Rachel
I loved this book! It was clever, fast-paced and had interesting characters. The main character, while sometimes frustrating in terms of the decisions he makes, feels very authentic, and his flaws feel human. Some of the secondary characters can feel a bit like caricatures, but then I think that’s the point.

I always find books that explore a certain culture or sub-culture fascinating, and this one did so expertly! I didn’t manage to guess who the traitor was in the end (I thought it was going to be Brian). One thing I wasn’t keen on about the ending is I didn’t think that Darren and Soraya should have resumed their relationship, given the message the writer was giving seemed to be that you can build a new future but you can’t return to the past. Other than that, the ending was excellent and highlights a real social problem while making great use of non-linear narration.

A couple of things seemed a bit unrealistic- like kidnapping an extremely wealthy and privileged person, torturing them, and there being no direct consequences - but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I would give it a 10/10 because the minor issues didn’t stop me being 100% immersed while reading and were simply things that occurred to me later upon reflection.

Arleen
I have to say I was not happy with the start of the book. Too many 'f' words for my liking. I decided to read a little more and wasn't impressed with the awful way people were treated as they joined the sales team.
My working life revolved around looking after children which I loved. I just couldn't understand the cut and thrust of sales. It was a living hell. Darren, or should we now call him Buck, as the story unfolds.

Buck worked in Starbucks and was very good at his job. He was 22 years and lived with his mother. He had a lovely girlfriend, and good friends, and life was good. That is until he meets a man who is impressed with his work and offers him a job in sales at a much higher wage than he was getting at Starbucks'. I was surprised how nasty and mean most people were. Now Buck was the only black man working there. He eventually started a new group of none whites to get them jobs so they were able to earn as much as the whites were earning.

Unfortunatly it didn't turn out too well and Buck ends up in prison. I won't go any further as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't as yet finished the book. Still too much swearing for my taste.

I can't say I enjoyed this book but am pleased I did read to the end. I will give it 5/10.

Ffion
I must admit I found it hard work to read the first half of the book. I didn’t find many of the characters likeable and found the story rather unbelievable. The world of sales doesn’t appeal to me too much manipulation and fakery for me. The second half of the book held my attention much more. I did see a development of character in Buck and even Jason to a point. I was able to connect to the sadness in Buck with the loss of his mother but that was all.
On the whole it was a well written book, and I think the author wrote about ethnic minorities in the workplace very well. It isn’t usually a bio I’d have chosen to read and I don't think I would read something similar in the future.
I would give the book a 5 out of 10.

Mabe
I really tried to stick with it but I'm afraid it's just not for me. So I won't put in a review as I would bring the mark down unfairly.

Eve
I don't consider myself particularly PC - however, I did not like the language in this book, in the days when they are trying to rewrite Roald Dahl and even Agatha Christie, I wondered how it got to print. The author himself was coloured, of course. I fear I did not finish the book, mainly because there were times that I really could not understand what on earth they were talking about. This is probably not a book aimed at the South Wales community. I can only give it a score of 1, but only read half the book, so maybe unfair.

Cat
I didn't immediately click with this book as Askaripour made it clear this was a book for Black people, and to read it you should "picture yourself as Black". This made me feel slightly irritated as I don't normally think about skin colour when I'm reading. Then I felt guilty about feeling irritated. Then irritated that I felt guilty. So, after that battle however, I decided to read the first 100 pages and soon remembered that the reason I don't think about skin colour is because I don't experience racism. This is something I already knew in theory of course but which the book really made me actually feel - as it was supposed to! I became totally involved in the story. Darren, the main character, felt so real, I was really rooting for him. It was fast paced, funny and painfully sad at times. I think the writer challenged my perspective as a white reader and I appreciate that. It's good to be confronted and made to think about the world from other people's perspectives. 7/10.

Carolyn
Although this book wasn't what I'd usually read I did enjoy it. I liked Buck and felt his downfall wasn't all his own fault. He was bullied and manipulated and ended up in prison after being tricked. He was happy at the start of the book and happy at the end even though he was in prison. He was still trying to help other people. It was easy to read and I give it 7.

Sonia
I found this book hard going to read at the start and was only going to read 100 pages but then I got more interested in it and did finish it. The beginning with all the "black" speech I found difficult to read and the subject of sales and money is one that I find particularly uninteresting. The way Darren was initially recruited I found implausible and the emphasis on manipulation of people distasteful - I could feel myself cringing as I read. As that got even worse as the book continued so did my distaste and that Darren - Buck - turned that from customers to colleagues was unpleasant for me. Not a book I enjoyed I'm afraid. Some reviewers have likened it to The Wolf of Wall Street but for me it did not have the same level of humour nor did it have the benefit of being based on a true story and the results of which we had actually lived through. This book became more readable after the first few chapters but unfortunately not more enjoyable. I can only give it a 3 out of 10.

Chris
Found this book easy to get into and the way the storyline kept moving forward kept my interest. The story line seemed a bit far fetched although being American perhaps not!
The characters were well described and although not all were likeable, I did feel sorry for Buck at times.
I will give it 8

Helen
I loved this book. I found the storyline novel and engaging. It wasn’t something I would have picked from the shelf so it was an opportunity to explore some different issues. I was interested in seeing the journey Darren made throughout the story - and thought the ending was a good one. I really liked the style of the book - I thought Darren’s notes to the reader were sharply focused. 9/10

Average Score 6.75