Everywhere You Don't Belong

By: Gabriel Bump

Narrated by: Korey Jackson

"This book is astonishing. You'll be smiling even as your heart is breaking, and you'll tip willingly into this world Bump offers you, because what appears again and again are spectacular beams of light also called love, also called hope, also called family. Gabriel Bump has established himself as a stunning talent to be reckoned with." (Maaza Mengiste, author of Beneath the Lion's Gaze)

In this powerful, edgy, and funny debut novel about making right and wrong choices, Gabriel Bump gives us an unforgettable and lovable protagonist, Claude McKay Love. Claude is a young black man in search of a place where he can fit; born on the South Side of Chicago, he is raised by his civil rights-era grandmother, who tries to shape him into a principled actor for change. After a riot consumes his neighborhood, Claude decides to escape Chicago for another place, to go to college, to find a new life and identity. But as he discovers, there's no escaping the people and places that made him.

Written in a fierce and original voice attuned to the ironies inherent in our 21st-century landscape, Everywhere You Don't Belong marks the arrival of a brilliant young talent.

©2020 Gabriel Bump (P)2020 Recorded Books

Graphic raw and beautiful

I usually avoid stories of race so tension but this one was unbelievable and unique thank you so much for sharing it

Set Free

Loved it!, A true love story with a happy ending. I respect and admire your feelings.

Great book!

I grew up miles from here

It's about time someone writes about the south side.

I couldn't put down my phone.

Very Literary, But I Didn't Like It

A ghetto voice told in Dick, Jane and Sally simple sentences -- I can see why it's a critical darling. It's topical and screams disadvantage through its flat tone.
But bottom line it is a caricature of simplicity -- a point and not a plot.
I have it four stars so I don't miss out on upcoming literature. I had to force myself to listen to the end.

Amazing Read

Bump is able to capture something special here. He paints a picture of what it’s like to be black in America through a multidimensional lens while capturing the importance of family when one comes of age. A great read that is sure to make you laugh and cry.

Different, interesting coming of age story

At its heart this is a coming of age story. the difference is that it is told from a black perspective and set primarily in the south side of Chicago before and after the race riots.

Funny and Not

I enjoyed not being able to guess where the plot was headed. Clarence is a miracle of a character.

half the book is the word "said"

it is written in a fourth or fifth grade mentality. the sentence structure is incredibly simple and I couldn't take the author writing the word said, or asked, anymore! said said said said.... every time a character speaks the author follows up with said! this character said, she said, he said.
that being said, no pun intended, the story is relevant it's good, I just could not get past the simplicity of the writing. Grandma said, Paul said, she said, Janice said, he said, she said, Jimmy said, said, SAID!

Great coming of age story...

As I listened to the story I could imagine the characters perfectly and the scenes the same. I felt I was in the story with the characters. I can never imagine being in the middle of a riot as described in this story but Gabriel Bump brought it to life within these pages. Great story.

Stunning, memorable, brave.

This book did not let me sleep. If Lonesome Dove were contemporary and set in Chicago and more of a coming of age book…this would be its twin. It yanks you in a cinematic way through a world with a lack of choices but there is a richness, almost obscene, to the characters lives. Brilliant. I can not wait for the next book by Bump.