Yaccub's Curse [NOOK Book]

Is there hope?

The thing is, well, I have grown to love Wrath James White's books. So no matter what I read of his I am going to sell it. Unlike some reviews that just critique and pick books apart. Some waste time going into details, spoiling the story. Myself I have acquired a knack for not giving anything away, accepting the odd hint here and there. Easily Yaccub's Curse is one of the best works by Mr. White thus far, at least thus far read by me. It is not a simple tale, it is full to the brim with hate, love, life, philosophy, religion and pain. The simple one paragraph prologue states right away what the curse is, though near the end, said curse is more then meets the eye. From there we are brought into the world of hate and pain that make up life for the main character Malik aka Snap, as he lives and grows in the ghetto's of Philadelphia. We are drawn into a world that is man made evil, with small hints of hope that quickly are shattered by the same game that many of us are stuck playing to this day. Mr. White, as I have said in another review fills his books with human monsters, not artificial myths. We are made to see that many times the evils we wish to scapegoat onto supernatural entities are plainly us. Throughout the book are moments of pure philosophical truths from the perspective of Malik as he tries to understand "God" and his plan for humanity. Reading these I hope one day to see Mr. White put out some non-fiction books delving deeper into his ideas and understandings of man and nature. White's style of writing makes this one an easy page turner, in fact you may find it darn near impossible to put the book down once you start. The characters are drawn out well and you would have to be a heartless robot, or a "white devil" not to feel something for the peoples that make up the novel. And because I am not a heartless bugger the ending of this one made me shed a tear, just at the moment when you think hope has its place and faith is a worthwhile investment. Mr. White points the gun right into your deepest imagination and pulls the trigger. Awesome! Mr. White you made me feel. You made me feel human.

Excellent

Wrath James White is known for a hardcore horror style that includes blatant gore and violence and is sure to make reader cringe. But in Yaccub's Curse the cringing is more likely to happen in the space between gang violence and cold-hearted murders. This biography-style book follows Malik, a poor black man who grows up neck deep in gang warfare and ends up working for the worst of them all-a drug lord named Scratch who might truly be the devil. Malik is very intelligent, deeply philosophical, and yet never hesitates to make the choices that mimic the black stereotype. This is one of the most horrifying elements of the whole book, as readers can only watch Malik make one brutal choice after another, barely thinking past his surface actions.
And if that wasn't bad enough (or uncomfortable enough for readers to experience with Malik, because make no mistake you will be wrenched along with him) Scratch, the white drug lord Malik works for, believes he truly is the devil, a creature created out of racial hate and vengeance millions of years ago solely to tear apart the races. Overwhelmed by guilt and pressure, Malik wonders if it might be true, until Scratch gives him the command to kill a crack baby who he claims is the next coming of Jesus.
Yaccub's Curse is a very rough read, well written and darn near poetic, it also is very hard on itself and takes the reader to places of horror far beyond serial killers and monster attacks. Here the monster is a person's very genetics, a frightening suggestion that also makes Yaccub's Curse a highly recommended, must read for horror fans and an essential part of modern horror collections.
Contains: Rape, violence, gore, foul and racial language

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