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Rage Is Back
A fearless novel about the price of revenge from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Go the F*** to Sleep
Kilroy Dondi Vance is an eighteen-year-old mixed-race Brooklynite who deals pot and goes to prep school on scholarship, all while growing up in the shadow of his absentee father, Billy Rage, a legendary graffiti writer who disappeared from New York City in 1989 following a public feud with MTA police chief Anastacio Bracken.
Now it’s 2005. Bracken is running for mayor of New York City. And who should Dondi discover on a rooftop in Brooklyn but his father, newly returned to the city and ready to settle the score. The return of Rage and the mayoral race of Bracken prompt a reunion of every graffiti writer who mattered in the 1980s—in order to thwart Bracken with the greatest graffiti stunt New York City has ever seen.
Rage Is Back delivers a mind-bending journey through a subterranean world of epic heroes and villains. Moving through the city’s unseen communities, from the tunnel camps of the Mole People to the drug dens of Crown Heights, Rage Is Back is many things: a dramatic, hilarious thrill ride; a love letter to NYC that introduces the most powerful urban underdog narrator this side of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and a literary tour de force from a writer on the brink of real stardom.
Kilroy Dondi Vance is an eighteen-year-old mixed-race Brooklynite who deals pot and goes to prep school on scholarship, all while growing up in the shadow of his absentee father, Billy Rage, a legendary graffiti writer who disappeared from New York City in 1989 following a public feud with MTA police chief Anastacio Bracken.
Now it’s 2005. Bracken is running for mayor of New York City. And who should Dondi discover on a rooftop in Brooklyn but his father, newly returned to the city and ready to settle the score. The return of Rage and the mayoral race of Bracken prompt a reunion of every graffiti writer who mattered in the 1980s—in order to thwart Bracken with the greatest graffiti stunt New York City has ever seen.
Rage Is Back delivers a mind-bending journey through a subterranean world of epic heroes and villains. Moving through the city’s unseen communities, from the tunnel camps of the Mole People to the drug dens of Crown Heights, Rage Is Back is many things: a dramatic, hilarious thrill ride; a love letter to NYC that introduces the most powerful urban underdog narrator this side of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and a literary tour de force from a writer on the brink of real stardom.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2013
31 people are currently reading
1467 people want to read
About the author
Adam Mansbach
53 books385 followersAdam Mansbach is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Go the Fuck to Sleep, as well as the novels Rage is Back, The End of the Jews (winner of the California Book Award), and Angry Black White Boy, and the memoir-in-verse I Had a Brother Once. With Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel, he co-authored For This We Left Egypt, a finalist for the Thurber Award for American Humor, and the bestselling A Field Guide to the Jewish People. Mansbach's debut screenplay, for the Netflix Original BARRY, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and an NAACP Image Award, and he is a two-time recipient of the Reed Award and the American Association of Political Consultants' Gold Pollie Award, for his 2012 Obama/Biden campaign video "Wake The Fuck Up" and his 2020 Biden/Harris campaign ad "Same Old," both starring Samuel L. Jackson. Mansbach's work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Believer, The Guardian, and on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, The Moth Storytelling Hour, and This American Life. His next novel, The Golem of Brooklyn, will be published by One World in September.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
January 16, 2013
(Note: Viking Press provided me with a copy of Rage Is Back for the purpose of this review.)
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 60% Literary / 40% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
30% - Graffiti
25% - Family drama
15% - New York City
15% - Humor
10% - Drugs
4% - Race
1% - Sci-Fi
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 1 Thumb Up
Re-readability: Medium
The strength of Adam Mansbach's new novel is its narrator, Dondi Vance. He's half-white, half-black, part drug-dealing gangster, and part preppy schoolboy. But most importantly, he's an entertaining and engaging storyteller. Rage Is Back works so well because Dondi is far enough removed from his father's circle of graffiti artists that he can hold the reader's hand as they dive into a fascinating subculture together.
Mansbach clearly put a ton of research into crafting an authentic tone for the novel. The slang and nicknames used by the characters make Rage Is Back a challenging read at times, but the goals of those characters are never obscure and the central plot is never cloaked.
The random sci-fi tidbits and literary jokes in Rage Is Back take an already innovative story to a new level. And somehow, Mansbach manages to squish an astounding number of characters, themes, and ideas together without ever sacrificing the book's heart.
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 60% Literary / 40% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
30% - Graffiti
25% - Family drama
15% - New York City
15% - Humor
10% - Drugs
4% - Race
1% - Sci-Fi
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 1 Thumb Up
Re-readability: Medium
The strength of Adam Mansbach's new novel is its narrator, Dondi Vance. He's half-white, half-black, part drug-dealing gangster, and part preppy schoolboy. But most importantly, he's an entertaining and engaging storyteller. Rage Is Back works so well because Dondi is far enough removed from his father's circle of graffiti artists that he can hold the reader's hand as they dive into a fascinating subculture together.
Mansbach clearly put a ton of research into crafting an authentic tone for the novel. The slang and nicknames used by the characters make Rage Is Back a challenging read at times, but the goals of those characters are never obscure and the central plot is never cloaked.
The random sci-fi tidbits and literary jokes in Rage Is Back take an already innovative story to a new level. And somehow, Mansbach manages to squish an astounding number of characters, themes, and ideas together without ever sacrificing the book's heart.
February 12, 2016
I've been reading a good amount of Mansbach lately, this is the third book in a week. In his other one, The End of Jews, he touched down on the world of graffiti writers, in this one he's landed smack down on the subject. This is sort of a love letter to the old school days of NY, when apparently it had character. Personally I didn't care for it then or now and character in this sort of reminiscences usually implies grime and, in this case vandalism, but there it is. A world of hip hop, spray cans and a form of artistry that comes out of them under the guidance of some interesting, racially diverse dreadlocked and perpetually high bunch. A world Mansbach created ably, but one I didn't necessarily care for, although he seems to be enamored with his subject, much like the book's narrator, mixed race eighteen year old, smart enough and perfectly comfortable and willing to use a race card to get into and do well in good schools, yet dumb enough to risk it all for his job as a dealer and his involvement in a grand plot to change the face of public transport for one day. Therein is probably my main problem with this book, this world, it may just be too hip for me. It has a vernacular and a logic all of its own, but it's just not particularly relatable or even seems like a great place to visit. If you view graffiti as a form of public art and not vandalism, you'll probably appreciate it that much more. If you miss the grimy throwback NY, this might be just the ticket. Yes, it has that certain cultural zeitgeist, it was wild, it probably has the right audience out there. But I didn't care for either the characters or the subject and subsequently even Mansbach assured writing manner wasn't enough to properly engage or wow.
December 17, 2012
It’s not easy to describe a book like this one, because it really doesn’t fit into any formal categories. It’s a mix of comedy, urban attitude, and sharp sociological analysis. It really surprised me how much I enjoyed reading it, actually.
What makes this book so special is the narrator. His voice is wholly unique, and one that resonates from the very first sentence. Dondi, a young man born into the world of graffiti, is struggling to find his place. It could have turned into a melodrama, but the tight writing, the sharply comedic dialogues and monologues, make it such an entertaining book to read. Once you start it’s very hard to put down.
There is also a bit of magical realism, just a touch of it, throughout the pages, so that you get even more of a sense of mystique added to the already tricky world of graffiti. This is definitely a book worth reading, and one that I think most people will enjoy. Don’t let the subject matter deter you. This is one fabulously refreshing read.
