Customer Reviews

College Boy: A Novel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

No wonder this book was on sale for [money amount]at Wal-Mart! Can we say boring. Before attempting to read this there was only one book that I could honestly say that I gave a valiant effort to read and could not complete it. And believe me, I read a lot. This was just absolutely terrible. It is supposed to be the gritty tale of an urban youth's attempts to cope on a majority white college campus. As a graduate of a small white institution, I was anxious to read the Griot's take. Well, I could not get beyond the smattering of ebonics and racial slurs and the "brothas" constant attempts to get white women in bed. I got three-fourths of the way through and still couldn't figure out where this one was going. One word of advice to the Urban Griot, stick with what works!

I don't know why I continue to buy books written by Omar Tyree (The Urban Griot.) Once again I was disappointed...in the book and in myself for buying it. First of all, what year is this supposed to be set in? Sometimes it feels like the early eighties, sometimes the 90's. Honestly I'm not even halfway through the book and already I'm disgusted. Everyone in the book is described by their race or complexion ("She was a caramel-colored girl" or "He was a cream colored boy") what does that have to do with anything? Did we need to be reminded everytime he was in his room that Troy's roommate was Jewish?

Another issue I had with this book was that the black people who were raised in the "suburbs" were portrayed as Oreos or looked down upon by their more "street" classmates.

I really thought this would be a good book, but once again the synopsis on the back cover tricked me. I do not recommend purchasing this book to anyone unless you have a LOT OF FREE TIME to waste as well as $7 you don't need.

This HAS to be a joke right? I mean, the book starts off okay but, it got stuck on racial issues and it stayed there throughout 400 PAINFUL and yes, I mean PAINFUL pages. This book could have easily ended after page 200. I mean, if the author had ANY compassion for his readers, he could have granted his readers that, couldn't he? I was never a fan of Omar Tyree to begin with, but, if this is the kind of crap he's going to write as The Urban Griot, he might as well make this his last book ever! This is the time I wished that Amazon.com had a "zero stars" option but I'm being forced to give this total waste of time 1 star.

I AM FAN OF OMAR TYREE BOOKS AND PURCHASED THIS BOOK AND READ IT FROM BEGINNING TO END. I HAD TO BE MOITVATED TO FINISH IT, I WAS SO SICK OF THE ANGER FROM THE MAIN CHARACTER.THE ATTITUDE OF THIS CHARACTER IS ANNOYING. EVERY SITUATION AND I MEAN EVERY SITUATION IS A BIG RACIAL BLOW UP, I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE AT LEAST A GOOD ENDING BUT NO. I GUESS THIS URBAN GRIOT PERSONA HAD TO GET SOME $@!% OFF HIS CHEST. HE SHOULD HAVE KEPT IT IN HIS OWN PERSONAL JOURNALS FOR HIS OWN EYES. MY PERSONAL OPINION I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO MY FRIENDS OR BOOK CLUB.

Troy Potter is a young man who is looking to become a basketball player that has to learn a whole new game and that game is college. Troy believes that everything in the world is a white man's situation instead of believing that everyone has to get his or her own. After being at college for a semester he begins his journey of learning of his heritage and as he learn his heritage he learns how to deal with the simply fact that everything isn't a given but instead you have to earn what you are after. When he returns home for a summer break and realizes that his world at school is so much more he pushes himself to achieve an education to better him. After he meets this young lady name Karen he starts to realize that there is a whole lot more to the world then just the white and black situation.

The story itself was a powerful read and one of the best reads I have read in a moment it's defiantly a great read for any high school child entering into college.

If you have read "Battlezone" by Omar Tyree, do not buy this book! It's the same exact book with a different title! I'm salty I bought the book because I didn't like "Battlezone". It was one big whining cry about white people and made every sista seem like they didn't know anything about getting off her back (emphasis on the first). Then, I bought this one too unknowingly. The topic sounded interesting considering I had gone through a similar struggle at Northern Michigan University, but this guy would've cried "White people did it!" if he got a splinter.

Smart, strong & assertive Brother from my hood, you must read this book. Omar prepares you for what you will experience. You can't imagine what awaits you at "their" college. My daughter is currently at a major PA U. and my son is at a NY U. Omar is on point. He has studied and written the games they play. Be prepared, so you can hang in there and graduate.

Have you ever been in a situation that makes you think" Did that person really say that to me", or " Are they doing this to me just because I am not White"? The Urban Griot gives voice to these emotions in "College Boy". He not only describes on campus life at this predominantly White institution, but all of the everyday conflicts our Black men deal with, constantly. The edge he gives his main character, Troy Potter, is necessary to survive in our impoverished youths today. The griot has put words to those questions and society forced self-doubt inflicted by dealing with a world controlled by so few. This is not just a read for young people. This book describes my personal walk in my 50+ years in a career field where Blacks are in the minority. It describes, so vividly, actions that produced so many enraging reactions. At the last page, you will find yourself saying, "Whoa". A must read for all ethnic groups so that we all must understand the results of even subtle racism in our Nation.

The book was a decent read, although the standard brother getting mad at white people is old. The main character is Troy in his first year of college. He seems to find racism almost everywhere and in most cases where it is not. He makes the basketball team and quits after think the coach is racist. He even turns to Islam for a way to solve his problems.
I was able to read the book in two days and the main thing that annoyed me was the character turning to Islam for help. Nothing really wrong with it, but almost every black character (Boys in the Hood, Belly & Menace 2 Society) want to become Muslim. Yet the one character that turned to Christianty was shunned by everyone.

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE story! The main character is a complete sociopath so blinded by the 'racism' he sees that he becomes a racist himself. He goes through the entire book saying how white people have everything perfect and how Martin Luther King was a fool for believing in intergration and equality. Don't waste your money on this garbage.