“My son asks me if I won for saying how to fix it. I tell him, ‘No I won for pointing out what’s broken.’”

This full cast audiobook breathes life into the award winning graphic novel with a radio show quality. Some extremely well done sound effects and music added a thoughtful layer to the dialogue. Mr. Bell holds the honor of being the First Black Editorial Cartoonist to win the Pulitzer Prize and I found the 3 hour and 20 minute audiobook so compelling, I listened twice.

Opening with the author at age six and his confusion as to why his father doesn’t have an explanation of the perils of being a young black boy, the narrative comes full circle when he describes having “the talk” with his own six year old son.

He recounts his experience with bigotry and ignorance, and how he was impacted as the country moves through pivotal events: the Rodney King beating, 9/11, the Obama election, the Charlottesville riot, Covid 19, and George Floyd’s murder.

A perfect world would have this as required reading for all young citizens of our country but in the meantime I intend to recommend the read and amplify the message. My hope is that the last directive, words from the author’s young son, will resonate with readers and listeners of all ages.

Exquisitely performed by narrators Darrin Bell, William DeMeritt, Brittany Bradford and Emyree Zazu Bell.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

This graphic novel memoir won awards, but I listened to the audiobook version. I considered borrowing the print version to read alongside the audio, but ultimately decided to focus just on the audio experience. And it was a great experience! I felt the full cast production with primary narration by author Darrin Bell was effective in drawing the listener in, and the addition of sound effects throughout helped pain that picture you think of when you hear "graphic memoir." I'm still interested in the print version after listening, because the story itself is important and memorable, and I'd love to see Bell's artistic take on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. With all the background music and sounds to it, it really helped with imagery and painted a picture. Hidden gems/life lessons in each part of the author's life. Very well written.

What a phenomenal book! The audiobook production was outstanding. This graphic memoir resonated with me so much as a mom of 5 Black children, three of them male. This book was moving, sad, raw, and beautifully written. There were also bright moments involved. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this audiobook, but it was more than a pleasant surprised. I listened in one sitting, and immediately went to buy the book for my bookshelf after. Please read this book! If you can, listen to the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this amazing ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I've never listened to an audiobook that was based upon a graphic novel. This meant that the audiobook was only 3 and a half hours with short snippets of stories with lots of meaning. This was very well done. Bell talks about growing up half black half white. He speaks of his encounters with police for" driving while black " and when younger, for playing with a toy gun in the streets. This was a very interesting journey to take with Bell. I enjoyed the narrators. It must be hard to narrate a story with so many moving parts. I can’t wait to stop in the library to pick up the graphic novel of this to see the illustrations that went along with the words. I am still thinking about this one days later.

Darrin Bell's The Talk is a poignant and powerful graphic memoir. With raw honesty and humor, Bell explores the complexities of growing up as a Black man in America. The details are amazing and really help express the nuances of his experiences. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of race, identity, and the enduring impact of the "talk" that Black parents must have with their children. I was hesitant about the audio of a graphic novel. This was amazing. The cadence of the words came to life.

An eye-opening look for some readers, a validating book for others. This book deserves every award it has received and each one it will receive.

This full cast narration and ensemble is so well done. I love the small details— from the sound of the waves to President Obama being sworn in. Still a powerful story, whether read or spoken word.

I was really intrigued by an audiobook version of a graphic memoir. They knocked it out of the park. This is one of the most powerful memoirs I've ever listened to. The full cast is incredible. The prodiction, music, and sound effects are amazing. I checked out the graphic memoir from the library so I could compare the two formats, and I really do think you get the same feel from both.

Darrin Bell details his life from childhood to fatherhood. During "The Talk", his mom explains why he can't have a realistic water gun like white boys can. At only 3 hours 20 minutes, I think everyone should listen to this incredibly important memoir.

I both read and listened to The Talk by Darrin Bell. I love to immersive read and it worked perfectly for this graphic memoir. Given the author is a cartoonist and included some of his work in the memoir, it was definitely worth it to have the ebook to read along as I listened. And the audiobook is beautifully done and took this to the next level.