What makes this book so special is the narrator. His voice is wholly unique, and one that resonates from the very first sentence. Dondi, a young man born into the world of graffiti, is struggling to find his place. It could have turned into a melodrama, but the tight writing, the sharply comedic dialogues and monologues, make it such an entertaining book to read. Once you start it’s very hard to put down.
There is also a bit of magical realism, just a touch of it, throughout the pages, so that you get even more of a sense of mystique added to the already tricky world of graffiti. This is definitely a book worth reading, and one that I think most people will enjoy. Don’t let the subject matter deter you. This is one fabulously refreshing read.
August 11, 2016
I had pretty much dismissed this guy as a doofus after the idiotic Go the Fuck to Sleep took off like goddamn wildfire. But OMG this book is just completely spectacular. Plus check out this terrific & heartbreaking piece he wrote for the Awl about New York's "War on Graffiti" (which, duh, equals a war on brown people and poor people and the desperate fight for the control of public space). And this one for Salon, hilariously skewering the publishing industry and mocking himself on his author tour? Yessss.
October 2, 2024
When I added Rage is Back to my to-read list back in 2013, I didn’t know Adam Mansbach was the same guy who wrote Go the Fuck to Sleep — I hadn’t actually heard of it, but even once did (around 2016) I didn’t realize it was the same author. I finally made the connection when I borrowed the book from the library and saw “bestselling author of Go The F**k to Sleep” written on the cover.
It’s not his first novel, but I didn’t know that either, so I wasn’t sure how good it would be, coming from a satirical kids’ book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was. In it, 18-year-old Dondi Vance’s infamous graffiti artist of a father returns after disappearing sixteen years earlier in order to stop the crooked police officer who killed another graffiti artist and is now running for mayor. With a cast of graffiti artists, it’s got lots of attitude and swag, and was a cool —informative, even— look into the golden age of graffiti.
Mansbach even incorporated a bit of magical realism. I was not as much of a fan of his repeatedly breaking of the fourth wall though (and I wasn’t convinced by the narrator’s choice to write a book at the end, especially since there was that one short chapter [10] randomly narrated by Cloud 9). One other thing I didn’t like was .
It’s a fun read with lots of action and humor that is easy to read, but it’s also nothing special, so it sits somewhere between a 3 and 4-star rating. I'm rounding down simply because I'm more likely to say "I liked it" than "I really liked it," but I don't think that should detract from anyone considering reading it. You'll likely enjoy it and not regret picking it up if you like smart-alecky characters, street art culture, fast-paced action, and what ultimately ends up being a story about family, friends, and loyalty.
It’s not his first novel, but I didn’t know that either, so I wasn’t sure how good it would be, coming from a satirical kids’ book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was. In it, 18-year-old Dondi Vance’s infamous graffiti artist of a father returns after disappearing sixteen years earlier in order to stop the crooked police officer who killed another graffiti artist and is now running for mayor. With a cast of graffiti artists, it’s got lots of attitude and swag, and was a cool —informative, even— look into the golden age of graffiti.
Mansbach even incorporated a bit of magical realism. I was not as much of a fan of his repeatedly breaking of the fourth wall though (and I wasn’t convinced by the narrator’s choice to write a book at the end, especially since there was that one short chapter [10] randomly narrated by Cloud 9). One other thing I didn’t like was .
It’s a fun read with lots of action and humor that is easy to read, but it’s also nothing special, so it sits somewhere between a 3 and 4-star rating. I'm rounding down simply because I'm more likely to say "I liked it" than "I really liked it," but I don't think that should detract from anyone considering reading it. You'll likely enjoy it and not regret picking it up if you like smart-alecky characters, street art culture, fast-paced action, and what ultimately ends up being a story about family, friends, and loyalty.
August 13, 2016
As several other reviewers noted, this book doesn't start reading well. I get Mansbach trying to peg the inconsistent, street-but-not-too-street cadence and voice of the 18 year old narrator, but ultimately it's awkward. I admit it's hard to pepper in authentic lingo and scenarios but still keep it readable for people who weren't part of the graff scene — or even just city youth culture period. But it just sounds like name dropping to me. All these gratuitous cultural references seem to be there more so that we know Mansbach is down rather than forwarding the narrative or setting the scene.
I think my biggest beef is with the narration. The precise Greek classic references then the on purpose fumbling around with Gatsby characters. The constant references to the reader and how amateurish the narrator is in an attempt to throw the reader off the track of the amateurish writing. Then the miscues like Dondi having the musical taste of a middle-aged white guy—ahem, Mansbach—not an 18 year old black kid from NY. I know kids right now who are way into golden era hip hop, but they are also all over the new stuff too. And I don't care how cool your parents are/were, no 18 year old ever wants to spend that much time with his parents. I'm OK with a willful suspension of disbelief, but in reference to big things, not the minutia. That's where a writer needs to be dialed. Just seems sloppy and lazy. Way better ways to convey an authentic, if not reliable, voice.
Despite the rough start, and overall annoying tone, the novel does get better. Definitely more fluid, but still, it never seemed to go anywhere. The big payoff isn't that big and doesn't seem like much of a resolution either. In a way, much like graff itself. And I say that with a wince.
Disclosure time — I devoted four years of my life very heavily to graff. I saw this book at my library and had to read it. Old school graff on subway cars—well done, art director—I'm in. Despite not really doing graff myself in over twenty years, it's still never out of mind completely. It influences my art to this day. I see it anywhere, or even a reference to it, you got my attention. Especially when it harkens back to the old days.
Mansbach's description of the old heads rings true. Nice work on that front. Clearly did his research. But again, I don't feel he used that backdrop to tell a compelling story. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable enough read, no doubt fueled by my own nostalgia. Yet I think when something is near and dear to your heart, the expectations are just very high. That, and I just don't read for escape. It's a big investment of time and I expect more than to just kill time while reading. And that's what this book amounted to for me, killing time.
I think my biggest beef is with the narration. The precise Greek classic references then the on purpose fumbling around with Gatsby characters. The constant references to the reader and how amateurish the narrator is in an attempt to throw the reader off the track of the amateurish writing. Then the miscues like Dondi having the musical taste of a middle-aged white guy—ahem, Mansbach—not an 18 year old black kid from NY. I know kids right now who are way into golden era hip hop, but they are also all over the new stuff too. And I don't care how cool your parents are/were, no 18 year old ever wants to spend that much time with his parents. I'm OK with a willful suspension of disbelief, but in reference to big things, not the minutia. That's where a writer needs to be dialed. Just seems sloppy and lazy. Way better ways to convey an authentic, if not reliable, voice.
Despite the rough start, and overall annoying tone, the novel does get better. Definitely more fluid, but still, it never seemed to go anywhere. The big payoff isn't that big and doesn't seem like much of a resolution either. In a way, much like graff itself. And I say that with a wince.
Disclosure time — I devoted four years of my life very heavily to graff. I saw this book at my library and had to read it. Old school graff on subway cars—well done, art director—I'm in. Despite not really doing graff myself in over twenty years, it's still never out of mind completely. It influences my art to this day. I see it anywhere, or even a reference to it, you got my attention. Especially when it harkens back to the old days.
Mansbach's description of the old heads rings true. Nice work on that front. Clearly did his research. But again, I don't feel he used that backdrop to tell a compelling story. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable enough read, no doubt fueled by my own nostalgia. Yet I think when something is near and dear to your heart, the expectations are just very high. That, and I just don't read for escape. It's a big investment of time and I expect more than to just kill time while reading. And that's what this book amounted to for me, killing time.
