Synopsis:
Antebellum, by R. Kayeen Thomas, is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. This novel is about a rapper by the name, Da N*gga. While living it up and being the star that he is, Da N*gga finds himself shot and in a coma. Somehow while in this coma, he is teleported into the past. A past where he has no fame or notoriety, and is only viewed as the n*gga he claims to be. He tried so hard to fight against them, but his witty mouth and flashy clothes meant nothing to them. It made them want to beat him down and treat him like an animal. Doing everything they could to understand him, the ancestors kept an eye on him and did what they could to keep him alive. Once knocked down from his high horse, Da N*igga realizes the error of his ways. Being flashy in the present didn't stop him from being shot, and nor did it give him a leg up in the past. Once out of the coma, he does what it takes to make a change.
My Review:
I gave this book a 3.5 rating. I understand it's a book and the writer had to drag it out, but it took Da N*gga so long to realize what was happening. Granted I know it won't happen in a matter of time, but it felt like he was there for years. He refused to consider the actions that landed him there and what he needed to do to fix it. This book brings to mind the scripture that says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall," Proverbs 16:18. He was so full of himself, that he never thought anybody could touch him. He thought the old days and actions of the word n*gga were gone, yet he'd still fight if the wrong person called him that name.
The author did a good job blending historical fiction and social commentary elements. The vivid descriptions of harsh conditions and dehumanizing treatment were both disturbing but necessary. Although this isn't a book I'd read over and over, it's something that will stick with me.
Would you be able to handle traveling to the past? Who do you think you'd run into? Leave a comment below.
I would travel in the past for many reasons, one being to see where I came from. Of course after watching Lovecraft I know I can’t be seen BUT I would do it in a heartbeat! Like all of the shows we watched growing up of them traveling through time in their homemade time machines they all had one common mistake, changing events. I have to admit I would be very tempted to end hitler in his early days or find a way to make the south free like the north but i don't know what that would cause for us in current time. One question remains, could it be any worse?