Koontown Killing Kaper by Bill Campbell

Koontown Killing Kaper Reviews

• 
  RYCJ

  From chapters wun, tu, free, straight fru the eppylog, with it’s slapdash brash pimpnakang satire, Koontown reminds me a lot of the 1988 blaxploitation parody ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.’ Now, I loved, loved Wayan's movie, though admittedly it's much different watching this type satire as opposed to reading it. Even so, I must give it to Campbell for being able to adapt this form of art to literature. It might seem easy, like common day fare, but there’s actually an investigation taking place in the rapper town, dropping clues everywhere, except it’s very tricky to follow because of this outrageously provocative lingo guaranteed to make you laugh… at least once, and many, many more times if you follow along to the end.
  
• 
  Billy

  This was a fun satire and made a lot of really unexpected, yet fantastic, points about what it is to be Black in the 21st Century (and 19th Century). From the title to the cover art to the content itself, this tale is truly dangerous from front to back. Approach with an open mind.
• 
  Miriam

  I listened to the audio book.
  
  While it might be satire, I don't think it's funny or appropriate for tweens and teens, or even adults. Aside from the offensive language, there are gang rape scenes, sexual violence, explicit sex, and incredibly offensive stereotypes. That's aside from the frequent use of "Nigger" throughout. Dialogue is laced with pop culture, gangsta rap, and racial, sometimes offensive, stereotypes ably portrayed by the cast with mood-intensifying music for this satiric, politically incorrect, Afrofuturism tale.
  
  I'll admit, I don't find things designated as "humor" or "Satire" funny. But there wasn't anything funny, to me, about this audio book.
  
  The performance was good but couldn't overcome the distasteful language and imagery.
  This review is my own impression of the contents of the audio book.
  
  For more on the performance, see AudioFile Magazine
  http://www.audiofilemagazine.com
  
  
  
  
• 
  K

  So yeah... that was something. Despite knowing that this was satire, it took me until halfway through the book to really get on board and be part of the author's nudge-wink clique for the remainder. And I'm not sure I was on-board enough to really get any pay-off at the end. It was a really stop-and-start reading experience for me, not at all smooth until the last 15% or so.
  
  This excerpt, I think, really captures my reaction to the first part of the book:
  Suddenly, a well-tailored, hip-laden blonde raises her hand and stands. "Carrie McCarry from The Post," she declares.
  
  "Yes, Carrie," Hustle beams.
  
  "Well, Mr. Beamon." She clears her throat. "Recently, you and other record company executives have come under considerable fire from many black pastors around the country--"
  
  "But not their congregations," the record exec interjects.
  
  The woman looks genuinely confused. "Why, no. I don't know," she stammers.
  
  "You didn't bother asking, did you?" Hustle still smiles.
  
  "No. I guess not," she admits. McCarry clears her throat again. "Anyway, many black leaders have called on you, in particular, to clean up the objectionable lyrics in rap music. They say it is spectacularly degrading toward women--African-American women. That rappers glorify drug use, drug trafficking, and the 'gangsta' lifestyle. They have also taken special umbrage with the supposed ubiquity of the N-word."
  
  "Nigger," Beamon corrects.
  
  "Pardon me?" McCarry asks.
  
  "Nigger," he repeats. "The word is 'Nigger.' Not the 'N-word.' Unless we're talking about nematodes, or something. That's an 'N-word,' too. Are we talking about nematodes here, Carrie?"
  
  "Uh, no. Of course not, Mr. Beamon."
  
  "Then come on, we're all adults here," he prods. "Why do we treat that word with such childish deference? If we are ever going to get over the problems of race, we are going to have to start speaking to each other as adults. Not shirk and blush and titter behind our hands, 'Tee-hee, N-word.' No, it's time we call things what they truly are. 'Nigger' is 'nigger,' plain and simple. We owe it to ourselves and our children to not say otherwise. C'mon, Carrie. You try it."
  
  "Uh... try what, Mr. Beamon?"
  
  " 'Nigger.' " He shrugs nonchalantly. "Come on, you try it... Nig... ger."
  
  The woman has turned beet red. She starts fidgeting. She looks around for support. Everyone refuses to meet her eyes. They look more than happy to not be her at the moment.
  
  "Oh-oh, no. I just couldn't, sir," she stammers. She puts her hand on her chest, leans forward, and whispers confidingly, "You see... I'm a... I'm a liberal."
  
  Beamon waves his hand dismissively. "Liberal, conservative, what does any of it matter?" he chuckles. "They're all just labels. Just words. Just like nig... ger. Go ahead. Just say it. One time. For me."
  
  McCarry is completely flustered. She knows if she does it, she'll be denounced by everybody in this gym, have her name smeared all over the Internet, and will be fired before the sun rises tomorrow. But what can she do? One of the most powerful businessmen in the country has just commanded her to insult him to his face.
  