January 13, 2013
First things first: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
Like several other readers who have reviewed Rage is Back, I had difficulty getting into it. The first few pages were rough for me, mostly because of the author's rhythm and voice, which I was unaccustomed to. I had to re-read some paragraphs more than once in order to understand and there was probably a lot I still didn't 'get'. Something made me want to keep reading, though, and before long I was swept into the story despite the unfamiliarity of the setting and the language.
As some reviewers have written, Rage is Back is a novel about revenge but there's much more to it than just revenge. It's also about loyalty, growing up, not losing touch with one's past, and being true to one's self and history. The book is written from the perspective of a young man (Dondi) in New York City, a man who has grown up without his father but has always been aware of his father's echoes in the city. His father's unexpected return begins a sequence of events which challenge Dondi and others to consider what really matters and what their role is in the things that really matter. It also causes the reader to think about seemingly impossible tasks and how they may, in fact, be possible.
The book introduced me to the world of graffiti, subways, and the underworld that exists in NYC. Although Rage is Back is a work of fiction, there are elements of the story that are, I suspect, based very much in reality. In fact, I'd venture a guess that most of the story is based in reality; the foundation and structure are likely as real as it gets and that's one reason I was so drawn into it. Having grown up in the suburbs of America, a glimpse into the gritty urban world of Rage is Back is intriguing, refreshing, and admittedly a little scary. Dondi's voice is fresh, honest, and urban; street-wise and experienced in ways I will never be. The author is skilled at bringing a different lifestyle into focus for readers and he did so without apology or unnecessary explanation.
My only complaint about Rage is Back is how neatly everything turned out in the end. It makes for a happy ending but not a terribly realistic ending. Considering the realism and grittiness of the setting and tone, I was surprised that the end was so neatly tied up. Having said that, though, I do recommend Rage is Back and I hope to be able to read more by this author in the future.
I encourage readers to give this book a try. Even though it may be tough to get started, it's worth the effort.
Like several other readers who have reviewed Rage is Back, I had difficulty getting into it. The first few pages were rough for me, mostly because of the author's rhythm and voice, which I was unaccustomed to. I had to re-read some paragraphs more than once in order to understand and there was probably a lot I still didn't 'get'. Something made me want to keep reading, though, and before long I was swept into the story despite the unfamiliarity of the setting and the language.
As some reviewers have written, Rage is Back is a novel about revenge but there's much more to it than just revenge. It's also about loyalty, growing up, not losing touch with one's past, and being true to one's self and history. The book is written from the perspective of a young man (Dondi) in New York City, a man who has grown up without his father but has always been aware of his father's echoes in the city. His father's unexpected return begins a sequence of events which challenge Dondi and others to consider what really matters and what their role is in the things that really matter. It also causes the reader to think about seemingly impossible tasks and how they may, in fact, be possible.
The book introduced me to the world of graffiti, subways, and the underworld that exists in NYC. Although Rage is Back is a work of fiction, there are elements of the story that are, I suspect, based very much in reality. In fact, I'd venture a guess that most of the story is based in reality; the foundation and structure are likely as real as it gets and that's one reason I was so drawn into it. Having grown up in the suburbs of America, a glimpse into the gritty urban world of Rage is Back is intriguing, refreshing, and admittedly a little scary. Dondi's voice is fresh, honest, and urban; street-wise and experienced in ways I will never be. The author is skilled at bringing a different lifestyle into focus for readers and he did so without apology or unnecessary explanation.
My only complaint about Rage is Back is how neatly everything turned out in the end. It makes for a happy ending but not a terribly realistic ending. Considering the realism and grittiness of the setting and tone, I was surprised that the end was so neatly tied up. Having said that, though, I do recommend Rage is Back and I hope to be able to read more by this author in the future.
I encourage readers to give this book a try. Even though it may be tough to get started, it's worth the effort.
September 15, 2016
Having recently returned from a week in New York (my first visit), where we spent much of our time walking the streets of Brooklyn catching trains to Manhattan from our AirBnB, I was very intrigued when I came across this book. I thoroughly loved my time in the city. Growing up and living the first 42 years of my life "out west" where I couldn't even begin to comprehend the diversity, congestion, and grime that a city like New York provides, I couldn't have been more immersed in the city while I was there. New York was such a new experience for me that it took a couple weeks to get the city out of my system. I couldn't wait to get started on this book.
Rage is Back is an adventure that takes place on the streets of New York and delves into Graffiti, Hip Hop culture and the memory of a New York before the most recent rounds of gentrification. The pace is fast, the descriptions of the city are colorful, and there is so much to like about this book in regards to the author's vision of New York that is obviously missed by many natives. The plot is fun, gripping and exciting. The narration is on point as well.
There are some issues I have with this book though. I had a tough time on occasion with some of the actions, reactions and general believe-ability of a few of the characters. There seemed to be inconsistencies within their character traits or maybe some of their actions were just so out of character to what my expectations of what "should be". For instance Dondi and his interaction with his mother, Karen seemed at times to almost be schizophrenic.
All in all, Rage Is Back allowed me to stay an extra week in New York and take in a little more. I loved the views of the cities underbelly from a time gone by, the characters were vivid, the writing was good and the plot was fun. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to trying something else by Adam Mansbach.
Rage is Back is an adventure that takes place on the streets of New York and delves into Graffiti, Hip Hop culture and the memory of a New York before the most recent rounds of gentrification. The pace is fast, the descriptions of the city are colorful, and there is so much to like about this book in regards to the author's vision of New York that is obviously missed by many natives. The plot is fun, gripping and exciting. The narration is on point as well.
There are some issues I have with this book though. I had a tough time on occasion with some of the actions, reactions and general believe-ability of a few of the characters. There seemed to be inconsistencies within their character traits or maybe some of their actions were just so out of character to what my expectations of what "should be". For instance Dondi and his interaction with his mother, Karen seemed at times to almost be schizophrenic.
All in all, Rage Is Back allowed me to stay an extra week in New York and take in a little more. I loved the views of the cities underbelly from a time gone by, the characters were vivid, the writing was good and the plot was fun. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to trying something else by Adam Mansbach.
December 27, 2012
When I first started this book, I was a bit skeptical about whether I would really enjoy it. I'm not into graffiti, or drugs, and I don't live in New York. Would I be able to connect with characters in a book that somewhat glorifies these things? On the first page, it took me a while to get into the groove of the writing style. It's written from a first person perspective that makes heavy use of slang and colloquialisms with which I wasn't very familiar. By the end of the first page though, I was loving the style. The mixture of New York graffiti slang, and high-brow prep school references really created depth in the main character, who has had to live in both worlds. Also, it was incredibly funny at certain points. I found it very easy to relate to the characters, and to like them despite their various character flaws. The plot had elements of the supernatural, but it wasn't overdone at all. Everything felt very natural, and after the initial surprise, it didn't feel like it was a stretch of my belief to accept those strange elements. Overall, I found the book highly entertaining, and easy to get through. It wasn't overly deep, and at the end I did not feel that it had changed my life or perspective in any way, but sometimes I don't want that in a book. This book was fun and full of interesting characters and history, and I would recommend it to anyone who won't be easily offended by foul language and the glorification of "vandalism".
