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The Confession of Copeland Cane
The Confession of Copeland Cane | Keenan Norris
17 posts | 13 read | 11 to read
"Keenan Norris is simply one of the most talented young writers around." - Victor LaValle Copeland Cane V, the child who fell outta Colored People Time and into America, is a fugitive... He is also just a regular teenager coming up in a terrifying world. A slightly eccentric, flip-phone loving kid with analog tendencies and a sideline hustling sneakers, the boundaries of Copeland's life are demarcated from the jump by urban toxicity, an educational apparatus with confounding intentions, and a police state that has merged with media conglomerates--the highly-rated Insurgency Alert Desk that surveils and harasses his neighborhood in the name of anti-terrorism. Recruited by the nearby private school even as he and his folks face eviction, Copeland is doing his damnedest to do right by himself, for himself. And yet the forces at play entrap him in a reality that chews up his past and obscures his future. Copeland's wry awareness of the absurd keeps life passable, as do his friends and their surprising array of survival skills. And yet in the aftermath of a protest rally against police violence, everything changes, and Copeland finds himself caught in the flood of history. Set in East Oakland, California in a very near future, Keenan Norris's The Confession of Copeland Cane introduces us to a prescient and startlingly contemporary voice, one that exposes the true dangers of coming of age in America: miseducation, over-medication, radiation, and incarceration.
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blurb
Sophronisba
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The opening round of the Morning News Tournament of Books ends today with the final matchup between The Confession of Copeland Cane and The Echo Wife.

This is tough because I thought both of these books were flawed, although still interesting.

Sophronisba The Echo Wife annoyed me with its world-building; in particular, the plot hinges on a moment that makes no sense given what we know about how the novel's world works, which the author then lampshades by making her protagonist vow to study why it happened. As for Copeland Cane, it was well-written but it never surprised me and I didn't feel it offered much nuance.
3y
Sophronisba But if forced to choose I would go with Copeland Cane -- I see so much potential here, and it only would have needed a few tweaks for me to love it. 3y
Ruthiella Yes, the plotting in The Echo Wife bugged me too. 3y
8 likes3 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I am so sad that this book has largely flown under the radar, as it is phenomenal. It is a near-future coming of age story of a young black man in Oakland as he makes his way through an increasingly authoritarian, racist US. I can‘t say enough about this book. I‘m so glad it‘s a TOB book or I would have missed it and I‘m so glad I read it.

squirrelbrain I really liked this one too, although it gets mixed reviews. 3y
TrishB This is so expensive here, I‘ll be waiting for an offer! 3y
BarbaraBB I am sorry I didn‘t get to it before the start of the #TOB22 3y
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Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I‘ve seen that and I wonder if it‘s the writing style. I really liked the style, but I can see that some might struggle to get into it. 3y
Hooked_on_books @TrishB It‘s on Scribd, and you can probably do a free month and read it there. I assume the same books are available in the UK, but of course I could be wrong. But you can browse their selection before committing to a free month. 3y
Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB It was my final TOB book, so it‘s interesting for me going into it having read them all. I‘ll have to compare the experience with last year, when I had only read most and was less invested. I definitely recommend reading this one eventually, even if not for the tournament. I thought it was tremendous. 3y
BarbaraBB I will! 3y
squirrelbrain @TrishB - I read it on Scribd. As Holly says you could sign up for a trial month…. 3y
TrishB @squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books I think I‘ve looked at it before and I‘d have to read on my phone. Which I hate? 3y
squirrelbrain Ah, yes, @TrishB it doesn‘t work on Kindle. I read on my iPad….. 3y
TrishB @squirrelbrain I had to remind myself why I hadn‘t bothered ☹️ 3y
Hooked_on_books @TrishB Yeah, I read it on my phone. I definitely don‘t love doing that, and I find it often takes longer to get through a book that way, so I get what you‘re saying. 3y
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review
cariashley
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Mehso-so

Such a great voice but I struggled with this on audio and found it hard to follow - it was just a little all over the place. I‘ll be devastated if The Sentence doesn‘t beat this and Our Country Friends in the play in round of #tob22! Book 16 of 18 done 😊

BarbaraBB I think most us root for The Sentence in the play-in round! 3y
Megabooks I liked this more than the sentence when I read them, but I find myself reflecting on the sentence often, so I hope it wins. 3y
56 likes2 comments
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sarahbarnes
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Pickpick

A phenomenal book. I feel like the blurb about this one doesn‘t do it justice and I almost skipped it. It‘s a powerful, incredibly written labyrinth of a story complete with disturbing asterisks and very accurate commentary on the state of America. #ToB2022

Megabooks This was a good one. Very creative. 3y
BarbaraBB I haven‘t read this one and until now felt there was no need to. Now I want to! 3y
BkClubCare Great review 3y
34 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
BkClubCare
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Pickpick

Not only did I finish the tagged book for #TOB #TOB22 #TOB2022 and for #BookSpinBingo, I finished eBook of The Echo Wife for my #TOBCompletist22 badge! And I didn‘t care for it. I can appreciate its themes but am disappointed with the execution. #DogsofLitsy Esther assisting #WHPG

And I add 2 more bingo lines on my card! The Optimist‘s Daughter up next and am considering Olga Dies Dreaming on audio. Should I? I think so.

