Review by Kawa8 -- Fear Me Now by Christopher Williams

[Kawa8]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fear Me Now" by Christopher Williams.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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"Is there peace before death?" well, we will find out. Fear Me Now by Christopher Williams, is a well-written captivating thriller book about the struggles of a young black boy who experiences racial discrimination in a white-dominated society. This book narrates Crenshaw's racism and how he reacts to these situations as he tries to maneuver through education, work-life, and life in general.

The plot is set in Metropolitan Atlanta in the year 1993. The story revolves around the life of 21-year-old Crenshaw Dimes, also known as Dubb Sack among his peers, a senior student at Morehouse College. It all starts at Crenshaw’s 21st birthday, and Crenshaw is drinking beer in the parking lot with his friend Geoffrey Dukes, also known as G-Dog. The two are talking about Crenshaw’s mother being fired at her job when they notice a group of white Georgia Tech boys acting racist in the distance. A clash ensues between the two boys and white racist boys, making the racist boys run away. Crenshaw is harassed at work by a young white man, and he beats up the white guy, and as a result, he gets fired. This marks the beginning of Crenshaw's downward mental spiral that turns him into a cold killer eliminating the white people. His encounters with different religions that portray the white man as the devil further fuel his anger and frustration towards the racial injustices.

This story provides a real representation of a young adult's struggles to find a balance between school, family life, work, and relationships. Crenshaw is rebellious as he feels that nobody cares about him anymore. His friends keep ignoring him, and his girlfriend is immature and cannot be there for him as he wants. These experiences are relatable as they take place in everyday life. The author uses the main character to depict racial discrimination in society.

I didn't particularly appreciate how the book ended. I feel that Crenshaw's main character was underdeveloped as the author does not provide enough time for the reader to connect with Crenshaw personally. Indeed, I did not expect that Crenshaw would go back to his old ways even after the death of Geoffrey Dukes. The book also has inconsistent spacing on the first page of each chapter. Though there are a few grammatical errors throughout the book, the errors do not detract from the book's value.

I would recommend this book to adults as it contains a massive use of profanity. Any person who is interested in understanding young black men's experiences with racism in America should read this book. The young black Americans who want to know their experiences with discrimination documented will enjoy this book.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars mainly because of the underdevelopment of Crenshaw's character. This book could do better with professional editing. The end of the book also seemed sudden. Apart from that, I found this book to be an exciting read. As to whether or not peace can be found before death, the readers will decide for themselves.

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Fear Me Now
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