January 6, 2013
My review from LJ
Journal, 11/1/2012, Vol. 137 Issue 18, p62-62, 1/6p
In his intriguing novel, the author of the phenomenal best seller Go the F**k to Sleep tells the tale of Kilroy Dondi Vance, a biracial African American youth from Brooklyn who has the power to open a portal 24 hours into the future. He also has some interesting parents. His dad is Rage, a famous graffiti artist from the 80s who has been gone for almost 20 years, ever since a fellow artist died because of Metropolitan Transit Authority cop Anastacio Bracken. Raised by his mom, Karen, a famous graffiti artist in her own right, Dondi has some serious rage against Rage for his absence. But when Bracken runs for mayor, Rage returns, and through some drug-induced psychedelic channeling we are shown what he has been up to all this time. After a rocky start, father and son reunite, and the evil Bracken is defeated. Some shifting narrative, a story within a story, and flexibility regarding the laws of physics add flavor and spice. VERDICT Carlos Castaneda meets underground New York with a subway tunnel sensibility and lots of pot smoke, cryptic graffiti references, and continual swearing. Sure to be a cult classic and cause a stir. [See Prepub Alert, 7/22/12.]
By Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos Lib., CA
Journal, 11/1/2012, Vol. 137 Issue 18, p62-62, 1/6p
In his intriguing novel, the author of the phenomenal best seller Go the F**k to Sleep tells the tale of Kilroy Dondi Vance, a biracial African American youth from Brooklyn who has the power to open a portal 24 hours into the future. He also has some interesting parents. His dad is Rage, a famous graffiti artist from the 80s who has been gone for almost 20 years, ever since a fellow artist died because of Metropolitan Transit Authority cop Anastacio Bracken. Raised by his mom, Karen, a famous graffiti artist in her own right, Dondi has some serious rage against Rage for his absence. But when Bracken runs for mayor, Rage returns, and through some drug-induced psychedelic channeling we are shown what he has been up to all this time. After a rocky start, father and son reunite, and the evil Bracken is defeated. Some shifting narrative, a story within a story, and flexibility regarding the laws of physics add flavor and spice. VERDICT Carlos Castaneda meets underground New York with a subway tunnel sensibility and lots of pot smoke, cryptic graffiti references, and continual swearing. Sure to be a cult classic and cause a stir. [See Prepub Alert, 7/22/12.]
By Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos Lib., CA
November 12, 2013
The name might not sound familiar, but you know Adam Mansbach’s work. He’s that guy who sold 9 gazillion copies of “Go the [expletive] to Sleep” and made every parent in America groan, “Why didn’t I write that?”
Yes, it was a fluke, but a very funny fluke that went viral among exhausted moms and dads and climbed up the Amazon bestseller list months before publication. The success of that profane children’s book (soon — somehow — to be a feature film from Fox 2000) brings him the kind of prominence his previous books never enjoyed. And what better way to capitalize on all those expectant eyes than with a tale about urban life’s most attention-grabbing communication: graffiti?
“Rage Is Back” won’t become a staple at ironic baby showers, but Mansbach has clearly had a play date with Michael Chabon and Junot Diaz, and his fresh, witty novel is one that hip readers will relish once the kids have finally, mercifully, nodded off. Laced with zaniness and cultural bling, it’s a nostalgic tribute to the glory days of street art, back when New York City had character, when those bubbly letters shouted from rambling subway cars and people loved to spot their favorite artists.
The story opens in 2005, long after James Q. Wilson advised replacing every broken window and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani sanitized Times Square for Kansas tourists desperate to see the latest Andrew Lloyd Webber-Disney co-production on ice. Our ricocheting narrator is Kilroy Dondi Vance, “a mocha teenager” with a funkadelic soul. He warns us early on that he’s always high, “but in a charming, articulate way.” Fair enough — he is pretty charming, but his drug use is what gets him expelled from a tony Manhattan prep school that he refers to as the “Whoopty Whoo Ivy League We’s a Comin’ Academy.” (He attended on the “Let’s Give a Clever Young Colored Boy a Chance to Transcend His Race Scholarship.”) Exasperated, his hot-tempered mother has thrown him out of the house, and so, homeless and with his college prospects scuttled, he falls back on sponging off old friends and dealing pot.
There’s no resisting this endearing stoner, “a nerd with swagger,” as he riffs on everything from Madison Avenue to yuppies’ racial anxiety. The opening pages stretch out like the chaotic New York City subway map, but the story resolves into a quirky tale of comeuppance involving Dondi’s errant father, Billy Rage.
In the late 1980s, Rage was a member of the Immortal Five, a world-famous graffiti gang that delighted New Yorkers but infuriated the NYPD Vandal Squad. “What you call mass email,” Dondi says, “my parents called hitting trains.” A maniacal policeman named Officer Bracken chased the gang down and shot one of its members in cold blood on the night Dondi was born. Crazy with grief, Rage protested the killing by painting accusations all over town, but Bracken struck back with a massive manhunt and a multimillion-dollar fine. With nowhere left to hide, Rage finally fled to Mexico, abandoning Dondi and his mother.
Well, now Rage is back. For Dondi, so full of anger and longing, this is a chance to bond with the man behind the giant letters. But Rage has other plans. Fortified with Amazonian drugs and mysticism, he’s determined to destroy Officer Bracken’s political career with a historic bombing.
Graffiti bombing, that is — an unprecedented campaign to paint every subway car in New York in a single night. But talk of “bombing” the subway system is a bittersweet reminder of how much has changed in the Big Apple and in America since the heyday of those bubblelicious designs. Dondi claims he knows “more about nostalgia than anybody my age should,” and it’s true. He’s spent his whole life soaking in the day-glo hues of those shadowy kings and queens — his parents’ friends and colleagues who once sprayed their magic with intoxicated glee. But now they’re jailed or dead or co-opted by advertising firms. We scrubbed away all the graffiti only to replace it with the flat colors of the Terrorism Threat Advisory Scale.
Whether you buy this sentimental version of 1980s vandalism may depend on how much cleaning up you had to do back in the day and how mesmerized you are by Dondi’s comic patter, both high and highfalutin. “Most people want to lose themselves in stories,” he says. “If you’re already frowning and thinking I’m an unreliable narrator, or going ‘oh goody, I love magical realism,’ then you should cut your losses and go read ‘Tuesdays with Morrie.’ ”
That’s not bad advice for readers who like their novels to stay within the lines. As “Rage Is Back” barrels along toward “the splashiest and slickest crime in city history,” it jangles down some colorless dead ends and runs off the rails a few times, particularly whenever Dondi gets out of the driver’s seat. There’s no good reason, for instance, to turn one of the chapters over to a different narrator (who doesn’t sound quite different enough), and the manuscript of a drug dealer’s short story that’s dumped into the novel is equally ineffective.
Also disappointing are the surreal elements that Mansbach seems unwilling to commit to or cultivate. In the building where Dondi discovers his long-absent father, there’s a touch of “Being John Malkovich” that’s just Mansbach being coy. And a wonderfully creepy appearance of a devil deep in the subway tunnels remains all smoke, no brimstone.
Perhaps these are the flaws we should expect from a young narrator who openly confesses, “I have no idea how to write a book.” But Mansbach is no novice, and the rough patches are soon painted over. What’s more, it’s invigorating to find a white writer willing to crash the color barrier. (So deeply ingrained is the fear of appearing in blackface that most novelists feel more comfortable imagining the inner lives of Martians than of African Americans. When did respect ferment into aversion?) In the sweet and obscene voice of mixed-race Dondi, Mansbach has created a sharp commentator on the persistent nervousness of our integrated society.
