Deacon King Kong
Complex
Heartwarming
Dry

Deacon King Kong

James McBride2020
McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by a shooting. As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters - caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York - overlap in unexpected ways
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Laura Hurst
Laura Hurst@lolaknitface
3 stars
Sep 8, 2024

I really enjoyed the writing, and spending time in 1960s Brooklyn. It felt very vivid and showed me a life I had no clue about. I connected to the main character Cuffy Lambkin, and was intrigued by his story at the start. The writing was also genuinely funny, something that I think is hard to land in print.


Downside was there were a lot of characters, most of whom I didn’t feel you had time to get to know well enough. i felt like there was a lot of repetition, which was pages that could have been used to progress the various storylines. As a result the pacing felt really odd, to the point I thought I’d fallen asleep and missed a few pages! And everything got tied up super quickly at the end.

Photo of Amelia C
Amelia C @coffeewithamelia
5 stars
May 20, 2024

The characters, the story, the writing! 🔥Everything was heartwarming, hilarious and so worth the read! Pls go grab yourself a copy!

Photo of Madi
Madi@danny_decheetos
2 stars
Jan 7, 2024

I was disappointed by the hype on this one. If you like Pride and Prejudice-type books where there are a million characters who just go over to each other's houses and talk to each other for 300 pages, you might like this more than me. But seriously, nothing happens plot-wise until the very end of the book.

Photo of Jayme Cochrane
Jayme Cochrane@jamesco
5 stars
Dec 20, 2023

By far the most entertaining book I read this year. Imagine a Coen brothers movie, but every character comes out of a Tom Waits song.

Photo of Angie Van Sprang
Angie Van Sprang@angievansprang
3.75 stars
Mar 12, 2023

Loved this story by the end. There was a good mystery plot that keeps you engaged plus a vivid cast of endearing characters. I felt that the pacing of the book was very slow until the last ~150 pages hence the lower rating. 

+5
Photo of Celeste Richardson
Celeste Richardson@cecereadsandsings
4 stars
Aug 11, 2022

I don’t know how many times this book surprised laughter out of me. The characterization is fabulous. And poor, crazy Sportcoat has had a seriously rough life. McBride presented this unfortunate soul in such a hilarious light that I couldn’t help be laugh, even as I pitied him. The community presented here is an endearing mess of unique characters. Slapstick in some places, but successfully.

Photo of Summer Stanley
Summer Stanley@sgs
3 stars
Jun 12, 2022

I really wanted to like this, but I struggled though. I did chuckle and grew to love many of the characters, but it took a lot of effort. The ending was not my favorite either - too wrapped up.

+3
Photo of Fraser Simons
Fraser Simons@frasersimons
4 stars
Jun 9, 2022

Fantastic, vivid characters and a time machine for New York. Wasn’t anything like I initially thought either. The back jacket made it seem like it’d be pretty intense with maybe a whodunnit aspect but, while certainly serious at times, it’s pretty gregarious at heart. The levity pretty consistently present ends up humanizing every character, and the jumping around from character to character showing their intricate interconnected history made for an engaging read. I usually don’t like comedy much but the it is a natural extension of people being true to themselves, so I didn’t mind it at all. Quite an interesting concept, showing how the event impacts everyone around it. Just don’t expect it to be too serious, or you may be surprised. Pleasantly, or otherwise~

Photo of Jenna
Jenna@jenna
5 stars
Jun 8, 2022

What a book! The characters especially! This book warmed my heart, made me laugh, and kept me guessing. Set in a housing project in Brooklyn called the Cause Houses in 1969, Deacon King Kong centers on an old alcoholic deacon nicknamed Sportcoat, who one day seemingly randomly shoots a young drug dealer named Deems. Everyone in the Cause Houses assumes Sportcoat is a dead man walking. The story takes off from there, and we learn about the backstories and lives of so many residents of the Cause as the story unwinds. The characters in this book are larger than life. I was wrapped up in the relationships and friendships formed over the years at the Cause Houses. This book actually pairs really well with my current audiobook of The Warmth of Other Suns, which is about the great migration of Black people leaving the south. In DKK, many residents of the Cause, and especially older members of the Five Ends Baptist Church, have come from the south, and carry their past experiences and traditions with them. The way everything in this book is woven together is brilliant. The story kept me invested, and every character is memorable and fully realized. After I finished this last night, I had dreams about the characters and the Cause. I really loved this one and can tell it will stick with me. I’d highly recommend it, and I’m eager to read more of McBride’s work!

