Long Division Paperback – June 11, 2013

I’m a Doctor Who fan, but I will admit that the timey-wimey stuff often gets me confused. I loved time-travel stories but I’m usually left scratching my head at the end because I just can’t make it work the linear way my mind wants me to. This feeling, this confusion, is what I had at the end of Keise Laymon’s debut novel. This is not a reflection on him as a writer, but everything on me as the reader.While I was reading the novel, I enjoyed the adventures of the two main characters, both named City Coldson, but divided by 28 years. Long Division is a novel within a novel, and I wondered at the end if 1985 City was real, and not a character in a novel, or if 2013 City was real and not a character in a novel. I really hope that sentence makes sense, but if it doesn’t, that’s the complexity that is Long Division. The ending is a bit vague with the answers, leaving the reader to make up their own minds. I’d like to think both City Coldsons were real, but that would mean…oh my…*scratches head*Moving on, Long Division is a novel about teenagers making sense of the racial inequalities in their world, as well as learning to be responsible for one’s actions, both positive and negative. Because it is a novel with time travel in it, the reader experiences life in 1964, 1985, and 2013. Making each of these time periods distinct, and the characters interactions during each of the time periods, is what Laymon does best. For example, I was a tween in 1985, therefore a number of the references 1985 City makes, how he speaks, is very true to the time period. Conversely, 2013 City reads just like one of my students. Laymon does a good job capturing the myriad of thoughts teenagers will have in a given moment. This oftentimes led to some hilarious inner monologues and exchanges from both of the young men. Both 1985 City’s and 2013 City’s section are given to the reader in first person, so we are privy to the boys mixture of deep and mundane thoughts. And just like regular teens, these thoughts can go from deep to mundane in the blink of an eye. It was usually at those moments that I laughed the most.The novel takes place over a series of days, but both 1985 City and 2013 City make the transition from boys to men in that short period of time, coming to understand the complexity of the effects of one’s decision and how it can have a lasting impact. I won’t give it away, but there is a moment towards the end where 1985 City has to make a decision that no adult would want, but he handles it with a maturity and grace that is absolutely beautiful.Lastly, Long Division is not a novel where you can sit back and relax. You have to pay attention; notice the social commentary that Laymon drops subtly all throughout the novel. It is a very different type of Young Adult novel, but is one that teens are capable of finding, discussing, and examining the deeper meanings behind the words presented on the page. It is a novel that respects the teenage mind, while challenging them at the same time.Originally published at Rich in Color [...]

It's hard to categorize Laymon's novel--weird speculative fiction? Time travel, yes. Leaping movement, yes. Racial and social commentary, yes. Ridiculous and hilarious, yes! (Also dark and violent.)

I enjoyed the writing in Long Division and the humorous way in which the author turns a phrase. The writing is in the spirit of Paul Beatty and Victor Lavalle. If you are a fan of these authors, you will love this book. The protagonist is City, short for Citoyen. He is a young boy growing up in Mississippi. There is a lot of energy in the novel, and brief rifts on various subjects, mainly race and location. And not just location geographically speaking, but also time-period wise.This is where I think the novel weakens. The book within a book thing can be a useful maneuver, but to take you through different eras in this artifice, the novel took a turn towards the simple and silly, rather than humorous and sensible. Cleverness becomes folly, intelligence becomes dumbness, and what could have been an absolute great novel becomes just average.City is able to travel through time from 2013 to 1985 and 1964. This is all done through a door in the woods near his grandmother's home in Melahatchie, MS. He isn't actually doing the time travel, but is reading about it, in a book called "Long Division." In that book, he finds a character who narrates the publication and has the same name as him, City.The publication is given to City, by a school official and their is no author of this book. As he begins to read the unauthored "Long Division" he recognizes names including his own, and one of his fellow peers who is currently missing. How does this all fit into what City is going through presently? Definitely some interesting moments. The novel by Mr. Laymon takes you on a sometimes exciting ride, but oftentimes an incongruous one. I would go 3.5 stars because I think the writing is mostly smart, humorous and engaging. But, since that is not an option, I must fall back to 3.

I loved this novel that’s appropriate for middle schoolers, teens and adults. Kiese Laymon’s writing is beautiful and his story is unique, entertaining and enlightening. There is really no actual beginning or end since it can be started on either front or back. You will fall in love with the characters and find yourself cheering them on as they travel in time to find out more about our country and themselves.

...what I just read. This novel is a mash-up of Alice in Wonderland and the tv series Quantum Leap. None of this book made sense to me. I read the ending three times trying to see if I missed something. This is definitely not my kind of novel.

I used this book for personal class research. I liked how the author was able to connect the characters in such a fascinating way.

As the book blub tells you, this is a story set in multiple times, which is what the title is all about. Not a 5 because this is somewhat confusing; not that it is hard to follow the narrative, but when the climax comes, the reader has to sort through symbolism and darkness. I did love the voice and the voices of the various characters, complete with variations in regional youth-slang expressions across the years. I think it would be a better choice for President Obama's reading list than The Girl on the Train.

Great book. Love the black voice. Arftul Kiese does it again!Highly recommend. Great for teens and young adults.

I loved this story which is a time travel Americana black culture youth love story... thing. It's SO well crafted, jumping back and forth between the different eras and with truly lovable and identifiable characters. I was a bit disappointed to read in the Q&A at the end of the book that I was not the intended reader for the book (not being American), but I can assure you that I truly enjoyed it all the same!

This book was assigned for my English class. It's been a while since I've read a fiction book, it was intriguing, creative, with the times. The different time periods in the book where also interesting. Throughout the book there was comedy, and emotion which made it a great read. Also an easy read.