And who knows, his swirling descriptions might entice you to pick up an old can of Krylon one night and let fly some “playful, soft-edged letters leaned together like off-kilter drunks, floating atop pastel puddles of melted Popsicle.” But even if you never go out bombing with your crew, you’ll consider just what we gave up to keep our subway cars clean — and dull.
Yes, it was a fluke, but a very funny fluke that went viral among exhausted moms and dads and climbed up the Amazon bestseller list months before publication. The success of that profane children’s book (soon — somehow — to be a feature film from Fox 2000) brings him the kind of prominence his previous books never enjoyed. And what better way to capitalize on all those expectant eyes than with a tale about urban life’s most attention-grabbing communication: graffiti?
“Rage Is Back” won’t become a staple at ironic baby showers, but Mansbach has clearly had a play date with Michael Chabon and Junot Diaz, and his fresh, witty novel is one that hip readers will relish once the kids have finally, mercifully, nodded off. Laced with zaniness and cultural bling, it’s a nostalgic tribute to the glory days of street art, back when New York City had character, when those bubbly letters shouted from rambling subway cars and people loved to spot their favorite artists.
The story opens in 2005, long after James Q. Wilson advised replacing every broken window and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani sanitized Times Square for Kansas tourists desperate to see the latest Andrew Lloyd Webber-Disney co-production on ice. Our ricocheting narrator is Kilroy Dondi Vance, “a mocha teenager” with a funkadelic soul. He warns us early on that he’s always high, “but in a charming, articulate way.” Fair enough — he is pretty charming, but his drug use is what gets him expelled from a tony Manhattan prep school that he refers to as the “Whoopty Whoo Ivy League We’s a Comin’ Academy.” (He attended on the “Let’s Give a Clever Young Colored Boy a Chance to Transcend His Race Scholarship.”) Exasperated, his hot-tempered mother has thrown him out of the house, and so, homeless and with his college prospects scuttled, he falls back on sponging off old friends and dealing pot.
There’s no resisting this endearing stoner, “a nerd with swagger,” as he riffs on everything from Madison Avenue to yuppies’ racial anxiety. The opening pages stretch out like the chaotic New York City subway map, but the story resolves into a quirky tale of comeuppance involving Dondi’s errant father, Billy Rage.
In the late 1980s, Rage was a member of the Immortal Five, a world-famous graffiti gang that delighted New Yorkers but infuriated the NYPD Vandal Squad. “What you call mass email,” Dondi says, “my parents called hitting trains.” A maniacal policeman named Officer Bracken chased the gang down and shot one of its members in cold blood on the night Dondi was born. Crazy with grief, Rage protested the killing by painting accusations all over town, but Bracken struck back with a massive manhunt and a multimillion-dollar fine. With nowhere left to hide, Rage finally fled to Mexico, abandoning Dondi and his mother.
Well, now Rage is back. For Dondi, so full of anger and longing, this is a chance to bond with the man behind the giant letters. But Rage has other plans. Fortified with Amazonian drugs and mysticism, he’s determined to destroy Officer Bracken’s political career with a historic bombing.
Graffiti bombing, that is — an unprecedented campaign to paint every subway car in New York in a single night. But talk of “bombing” the subway system is a bittersweet reminder of how much has changed in the Big Apple and in America since the heyday of those bubblelicious designs. Dondi claims he knows “more about nostalgia than anybody my age should,” and it’s true. He’s spent his whole life soaking in the day-glo hues of those shadowy kings and queens — his parents’ friends and colleagues who once sprayed their magic with intoxicated glee. But now they’re jailed or dead or co-opted by advertising firms. We scrubbed away all the graffiti only to replace it with the flat colors of the Terrorism Threat Advisory Scale.
Whether you buy this sentimental version of 1980s vandalism may depend on how much cleaning up you had to do back in the day and how mesmerized you are by Dondi’s comic patter, both high and highfalutin. “Most people want to lose themselves in stories,” he says. “If you’re already frowning and thinking I’m an unreliable narrator, or going ‘oh goody, I love magical realism,’ then you should cut your losses and go read ‘Tuesdays with Morrie.’ ”
That’s not bad advice for readers who like their novels to stay within the lines. As “Rage Is Back” barrels along toward “the splashiest and slickest crime in city history,” it jangles down some colorless dead ends and runs off the rails a few times, particularly whenever Dondi gets out of the driver’s seat. There’s no good reason, for instance, to turn one of the chapters over to a different narrator (who doesn’t sound quite different enough), and the manuscript of a drug dealer’s short story that’s dumped into the novel is equally ineffective.
Also disappointing are the surreal elements that Mansbach seems unwilling to commit to or cultivate. In the building where Dondi discovers his long-absent father, there’s a touch of “Being John Malkovich” that’s just Mansbach being coy. And a wonderfully creepy appearance of a devil deep in the subway tunnels remains all smoke, no brimstone.
Perhaps these are the flaws we should expect from a young narrator who openly confesses, “I have no idea how to write a book.” But Mansbach is no novice, and the rough patches are soon painted over. What’s more, it’s invigorating to find a white writer willing to crash the color barrier. (So deeply ingrained is the fear of appearing in blackface that most novelists feel more comfortable imagining the inner lives of Martians than of African Americans. When did respect ferment into aversion?) In the sweet and obscene voice of mixed-race Dondi, Mansbach has created a sharp commentator on the persistent nervousness of our integrated society.
And who knows, his swirling descriptions might entice you to pick up an old can of Krylon one night and let fly some “playful, soft-edged letters leaned together like off-kilter drunks, floating atop pastel puddles of melted Popsicle.” But even if you never go out bombing with your crew, you’ll consider just what we gave up to keep our subway cars clean — and dull.
January 20, 2013
Eighteen-year-old Kilroy Dondi Vance has pretty much messed up his young life at the beginning of Adam Mansbach’s Rage is Back. He’s been expelled from his elite prep school, broken up with his girlfriend and has been kicked out of his mother’s apartment. While couch surfing between selected friends, trying not to wear out his welcome, he begins to hear rumors that his father Billy Rage (a famed graffiti artist missing for sixteen years), has resurfaced, leaving underground tunnels awash in graffiti. Ostensibly he has returned to settle on old score with Anastacio Bracken, a former cop - now President of the MTA and mayoral candidate, who hounded their old crew, killing one of their most vital members. But it also gives Dondi a chance to know and understand his father and to go on adventure with him, if he can find it in his heart to put years of hurt and anger aside.
I loved this novel from the moment I picked it up and heard Dondi’s fresh, inventive and confident voice relating the story of his unique parents, history and point of view. Though he didn’t grow up when he would have remembered the graffiti culture in which his parents were steeped as both innovators and leaders, he has taken their history, and that of the graffiti tribes, to heart. He uses it to create the mythology of his father and his absence in his life, and to explain the embittered woman his mother has become. Dondi is an extremely precocious teenager; his ruminations are long, rambling and sophisticated, and just maybe slightly unreliable. I wondered if I would get tired of his posturing (oftentimes he reminded me of a modern-day Holden Caulfield), but as interspersed as it is with surprising confessions, insight and vulnerability, it held my attention throughout. Mansbach deftly explores an incredible time in NYC history and he makes the art of graffiti breathe with careful conveyance of its lifestyle, music, code of honor, and talented and colorful people, while incorporating philosophy, sociology, and a little magical realism for good measure. I wouldn’t want to go back to a New York City filled with graffiti-laden billboards and street corners, but Mansbach illustrates the ways in which it is a value filled avenue of expression and legitimate art form.
