Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome (Book #26)

Title: Punch Me Up to the Gods

Author: Brian Broome

Dates Read: Feb 15 - Mar 10

Format: eBook (ARC)

Rating: ★★★★★

Description: Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Brian Broome tells his story of growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward this gorgeous, aching, and unforgettable debut. Brian’s recounting of his experiences—in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory—reveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in.

Review: Punch Me Up to the Gods is a memoir bursting at the seams with raw power. From the first line: “Whatever it was, I already knew by 10 years old that I didn’t have it,” Broome asserts his unique voice in telling his story of growing up Black in Ohio, of struggling with his sexuality, of clashing with his parents, and of finding his way in the world, one embarrassing, cringe-worthy event at a time. Broome may be a debut author, but you wouldn’t know it by his writing. He commands his story and your attention in a way that will have readers laughing, crying, and screaming along with him as he explores what it is like to grow up Black in America.