Look, I am very obviously not a black man and can never truly know that experience. But I actually found a lot to relate to in Darrin's story. I also have mixed heritage and have dealt with the difficulty of not quite fitting into either community. I also am a nerd and could really spout off about the origins of the universe, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc. And while I was never afraid for myself, I was always afraid for my male Hispanic friends whenever we had interactions with cops. Cops would ignore me completely while treating my friends like criminals. And the way my friends expected to be treated like that broke my heart every time.

I both love and hate that this story came full circle with Darrin having the talk with his son at the end. It was a poignant way to end things, but also terribly sad that he had to do it. This was such a powerful read and will stick with me for a long time. Thanks Macmillan Audio for the early copy of the audiobook.

SO GOOD!

I went into this a little bit unsure about the experience of an audio version of a graphic novel, but I was wowed by the production value that was used to tell the story. I was hoping The Talk would be something I could use with my classroom and I think the various voices, music, and sounds included would really capture students’ attention.

Aside from that, Bell used this novel to tell such an important story of race in America. The way he traces his experiences throughout his life makes the message accessible to people of any age. I also loved that his experiences were shared in a way that will not victimize the Black students in my classroom, but is understandable for those that will never have the experience of being Black in America.

I can’t wait to use this title in my class this year.

“Professor, I don’t feel ashamed of dealing the card you dealt me.”

In this audiobook version, of Bell’s graphic novel, the editorial cartoonist shares his life story. Growing up mixed race (Black and Jewish), Bell’s mother was fiercely protective of her sons to keep them safe in our prejudiced world. Bell shares his life lessons and what he wishes to impart to his three children as well as how he wants to leave the world for them.

This was such a powerful, heartbreaking, and necessary read! As a cis white woman, I appreciated how different the author’s story is from mine and was reminded just how much work there is to do in our country. Insightful writing, excellent narration, and fitting music/background sounds made for a compelling audio version of this graphic novel.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @henryholtbooks for an ALC of this title.

Huge thanks to #partner @macmillan.audio for my #gifted audiobook #macaudio2024

The Talk
By Darrin Bell
Narrated by Darrin Bell, Brittany Bradford, Emyree Zazu Bell, William DeMerrit
Available 8/27

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A coming-of-age memoir in the form of a multi-cast graphic audiobook about the author's life following "The Talk" (about why he couldn't use a realistic-looking water gun) and how it shaped his experiences from childhood to adulthood. This heartfelt memoir is a timely, important exploration of police brutality and anti-Blackness through the lens of a Black boy/teen/man. The narration is outstanding, and the sound effects and music further adds to the experience.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio through @Netgalley for letting me listen in advance to The Talk by Darrin Bell. All opinions are my own.

I have to admit, I have never listened to a graphic novel. Isn’t that what graphic novels are about? The graphics? I picked this audiobook out of curiosity- not only for the topic, but to find out how a graphic novel can sound. I will clearly say that this book is very much also about the words, and the audiobook stands alone as quite the audio performance.

I enjoyed hearing about Darrin Bell’s childhood and life, and as I am around his age, it was interesting going through our shared history with what was happening in the world. (Of 9/11- “Strangers have never seemed this precious to me before.”) Of course there is one major difference in that I never had to have “The Talk” and that major difference was MAJOR, and it was not singular. The amount of times Bell has been stopped by the police (for “driving while black”) is astonishing, as were the things that have been said and done to him, not to mention the unfairness of “carry(ing) a 400 year old burden”- it will open your eyes even if you consider your eyes pretty wide open.

You will like Bell. You will love his mama bear mom. You will want to mama bear every child who is told that can’t play outside with a water gun because even their cute and sweet 6 year old self is viewed differently, and viewed as dangerous.