The novel is set in 2005, and frequently flashes back to New York City of the 1980′s. Luckily for me, I had the slimmest foothold in knowing what what was going on from, like Dondi, having heard stories from family, and from having seen pictures and heard music from the time he was talking about, so it was much more accessible for me from the start in a way that it might not be for other readers. Like Ready Player One and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Rage is Back it requires an adjustment period to get used to the references and the voice, but it is worth taking the time to get to know these characters and to experience their journey. Highly Recommended.
I loved this novel from the moment I picked it up and heard Dondi’s fresh, inventive and confident voice relating the story of his unique parents, history and point of view. Though he didn’t grow up when he would have remembered the graffiti culture in which his parents were steeped as both innovators and leaders, he has taken their history, and that of the graffiti tribes, to heart. He uses it to create the mythology of his father and his absence in his life, and to explain the embittered woman his mother has become. Dondi is an extremely precocious teenager; his ruminations are long, rambling and sophisticated, and just maybe slightly unreliable. I wondered if I would get tired of his posturing (oftentimes he reminded me of a modern-day Holden Caulfield), but as interspersed as it is with surprising confessions, insight and vulnerability, it held my attention throughout. Mansbach deftly explores an incredible time in NYC history and he makes the art of graffiti breathe with careful conveyance of its lifestyle, music, code of honor, and talented and colorful people, while incorporating philosophy, sociology, and a little magical realism for good measure. I wouldn’t want to go back to a New York City filled with graffiti-laden billboards and street corners, but Mansbach illustrates the ways in which it is a value filled avenue of expression and legitimate art form.
The novel is set in 2005, and frequently flashes back to New York City of the 1980′s. Luckily for me, I had the slimmest foothold in knowing what what was going on from, like Dondi, having heard stories from family, and from having seen pictures and heard music from the time he was talking about, so it was much more accessible for me from the start in a way that it might not be for other readers. Like Ready Player One and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Rage is Back it requires an adjustment period to get used to the references and the voice, but it is worth taking the time to get to know these characters and to experience their journey. Highly Recommended.
April 10, 2013
I was looking forward to reading a novel based on the taggers in NYC the '80's. Traditional publishing has totally ignored these stories, so, I bought this after reading a sample.
Dondi Vance is the son of 2 graffiti bombers in the early 80's. His mother was one of the few women bombers, who would climb over fences and decorate the trains before they left the yard. It was a dicey business. Dondi's father was somewhat caught then disappeared for all of Dondi's childhood. He is Rage. And he's back to settle an old score with police after 20 years.
So far, so good. Great premise, opens up a lot of family stuff, group dynamics, possibilities.
Then the novel takes a hard left, into a para-normal thing that wipes out all the human aspects of this. I'm okay with paranormal, but, if it had been threaded through the novel, I would have kept reading. To drop in paranormal in places just seemed random, like the writer either couldn't pull off what might have been a juicy story of Rage coming back and lighting his neglected kid on fire to art.
Just didn't grab me as a reader, but I encourage people to read this. The writing is fascinating and at times brilliant. But it didn't come together for me as a novel.
Dondi Vance is the son of 2 graffiti bombers in the early 80's. His mother was one of the few women bombers, who would climb over fences and decorate the trains before they left the yard. It was a dicey business. Dondi's father was somewhat caught then disappeared for all of Dondi's childhood. He is Rage. And he's back to settle an old score with police after 20 years.
So far, so good. Great premise, opens up a lot of family stuff, group dynamics, possibilities.
Then the novel takes a hard left, into a para-normal thing that wipes out all the human aspects of this. I'm okay with paranormal, but, if it had been threaded through the novel, I would have kept reading. To drop in paranormal in places just seemed random, like the writer either couldn't pull off what might have been a juicy story of Rage coming back and lighting his neglected kid on fire to art.
Just didn't grab me as a reader, but I encourage people to read this. The writing is fascinating and at times brilliant. But it didn't come together for me as a novel.
January 17, 2015
This book came into my possession accidentally and I ended up reading it because I like to venture outside my wheelhouse from time to time. Totally not my thing, with the glorification of drug use and vandalism and an entire cast of unapologetic potty mouths. My thoughts are a compilation of many other reviews.
Things that made me ‘’aggro’’:
1. the drug trip swerve AND drugging the MTA workers
2. despicable /unforgivable 9/11 reference
3. the underground demon
4. the day skipping portal
Things that impressed:
1. crazy creative writing
2. have never read anything like it
3. #vandal wisdom that stuck with me; "When you're responsible for somebody with whom you've got so much unresolved shit, you've either gotta find the inner strength to make each act a tiny gesture of forgiveness, or else spend every stagnant, housebound hour pulsing with resentment"
4. how great was the arrival of the international taggers?
Quick question, anyone. Was the Central Park bear he tagged AMUSE supposed to be Gus? The timeline would be about right.
Things that made me ‘’aggro’’:
1. the drug trip swerve AND drugging the MTA workers
2. despicable /unforgivable 9/11 reference
3. the underground demon
4. the day skipping portal
Things that impressed:
1. crazy creative writing
2. have never read anything like it
3. #vandal wisdom that stuck with me; "When you're responsible for somebody with whom you've got so much unresolved shit, you've either gotta find the inner strength to make each act a tiny gesture of forgiveness, or else spend every stagnant, housebound hour pulsing with resentment"
4. how great was the arrival of the international taggers?
Quick question, anyone. Was the Central Park bear he tagged AMUSE supposed to be Gus? The timeline would be about right.
September 23, 2017
*I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.* Rage Is Back introduces a very unique style of writing and story telling, that took awhile to get used to. Overall I enjoyed reading this book, but I felt like there were too many things going on and too many dead ends. I feel like this story would have been a lot better if there was one central thing to focus on. Positives: unique story, perspective, and writing style; very interesting at certain points; and it showed a realistic view on people. Negatives: not many likable characters, too many random plot points that went nowhere, very hard to understand at times, and an everything just kind of works out ending.
May 14, 2013
This book is exciting. The writing is exciting! It's hysterical and strange is it breaks the fourth wall and it's irreverant and lovely. Really enjoying my journey through this.
OMG OMG OMG. This book is so fantastic. I'm in love. With everything ever.
It's a caper. Its language might get under some folks' skin. It's urban NYC graffiti culture and as such is not a gentle read. But it's incredibly written - kind of ridiculously intelligent and witty. Heartfelt, fascinating... I'm definitely going to buy this one.
OMG OMG OMG. This book is so fantastic. I'm in love. With everything ever.
It's a caper. Its language might get under some folks' skin. It's urban NYC graffiti culture and as such is not a gentle read. But it's incredibly written - kind of ridiculously intelligent and witty. Heartfelt, fascinating... I'm definitely going to buy this one.
June 2, 2022
Don't mind me, just re-reading the best book from the last decade that nobody else read so it doesn't get picked up on my library's weeding report.
(It's still 5 stars.)
(It's still 5 stars.)
September 14, 2022
This book tried to tell about 8 different stories, 7 of which were subplots, and one of which was the main plot and unfortunately the most boring and tedious story. I wish the author had just picked one of the emotionally compelling stories that he kind of started over the course of the book but did not develop. Instead, he made his narrator weirdly verbose and detached for a 17 year old kid and name-dropped a lot of facts about the NYC graffiti scene. It felt like when jazz musicians talk about other jazz musicians: SO much homage paid, NO context given. Names without context or emotional elaboration aren't very compelling. Fun fact: I read this book mostly on the NYC subway, and honestly didn't make the connection until now.