@TheAromaofBooks

thebluestocking Congratulations!!! Finishing them all is a huge feat. (If I ever finish the Ozeki, I‘ll join you.) What are your top three favorites from the list? 3y
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BkClubCare @thebluestocking - My top 3 are The Trees, The Sentence, and . . . 3y
BkClubCare @thebluestocking - maybe my top 5 include: All‘s Well, Subdivision, and Matrix 3y
BkClubCare (Recency bias recognized) 3y
thebluestocking Ooh. Thank you for posting those. We have quite a bit of overlap. Right now I think my top five are No One is Taking about This; When We Cease To Understand the World; The Trees; The Sentence; All‘s Well. 3y
BkClubCare @thebluestocking - those middle spots are shifty. I can more easily cite the lower 3 or 5. How are now going to move through the time/space until 3/8? 3y
Mindyrecycles Nicely done! I have three left. 🤞🏼 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Your bingo card is looking great!!! 3y
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review
thebluestocking
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Mehso-so

I have mixed feelings about this one. Part of me liked hearing so much of Cope‘s story, because it‘s the small and the big that make us who we are. But the pacing on this was off, and I struggled to maintain interest, especially without knowing until the very end why he was on the run.

sarahbarnes I‘m reading this one right now - just started it yesterday. I like it so far…. 3y
thebluestocking @sarahbarnes I hope you enjoy it. I listened to the audio and thought it was really well done. 3y
Megabooks I liked this when I read it but barely remember it. Rooting for The Sentence for play in. 👍🏻 3y
Ruthiella Agree. It just went on and on... 3y
51 likes5 comments
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BkClubCare
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#CaresPieShow #PeachPie #LitPie
Cope is released from incarceration and treated to Pecan Pie - - but I decided to make Mini Peach Pies for Super Bowl tomorrow. I‘m about 50%; our narrator is now attending private school and learning how to swim in this new pond.

I am enjoying Subdivision - about 80 pages left in that. Will then focus on The Echo Wife for my last #TOB2022 book! I am going to finish by March 1 if not next week! Very exciting.

Ruthiella Excellent progress! And the mini pies look delicious! 😋 3y
thebluestocking You‘re so close!! 💙 I finished Copeland yesterday and just have The Book of Form and Emptiness left! (And I want some pie now. 🥧) 3y
45 likes2 comments
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sarahbarnes
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Just starting this one from #ToB2022 and really liking it so far. Thanks @BarbaraBB for the tip not to skip this one!

squirrelbrain I really liked this one too! 3y
BarbaraBB I haven‘t read it! I just thought it might be better than Our Country Friends if you had to choose! 3y
sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB 😂😂 Well you‘re right! 3y
30 likes3 comments
blurb
thebluestocking
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01. The Confession of Copeland Cane; The Book of Form and Emptiness; Enjoy the View
02. These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett
03. Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

review
Addison_Reads
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Pickpick

When I started this I wasn't really feeling it, so I switched to the audiobook and that helped a lot with the writing style for me.

Like other books, this one deals with the pandemic and the BLM movement. The near future setting was an interesting way of presenting this and I found Copeland to be a refreshing new voice in literature.

The dialogue, wordplay, and little nuances of this story really impressed me. #ToB2022 #ToB22

thebluestocking I‘ve been struggling with the ebook and have been debating switching to audio. You just sealed the deal! 💙 3y
BkClubCare Oh yes, I am SO glad I chose audiobook for this one. 3y
Addison_Reads @thebluestocking I almost gave up because reading it was just annoying me and I couldn't seem to get a feel for the character, but once I started the audiobook it felt like Copeland was just talking to me and telling his story. @BkClubCare I'm glad I wasn't the only one who felt that way. 3y
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review
ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

This is one of those novels that I found excellent when viewed close up but disappointing when viewed from a distance. I enjoyed the wordplay, dialogue, and characters, but rather than existing on their own, they feel like they are there to serve a purpose, to impart a specific message from the author. Of course, all novels do this to one degree or another, but I like the mechanics to be more invisible. #ToB2022

Ruthiella I agree with your take. 👍 3y
53 likes1 comment
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thebluestocking
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01. The Confession of Copeland Cane; To All the Boys I‘ve Loved Before
02. Where the Drowned Girls Go
03. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

