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Reviews of I Am Not Sidney Poitier


“Everett effortlessly entertains…and refuses to be shy about speaking his mind.”
—TIME OUT NEW YORK

 “Not only is the novel smart and without a trace of pretentiousness, it shows Everett as a novelist at the height of his narrative and satirical powers.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

“[I Am Not Sidney Poitier] is full of feeling, and it says a great deal about our nominally postracial America. It’s also very, very funny.”
—VERY SHORT LIST

“The funniest book I have read all year, if not ever….there was not a page of this book that didn’t have me smirking my face off and wishing I was a funnier person, even as I recognized the sad realities of racial issues in our country that made this kind of satire possible. Everett is razor sharp throughout, and Mr. Tibbs could have no better tribute.”
—THE RUMPUS, DREW TOAL, “THE LAST BOOK I LOVED”

“The writing is so sharp it will make you wince and laugh at the same time.... Everett’s storytelling can’t be oversold; this is superbly written, crisp and quick-paced, punctuated with pools of simply gorgeous prose. Above all, it’s damn funny.”
—BOOKSLUT

“[I Am Not Sidney Poitier] is a freewheeling coming-of-age of sorts… and one of the funniest, most original stories to be published in years. Everett has written a delicious comedy of miscommunication…. Confusion reigns in this journey through the perception-warping, soul-twisting badlands of race and class.”
—NPR

“A 21st-century picaresque romp…. Everett writes with impressive zeal and concise wit.”
—STRAIGHT.COM

“[A] greatly entertaining satire.”
—POPMATTERS

“[Everett] keenly explores the themes of race, discrimination, and disconnectedness…. Most likely destined to be assigned reading in English and Humanities class, this shouldn’t be passed on for only that, but more recognized as maybe the right book, published at the right time, written by the right person.”
—SACRAMENTO BOOK REVIEW

“[A] labyrinth of identity, cultural criticism and familial torture. Terrifying, terrifically hilarious and outlandish…. Percival Everett’s distinct voice and mastery of the modern novel are ever-present…. Everett is flexing his ability to write. He set out to make a point, and he did it loudly, as he has before and no doubt will again…. Not Sidney is a heartbreaking character, expertly drawn. The book is a summer must.”
—THE BROOKLYN RAIL

“I Am Not Sidney Poitier is on the short list of best books I’ve read this year.”
—POP DAMAGE

“One of the most talented contemporary novelists writing in English…. [Everett] is wildly inventive.”
—STAR TRIBUNE

“The wickedly funny Everett prods the reader to question issues of identity, prejudice, race, class and any other core beliefs about the South that might be lying around…. An unforgettable trip to a funhouse where nothing is what it seems.”
—THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

“Everett is a playful and poetic author…. [I Am Not Sidney Poitier] will have you thinking and it will have you laughing.”
—THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“A comic romp that also ponders questions of racism, classism and celebrity in American today: a smart delight.”
—SHELF AWARENESS

 
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