June 21, 2018
The first twenty pages are disorienting, and the end isn’t perfect, but everything in between is revelatory.
Dondi, the narrator, writes pleasing sentences. There’s something hard boiled in the tone. Flashes of magic give the book a speculative undertone, and a wide cast of minor characters keep the action fresh.
I’m not sure how the story would hold up to a second reading, but I imagine I missed plenty. I reveled in the inside jokes: from-one-writer-to-another kind of winks and nods, and I’m confident those same jokes would at least not distract the common reader.
I’ll be reading more Mansbach for sure.
Dondi, the narrator, writes pleasing sentences. There’s something hard boiled in the tone. Flashes of magic give the book a speculative undertone, and a wide cast of minor characters keep the action fresh.
I’m not sure how the story would hold up to a second reading, but I imagine I missed plenty. I reveled in the inside jokes: from-one-writer-to-another kind of winks and nods, and I’m confident those same jokes would at least not distract the common reader.
I’ll be reading more Mansbach for sure.
February 5, 2024
I love almost anything related to New York City stories and its history. This book captures both of that.
At first, the style of narration, as far as the constant rambling away form the story was a little bit annoying, in my opinion. But then, as I got to the end of the book, it was made clear that this book was written by the main character, who had zero experience in being an author. This was the character's first attempt. It made perfect sense to me, and now I loved how Adam Mansbach capture that perfectly.
I can see this story turning into a movie or limited television series on one of these streaming platforms.
Overall, great read.
At first, the style of narration, as far as the constant rambling away form the story was a little bit annoying, in my opinion. But then, as I got to the end of the book, it was made clear that this book was written by the main character, who had zero experience in being an author. This was the character's first attempt. It made perfect sense to me, and now I loved how Adam Mansbach capture that perfectly.
I can see this story turning into a movie or limited television series on one of these streaming platforms.
Overall, great read.
May 30, 2024
This was a random grab from a used book store. The main character is Dondi, the child of some old school graffiti writers from NYC, his father having disappeared after a transit cop ruined his life and he had to go on the run. Of course m, years later he shows back up, that transit cop is bow running for mayor and Billy (Rage, Dondi’s father) is going to stop this from happening, getting his old crew back together. This is a strange book, some magical realism, mixed with a whole lot of lingo that I know my brain kind of glazed over at times (not the fault of the book, just mine). Different than most things I’ve read but it was aighhttt.
June 19, 2018
Five star review, but this book won’t be to everyone’s taste. Old school New York Metro graffiti mixed with an excess of mind-altering substances, a dysfunctional but ultimately loving family, some classic 1980’s hip-hop, a smattering of Rastafarian patois and an inexplicable piece of very limited time-travel. There were a few fabulous switches of perspective, including one chapter told by a different narrator off on a side-quest, and the manuscript of a short story which wove into the main plot. Loved it!
April 2, 2018
Decent, quick read. Engages graffiti as an artform and lifestyle in a way that was detailed, but not obnoxious to point of being overly technical or obscure. A few of the characters have some depth, others feel flat or cliché at times. Storyline gets caught in the weeds at points, but overall this was a fun, adventurous book without having to leave the city
December 24, 2018
Very enlightening in a "a look into the real lives of subway bombers" kind of way, and if just for the writing maybe I'd've given it 4 stars, but Dondi started seeming like an annoying punk of a narrator after awhile. His mom was a badass tho!
April 24, 2023
A pot dealing, prep school (on a scholarship) contends with his absent father's reputation as one of the most iconic graffiti artists in the world--and then his dad comes back. I learned a lot about the art of graffiti--and its culture.
August 6, 2019
Loved this book.
June 22, 2021
Fucking wild, loved the shit outta this
May 24, 2025
This entertaining and informative novel was held back for me by an unwarranted helicopter raid.
January 27, 2013
I fell a little more in love with Rage is Back on every page. Dondi Vance narrates the story, and he is the son of two infamous NYC graffiti artists. His father Billy Vance a.k.a. Rage has been out of the picture since Dondi was a baby. Rage skipped town after his best friend Amuse was killed by a cop with a vendetta for graffiti artists. Dondi's mother, Karen a.k.a. Wren 209, has kept up appearances since Rage left home, and now works as an editor for a publishing firm. Rage and Amuse were part of the Immortal 5 crew, which has been separated since Amuse died and Billy disappeared. Now, Rage is back and he's seeking revenge for Amuse's death. The retired group of graffiti artists come up with an outrageous plan, inspired by young Dondi, and go all-out to execute it.
This story is as much about Dondi as it is Billy. We learn about how it was for Dondi to grow up in a single parent household, grappling with the legend of Billy Vance and the mystery behind his disappearance. Dondi attends Whoopty Whoo Ivy League We's A Coming high school and dates Uptown Girl, until he is dishonorably discharged from both school and home for selling pot.
We also meet the rest of Immortal 5: Cloud 9, Dengue Fever, and Supreme Chemistry. Cloud 9 has just been discharged from a prison bid, Dengue is blind and spends his time at home racing toy cars and blazing, and Supreme Chem runs a small crew of "ninjas." Each character is entertaining and easy to love, and Dondi helps the reader get to know the individuals as well as the group.
Adam Mansbach writes in a unique style that reminded me of Junot Diaz. The narration is slightly broken, slightly vulgar, and slightly all over the place. Dondi, as narrator, is a high schooler writing his first book--this story--and so the style makes sense and Mansbach makes it work. Despite the irregularity, I found the story easy to read and follow. It was wonderful to learn about the secrets behind graffiti and the lives of the artists. If possible, this book made me fall even more deeply in love with New York and miss the days of colorful subway cars. Rage is Back provides a brief and valuable education on a time not so long ago, that few reminisce about. I felt like highlighting a quote on almost every page because it was so clever, brilliant, or laugh-out-loud funny. Below, I've shared several of my favorites. This is one of those books where I am sad it ended: I feel a yearning for the characters, missing them in my life. Go ahead, read it!
Favorite quotes:
"Fizz's crib was bright and spacious, decorated with the kind of pink-fur-Kangol flair only a gay Puerto Rican b-boy can pull off" (11).
"According to most childhood development experts... parents shouldn't argue in front of their kids, because trauma stays in the body, like THC. It's a good thing they don't screen for it; can you imagine what a vial of trauma-free piss would cost?" (32).
"In biology class, they tell you sight is our quickest sense, because light travels at 186,000 miles per second and sound a paltry 5 or 3 or something. Nobody bets on the olfactory. But smell is a sleeper, cheating the starter pistol and sprinting straight at you, and when it hits you it can knock you down" (41).
Billy: 'Dígame', he whispered. 'Es el infierno?'
Dondi: 'Mi español es muy mal', I told him. 'You remember how to speak English?'
Billy laughed, if you could call it that: a dastardly, low rumble like the sound of a kid falling down a flight of stairs.
Billy: 'I should have known... that they'd speak English in hell' (50).
"When you're responsible for somebody with whom you've got so much unresolved shit, you've either gotta find the inner strength to make each act a tiny gesture of forgiveness, or else spend every stagnant, housebound hour pulsing with resentment" (60).
This story is as much about Dondi as it is Billy. We learn about how it was for Dondi to grow up in a single parent household, grappling with the legend of Billy Vance and the mystery behind his disappearance. Dondi attends Whoopty Whoo Ivy League We's A Coming high school and dates Uptown Girl, until he is dishonorably discharged from both school and home for selling pot.
