, leaving me confused and, well, a bit jaded.
Black Buck has a lot going for it as a novel: it’s really smart, on capitalism, race and the power of the media in the States. It also evokes New York fantastically, as I felt like I paced the streets along with the characters. However, there was something missing for me: ultimately, I felt like the novel was trying to do too much at once and so started to feel a little overstuffed. An enjoyable read for sure, but it can’t quite escape the shadow of Boots Riley’s film.

The title and cover of Black Buck is what initially drew me to this debut novel by Mateo Askaripour, as it pretty much plays on a number of levels. What is a Black Buck? Is it a black male deer, black money (in the spirit of keeping the spending power of Black people circulating within the Black community for longer before going into the wider economy) or a Black man?

Well this question was answered when it was revealed that the protagonist Darren was renamed Black Buck, after being approached when he was a barista, whilst working at a Manhattan Starbucks, by Rhett Daniels, the CEO of a start up tech company called Sunwun.

The satirical tale sees Darren navigate as the token Black employee at Sunwum, to become one of their most successful sales people and the journey that ensues.

As a Black person, you see Darren experience additional micro aggressions beyond the nickname given to him, eg being compared to other Black people his colleague may be aware of. This is something I can relate to, as I have been likened to the famous Black female celebrity of the day when there is no resemblance whatsoever. I found the book relatable in this sense. In addition, the need to ‘code-switch’ is something else many Black people whether in the US or the UK can relate to.

I was cheering for Darren to succeed, but due to the power structure he was navigating you will have to read it to see if it happens.

As a debut novel, I am definitely excited to see what Askaripour does next. Will he stick within the genre of satire or throw us a curve ball. One thing that I do hope though is that he continues on his mission to tell stories, because as he said “There’s nothing like a Black man on a mission.”.

***Thank you to Netgalley and John Murray for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

I’m really not sure whether I enjoyed this book - it intrigued me, the plot was fast and well written but I struggled with the second half in particular.
Darren is working as a barista in Starbucks, living with his mum and a lodger called Mr Rawlings.
When a regular customer, Rhett Daniels, walks in to Starbucks and orders his usual, Darren persuades him to try something else, and purely from this, Rhett offers him a job in his company, Sumwun, where Darren is given the unwanted nickname Buck.
I liked lots of this book, I didn’t like how Mr Rawlings was treated by Darren later on.
All in all, I would recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Black Buck is a sharp, satirical novel about Darren, a young black man, thrown into life as a salesman for a successful startup. Despite graduating high school as valedictorian, Darren does not attend college and instead is content with his life with his mum and long-time girlfriend close by, working at a local Starbucks. The novel really begins when Darren is offered a job at Sumwun after impressing the CEO with his coffee selling skills.

This novel is so different to anything I have read before! Firstly, there is so much that happens in this book and the pace is persistent and fast moving. It’s not a long book by any means but there is a lot of plot in here, and I appreciated the rollercoaster ride I went on.

We meet a lot of characters in the book, and I feel like each one was developed in a way that made them authentic and real. I was worried that a book that focuses on plot and the satirical themes it’s trying to portray would fall short on the character dynamics and relationships but this was definitely not the case. There was a lot of heart to the book which I think balanced perfectly with everything else going on.

Ultimately, this novel really is about the themes Askaripour wanted to address. The discussion of black tokenism in the workplace and the racism he experiences, was so confronting to read about and, as a white woman, oftentimes uncomfortable. We see different characters acting problematically, some of which with outright distaste for Darren and others with positive intentions. I found this to be really interesting to read about.

As the novel progresses, we see these ideas drawn out even more and the second half of the novel definitely feels more absurdist and far-fetched. However, I think Askaripour does a good job of making it feel like something that would actually happen and again the constant momentum and plot heavy narrative helped to keep me turning the pages. At times, it could feel a bit heavy handed with the points it was making but I appreciate that was, in some ways, the intention.

Overall, I think this was a well-written, enjoyable and important read. I don’t think it will be for everyone and it definitely wasn’t my favourite thing ever, but I appreciate what Askaripour set out to do and I think he did it well.