Photo of Alexis Palew
Alexis Palew@suh_lexis
3 stars
Dec 15, 2021

+.5

Photo of Teresa Schultz
Teresa Schultz@schauch
5 stars
Sep 14, 2021

What a beautiful story.

Photo of Monica
Monica@moni
5 stars
Aug 17, 2021

I enjoyed a lot reading this novel! A friend went to the library looking for a good book to read during her vacations and this one called her attention. The reviews were good so she got it. She loved it and recommended it to me, something I'm so grateful for! This book tells us about an immigrant community living in a housing project in Brooklyn. The protagonist is the long-time alcoholic Church deacon, known as 'Sportcoat', though it does not revolve around him. A community cohabiting with crime and drugs, we get to know about these people who have defects, but who have a good heart. It is a very fast read. The first part seemed to lead nowhere, but stick in there because you won't regret it!

Photo of Erik Wallace
Erik Wallace@erikwallace
5 stars
May 7, 2024
Photo of Francine Corry
Francine Corry@booknblues
5 stars
Feb 2, 2024
Photo of Udit Desai
Udit Desai@uydesai
4 stars
Feb 25, 2023
Photo of Kevin Benson
Kevin Benson@kevingbenson
5 stars
Aug 28, 2022
Photo of Gregor Gross
Gregor Gross@gregorgross
5 stars
Feb 13, 2022
+6
Photo of Areeba
Areeba @reebsforspace
4.5 stars
Sep 2, 2021
+3
Photo of Hannah Yoon
Hannah Yoon@yoonreads
4 stars
Mar 23, 2024
Photo of Will Vunderink
Will Vunderink@willvunderink
3 stars
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of Kyle Curry
Kyle Curry@kcurry24
4 stars
Nov 22, 2023
Photo of Stan D
Stan D@tragikistan
4 stars
Nov 9, 2023
Photo of Michelle Jolliffe
Michelle Jolliffe@michelleee
4 stars
Sep 2, 2023
Photo of Lamia Hajani
Lamia Hajani@lamafoyomama
4 stars
Aug 10, 2023

Highlights

Photo of Gregor Gross
Gregor Gross@gregorgross

„It's just our luck," Joaquin mumbled. "The only guy from the Cause who goes to the bigs gets drafted by the lousy Cubs. That team hasn't won a World Series in sixty-three years. Who's gonna bet on them? I won't make a dime on him."

This book appears on the shelf Re try this

Playing with Monsters
Playing with Monsters by Amelia Hutchins
Perfection
Perfection by R. L. Mathewson
The Predator
The Predator by RuNyx
Dear Aaron
Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata
Black Crown
Black Crown by Kelly St Clare
Forbidden Queens
Forbidden Queens by C. R. Jane

This book appears on the shelf Reverse harem

Dragon Marked
Dragon Marked by Jaymin Eve
Forbidden Queens
Forbidden Queens by C. R. Jane
Freestyle
Freestyle by Bea Paige
Dynasty
Dynasty by Sheridan Anne
Red Thorns
Red Thorns by Rebel Hart
Pieces of Her Soul
Pieces of Her Soul by Serena Lindahl

This book appears on the shelf

The Ravens
The Ravens by Kass Morgan
Sweet filthy boy
Sweet filthy boy by Christina Lauren
Wicked nights
Wicked nights by Gena Showalter
The Wolf at My Door
The Wolf at My Door by Sam Hall
Keeping Lily
Keeping Lily by Sean Moriarty
Something About Witches
Something About Witches by Joey W. Hill