We also meet the rest of Immortal 5: Cloud 9, Dengue Fever, and Supreme Chemistry. Cloud 9 has just been discharged from a prison bid, Dengue is blind and spends his time at home racing toy cars and blazing, and Supreme Chem runs a small crew of "ninjas." Each character is entertaining and easy to love, and Dondi helps the reader get to know the individuals as well as the group.
Adam Mansbach writes in a unique style that reminded me of Junot Diaz. The narration is slightly broken, slightly vulgar, and slightly all over the place. Dondi, as narrator, is a high schooler writing his first book--this story--and so the style makes sense and Mansbach makes it work. Despite the irregularity, I found the story easy to read and follow. It was wonderful to learn about the secrets behind graffiti and the lives of the artists. If possible, this book made me fall even more deeply in love with New York and miss the days of colorful subway cars. Rage is Back provides a brief and valuable education on a time not so long ago, that few reminisce about. I felt like highlighting a quote on almost every page because it was so clever, brilliant, or laugh-out-loud funny. Below, I've shared several of my favorites. This is one of those books where I am sad it ended: I feel a yearning for the characters, missing them in my life. Go ahead, read it!
Favorite quotes:
"Fizz's crib was bright and spacious, decorated with the kind of pink-fur-Kangol flair only a gay Puerto Rican b-boy can pull off" (11).
"According to most childhood development experts... parents shouldn't argue in front of their kids, because trauma stays in the body, like THC. It's a good thing they don't screen for it; can you imagine what a vial of trauma-free piss would cost?" (32).
"In biology class, they tell you sight is our quickest sense, because light travels at 186,000 miles per second and sound a paltry 5 or 3 or something. Nobody bets on the olfactory. But smell is a sleeper, cheating the starter pistol and sprinting straight at you, and when it hits you it can knock you down" (41).
Billy: 'Dígame', he whispered. 'Es el infierno?'
Dondi: 'Mi español es muy mal', I told him. 'You remember how to speak English?'
Billy laughed, if you could call it that: a dastardly, low rumble like the sound of a kid falling down a flight of stairs.
Billy: 'I should have known... that they'd speak English in hell' (50).
"When you're responsible for somebody with whom you've got so much unresolved shit, you've either gotta find the inner strength to make each act a tiny gesture of forgiveness, or else spend every stagnant, housebound hour pulsing with resentment" (60).
March 18, 2013
Thanks to First Reads and Viking for sending me an ARC of Rage is Back. I just posted a review of it on my blog, or you can read it below.
http://booksplusmore.wordpress.com/20...
Author of the book with the funniest title I've seen in recent years (Go the F**k to Sleep), Adam Mansbach diverges from the pseudo-children's book genre with Rage is Back. Set in NYC and following Dondi Vance, the son of the best fictional graffiti artist in history, Billy Rage, Rage is Back tells a tumultuous tale of the decline and resurrection of subway train graffiti. The 80s was the heyday of subway graffiti but when Anastacio Bracken became police chief of the MTA he declared an all out war on the spray-painting artists. The scene escalates until Bracken, Rage, and four other top painters (nicknamed the Immortal Five) find themselves trapped together in a subway tunnel that only Four of the artists make it out of alive. Fast froward to 2005 and Bracken is running for mayor while Rage suddenly reappears in NY and Dondi's life. Together, they make it their goal to stop Bracken's bid with one giant splash of paint.
May as well throw this out there from the start, I'm a huge nerd for mythological superhero type tales and that is a large part of this story. And when I say a huge nerd, I mean I just read about 70ish comic books in the span of a week, because I had to know the origin and progression of a story line. Along that vein, I love the history of graffiti that Mansbach provides and how he uses that as the base for the supernatural aspects of the book. He creates a compelling origin story and develops an interesting reverse-dystopian mood where you can't help but root for the insurgents to stick it to the 5-oh. For those magic-haters out there, there definitely are some creative turns and nuances that sprout up, but I was pretty impressed with the restraint Mansbach showed on that front. He uses it when it's meaningful for the story but he doesn't create a world where conjurations dominate the landscape, or are even used in absolute terms, and that's exactly how I like it.
Dondi's voice is going to be problematic for some people in this book. It has a definite dialect to it and uses a lot of graffiti terms right from the get go (I think I know the difference between a burner and a throw up, but it took me a couple hundred pages). So, the best idea would be to do a little reading before you buy or borrow this book and see where you come down on our dear narrator Dondi. Personally, I liked it. It helps that I read most of it in NYC on subway trains, but even so I thought Dondi brought a lot of fun to this book and kept the things like murder, drugs, prison, and supernatural evil death creatures from weighing down the narrative too heavily. It's not what I would call a light read, but it's not super dense and dull, either.
The criticism I have is that Dondi doesn't always come off as authentic. There are some parts that feel a little like stereotyping and some that dip their toes into the slimy pool of cliché, but these sections are relatively rare, pretty far between, and don't really mess up the plot, so who cares, right?? It's not the perfect book, but few are, so follow Dondi's lead and have some fun while you chew on this mystery.
http://booksplusmore.wordpress.com/20...
Author of the book with the funniest title I've seen in recent years (Go the F**k to Sleep), Adam Mansbach diverges from the pseudo-children's book genre with Rage is Back. Set in NYC and following Dondi Vance, the son of the best fictional graffiti artist in history, Billy Rage, Rage is Back tells a tumultuous tale of the decline and resurrection of subway train graffiti. The 80s was the heyday of subway graffiti but when Anastacio Bracken became police chief of the MTA he declared an all out war on the spray-painting artists. The scene escalates until Bracken, Rage, and four other top painters (nicknamed the Immortal Five) find themselves trapped together in a subway tunnel that only Four of the artists make it out of alive. Fast froward to 2005 and Bracken is running for mayor while Rage suddenly reappears in NY and Dondi's life. Together, they make it their goal to stop Bracken's bid with one giant splash of paint.
May as well throw this out there from the start, I'm a huge nerd for mythological superhero type tales and that is a large part of this story. And when I say a huge nerd, I mean I just read about 70ish comic books in the span of a week, because I had to know the origin and progression of a story line. Along that vein, I love the history of graffiti that Mansbach provides and how he uses that as the base for the supernatural aspects of the book. He creates a compelling origin story and develops an interesting reverse-dystopian mood where you can't help but root for the insurgents to stick it to the 5-oh. For those magic-haters out there, there definitely are some creative turns and nuances that sprout up, but I was pretty impressed with the restraint Mansbach showed on that front. He uses it when it's meaningful for the story but he doesn't create a world where conjurations dominate the landscape, or are even used in absolute terms, and that's exactly how I like it.
Dondi's voice is going to be problematic for some people in this book. It has a definite dialect to it and uses a lot of graffiti terms right from the get go (I think I know the difference between a burner and a throw up, but it took me a couple hundred pages). So, the best idea would be to do a little reading before you buy or borrow this book and see where you come down on our dear narrator Dondi. Personally, I liked it. It helps that I read most of it in NYC on subway trains, but even so I thought Dondi brought a lot of fun to this book and kept the things like murder, drugs, prison, and supernatural evil death creatures from weighing down the narrative too heavily. It's not what I would call a light read, but it's not super dense and dull, either.
The criticism I have is that Dondi doesn't always come off as authentic. There are some parts that feel a little like stereotyping and some that dip their toes into the slimy pool of cliché, but these sections are relatively rare, pretty far between, and don't really mess up the plot, so who cares, right?? It's not the perfect book, but few are, so follow Dondi's lead and have some fun while you chew on this mystery.
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