I checked out The Talk graphic novel to compare, and it is excellent too. Darrin Bell is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and comic strip creator. How can it not be incredible? It is a feast for the eyes, and the audiobook is certainly a feast for the ears. The dedication was auditory drama, and made the point in such an effective way, something a visual can’t do. The audiobook has music and sound effects that add to the story. Words and sounds will occasionally play in different ears for a remarkable addition. Although I typically am not a fan of authors reading their own work, this is an exception. Bell and his multicast which includes Emyree Zazu Bell, Brittany Bradford and William DeMerrit do an exceptional job. News clips are played and I truly can’t tell if they are real or reenactments, so a round of applause for that. The only negative was that I felt that the pauses between sections felt too long for me; I’d like those shortened. Not a bad criticism that a listener prefers to hear the book instead of silence.

The book has already been published and has won many awards, and the audiobook will be published on 8/27/24. I highly recommend it!

5/5 stars
3 hours 20 minutes at 1x on audio
Location: Los Angeles, Oakland, San Gabriel, Berkley and other places in California

I want to thank Netgalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for both a digital and audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful graphic memoir. I really enjoyed all the themes and repeated visual storytelling cues. It is not subtle, but maybe the subject matter demands a blunt approach. The art style is raw and dynamic and there's a lot of artistry in the composition of the whole book.

The Audio is EXCELLENT! It has been adapted so that the scenes are explained and there are audio effects and snips from real news to bring the story to life. This is a project that got a lot of love and it shows.

The Talk by Darrin Bell is a terribly important read, and I use the word terribly because the topic is a terrible one to acknowledge into existence. BUT, and that's a big but, it is a topic that must be addressed in order for black males, young and old, to survive. The book shows what a sad state of affairs our country is in in terms of humanity. Read the book, reflect on where we are in our communities, and think of ways, no matter how small, to make our world a better place for all of us to live in together.

My first graphic novel and as an audiobook it was such an experience. This graphic novel is a non fiction memoir of a black man experiencing life discrepancies and trying to understand the discrepancies while recounting several historical events throughout the years. Great story for discussion to continue to guide us to continue to do better as a society. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

This graphic novel has been on my radar for a while but the weight of it - both figuratively and literally- intimidated me and I shelved it for a bit. Once I was lucky to receive an audiobook copy for review from NetGalley, I coupled reading the physical book with listening to the narration and it was the perfect combination! The audiobook adds a lot to the book with some sound effects, extra context and nice pacing. Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Darrin Bell pens a captivating graphic memoir of his childhood as a mixed race (but outwardly Black) adolescent. He shares poignant interactions with police, classmates, teachers, girlfriends, race riots, the Trump presidency and eventually his own children. There’s a lot to unpack in this book, and while it speaks to a specific time in history it will most certainly have staying power on library shelves. Give it a read (and listen!).

This is insightful, beautiful, and should be required reading. I loved this so much. I also cried. The narration is perfect too. I loved the background noises and everything here.

"The Talk" by Darrin Bell is an incredibly powerful graphic novel that tackles heavy themes with evocative illustrations and sharp humor. Bell recounts his experiences from childhood to adulthood, focusing on the impact of "The Talk"—a conversation many Black parents have with their children about the dangers they face due to systemic racism.

The audiobook adaptation of "The Talk" does not disappoint. It features a full cast, many of whom are Bell's family members, and includes immersive sound effects that bring the story to life. This full-cast narration transforms the experience into something akin to an old-school radio program, making it a unique and captivating listen.

Despite the excellence of the audiobook, I always recommend getting a copy of the graphic novel to fully appreciate the artwork. The combination of powerful visuals and narrative in the graphic novel format condenses complex and painful subjects into relatable terms that young people can understand. It also weaves together intersecting narratives about growing up, forming relationships, pursuing a career, and making sense of life's experiences.

"The Talk" is a profound and moving story that resonates on multiple levels, whether read or listened to. It's a must-experience for teens seeking to understand the challenges and triumphs of growing up Black in America.