I highly recommend this novel to anyone who has a desire for historical fiction. This novel includes racial ideas, poverty, African American history, and the many beliefs of black Muslims.
Malcolm has been constantly reminded by his parents that he can achieve anything, but from his perspective, they sit on a throne of lies. His father has been murdered, his entire family was separated, and his dream of becoming a lawyer has gotten him laughed out of school. Malcolm figures that there’s no purpose in becoming a lawyer, so he gets distracted by the Boston and New York nightly customs.
These customs include fancy suits, girls, jazz, drugs, and smoking. As he escapes into a new world, he continues to lead himself towards the wrong path. Malcolm understands that he can’t run forever in order to achieve freedom. Faith offers him a second chance to forge a new path and turn himself around from all his troubles.
I really like how the book arranges flashbacks in order to gain a further understanding of Malcolm’s childhood and what it was like. The book did an excellent job displaying racial injustice in a real-world setting. In addition, it was intriguing to see where Malcolm’s early influences would take him in life, whether they were good or bad.
My takeaway from this book is that there’s always an imaginary line in life and once that point has been crossed, then there’s no turning back. In other words, we all make mistakes, but if we don’t learn from them, we’ll never be able to redeem ourselves from our troubles. In conclusion, X is an outstanding novel and I hope every reader gets to reveal the true meaning of Malcolm’s life.