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Sophronisba
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I started this novel this morning, and it's interesting, but the #ToB2022 books are so dark this year. I kind of wish they'd thrown in Great Circle or something else that would lighten the mood a little bit. #morningreads

Ruthiella True that. While some of the titles balance light and dark (The Trees, The Sentence), the only one that was mainly lighthearted was 3y
11 likes1 comment
review
Megabooks
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Pickpick

Copeland Cane is on the run and shares his confession of how he became a fugitive. He faced incarceration for a minor crime as a teen before being “discovered” by a white businessman and given a full scholarship to a private school. In the background of this near-future book is the pandemic, still disproportionately killing BIPOC people, and the BLM movement. I was fully invested in Copeland‘s story and loved the #audiobook narration! #ToBplayin

Ruthiella Glad this one was a winner for you! I agree that the audio book narration was excellent. 3y
squirrelbrain I really liked this one too… it felt fresh and very realistic. 3y
Megabooks @Ruthiella I didn‘t know what to think going in, but I‘m glad I read it!! 3y
Megabooks @squirrelbrain 💯 agree on fresh and realistic! 3y
82 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Megabooks
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Well, I‘ve finished the #PandemicFiction #ToBplayin round, and here are my thoughts. I haven‘t written reviews of Copeland Cane or The Sentence yet, but hopefully will later today. I read Friends the week it came out in case you‘re dying to read my review. 😉😂

Just two more left for me the Ozeki and Klara! #ToBshortlist

Cinfhen Wow!!! Great progress 🥰I haven‘t read Copeland yet but I definitely don‘t think Friends should be there and I‘d be ok with the Erdrich, too. 3y
Suet624 You‘re amazing. 3y
Ruthiella I lost my hold on Our Friends and Neighbors 😭 so have to wait for it again. Hoping to get my hands on the Erdrich soon and like @Cinfhen , I think that‘ll be my pick for the play in round. 3y
BarbaraBB Such great progress. I haven‘t read one of them yet. I am hoping to get to the Erdrich too soon. 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen @Suet624 @Ruthiella @BarbaraBB thank you all! My goal is to finish them all in 2021, but I‘m waiting for Klara at the library. I‘m 75 pages into the Ozeki and surprised to be enjoying it. The Sentence didn‘t get my full vote because it lost me a bit in the middle whereas I was engaged with Cane all the way through. Both are definitely picks, though. Interested to see what all of you think as you move through the list (and the judges)! 3y
72 likes5 comments
review
Ruthiella
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Mehso-so

I did an ebook/audiobook combo. The audio is very well done. But I found the content way too slow. The build up to WHY Cope is confessing bored me for the most part and the end was anticlimactic. Personally, it felt more like Norris was writing a narrative around issues he wanted to address than a integral story. Still, the voice was well done and engaging. #ToB #ToB2022

Megabooks Uh-oh. I hate slow books, but I was planning on reading the audiobook. 3y
Ruthiella @Megabooks I hope you like it more than I did. The audio book narration is excellent. 3y
Cinfhen Great review/ I can only borrow the print copy. I started this the other day but I wasn‘t feeling it. I‘ll try again but I reserve the right to bail 😁 3y
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Ruthiella @Cinfhen Fair enough! I was lucky that the audio was available on Hoopla. 3y
Cinfhen Ohhhh, I‘ll check my Hoopla!! Maybe they added it ❤️ 3y
Cinfhen I‘m out of borrows but it‘s there!! I‘ll pick it up in January- thanks for the heads-up♥️ 3y
Ruthiella @Cinfhen Yay! 😃 3y
51 likes7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Copeland is on the run from something in post-pandemic East Oakland, where COVID has morphed into the ‘ghetto flu‘, police brutality is still rife, and where law enforcement and the media have now merged together.

I struggled with the style at the start but, 10% in, I ‘got it‘. Copeland is a great character and this is a witty book but hard-hitting; the dystopia feels real.

Not my absolute favourite of the #ToBshortlist, but near the top.

Megabooks This was in my Weekly Forecast, and I believe I will get to it this week. I‘m glad it turn out well for you because I was really unsure from the blurb. 👍🏻 3y
squirrelbrain I really wasn‘t sure at the start @Megabooks and I was prepared to dislike it, but it really grew on me. I hope you like it too. 3y
BarbaraBB Well done Helen, it‘s always satisfying when a book grows on you! 3y
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Cinfhen Oh good!!! I started reading and was ready to bail!!! I‘ll pull it out of hibernation next week 🤓 3y
sarahbarnes Great review! I haven‘t tried this one yet! 3y
Ruthiella I had trouble with the plotlessness of this one. The voice was great but I need more of a narrative arc personally. 3y
73 likes1 stack add6 comments