  "N-n-n--" she struggles. "N-n-n--" Her face goes from red to crimson to purple. "N-n-n-negro!" She pants, exhausted.
  
  "Getting warmer," Beamon encourages.
  
  "N-n-nnnnnnnnnnnAfrican! American!"
  
  She screams. Suddenly, the woman thrusts forward and lets out a torrent of vomit. Puke splashes everywhere. People scream and dodge the spray. Carrie McCarry of The Post falls to her hands and knees, retching. More and more vomit spews from her mouth. She moans pitiably and collapses, unconscious, into her own waste.
  
  "I didn't realize it was that deep," chirps Beamon, a bemused look on his face. He searches the crowd. "Anybody else?"
  
  A portly, middle-aged man from FOKS News Radio thrusts his hand in the air. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!"
  
  "Oh no, not you, Mr. Beckbaugh," Beamon grins. "You seem a little too eager to volunteer."
  
  I feel like a lot of the satire in the first part of the book kind of falls under the same category... I'm not comfortable laughing at the broad brush, and I look askance at the idea that I would be. (I still don't understand the point of Welfare Queen... other than shallow ridicule, obviously. The crack babies were fun though! All on board for that.)
• 
  Tim Childree

  Before I say a word, read this awesome interview with the author:
  
  http://joeypinkney.com/5-minutes-5-qu...
  
  This was a fantastic book that I almost didn't pick up. K Tempest Bradford featured the book in her Tempest Challenge recommendations, and I had seen the book recommended based on many other books I had been enjoying, but the picture, the name, and the not-so-subtle allusion that name's particular spelling choice makes to white supremacy made me incredibly uncomfortable.
  
  So I picked up Sunshine Patriots, which was AMAZING (seriously, if more war SF was written like this, I would read war SF).
  
  Convinced that Campbell was an awesome writer, I picked up Koontown Killing Kaper, and wow.
  
  The satire is easy to recognize in its absurdity, but the satirical connections to the ways so many white people actually think about black people are extremely disturbing, and if you're white, you are most likely going to be left feeling very uncomfortable with the subtle prejudice you have been steeped in all your life writ large in absurdity - I know I was.
  
  The novel is, in Campbell's words, "a satire exploring the black image in American society." That's as apt a description as you could ask for, and I highly recommend the novel.
  
  Make yourself feel uncomfortable. Make yourself stare at the ways you have been trained to look at not just black people but all people of color by our society full in the face. You won't like what you see. We don't deserve to like what we see.
• 
  James Wilkinson

  The funniest, craziest, loudest, least-PC, outrageous-est book I've ever read. Yes, it's THAT good--but you gotta have a sense of humor and understand that it's a black comedy, in both senses of the term.
  
  This book is not for everyone--in fact, if you have young children at home, put this one on the highest shelf for language and adult situations. But if you grew up on 80's hip hop (growing up in PG certainly helps) and can catch the black cultural references, you will be ROTFLYAO like I was. For Real. Altho it is a bit awkward flashing this book cover while on the Metro's Green Line...
  
  Campbell is creative as hell in his story line, and his knack for dialogue and memorable one liners is killer. His integration of conspiracy theory, the worst racial stereotypes taken to the Nth degree, and skewering of everything sacred and profane result in a towering achievement that is a cross between Grade B horror flick, hiphop love/hate fest, racial identity/inflammation/reconciliation (depending on how you define it) moments, and above all, *hope*.
  
  Does Campbell represent a new wave of black literature? Too soon to tell, but I damn sure won't wait so long to buy his next novel. (Also see Mat Johnson's "Pym" for another work in this genre.)
  
  Disclosure: I know the author personally and as a friend I want him to succeed. Despite that though, the review above reflects my thoughts on the work of literature, not through any personal affinity lens.
• 
  BiblioGeek

  I understand satire. Well, at least I THINK I do. But I always understood it to be subtle, yet focused and merciless in its critique. This book, while brilliant in its premise, and at times, raucously and shamefully funny, sometimes lays it on too thick. Less is more, n'ah mean?
• 
  Googa

  I found this book at Criminal Records, in Atlanta. Mr Campbell enscribed the book to me, and I must say, I am glad I read it. It is satire, and I found it hilarious.
  Three words hooked me into wanting to read this: Vampire Crack Babies.
  You read that correctly.
• 
  Brett Cottrell

  Slapstick is easy, satire is a gift.
• 
  Stan

  Read it TWICE!
• 
  Mike

  Vampire Crack Babies!
• 
  Andy

  2 laudable opening chapters, but then long stretches where I had to discipline myself to persist. Great potential, greatly un-realized.
• 
  Elizabeth

  So "out there"...and very funny