Funny Texts From Rapper to Girl

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Kelly (and the Book Boar)
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

When Mac Lethal finds out his aunt is about to lose her house, he invites her, and his cousin Bennett, to move in with him until they can get back on their feet again. The events that transpire during their co-habitation inspire this very untraditional story of family and falling in love . . .

It's probably not really worth it, but I'm giving this one 4 Stars.

Living in the same town as Mac Lethal, I discovered the "Texts from Bennett"

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

When Mac Lethal finds out his aunt is about to lose her house, he invites her, and his cousin Bennett, to move in with him until they can get back on their feet again. The events that transpire during their co-habitation inspire this very untraditional story of family and falling in love . . .

It's probably not really worth it, but I'm giving this one 4 Stars.

Living in the same town as Mac Lethal, I discovered the "Texts from Bennett" blog at its inception and have been an unapologetic follower ever since. It's offensive, and vile, and demeaning to women, and I should hate it . . . but it makes me laugh, and sometimes a good laugh is all you need. And I know there are grumblings that the texts are fake. To that I say – "who fucking cares?" They are still funny.

I remember seeing posts about the book version coming out, but my addled brain once again failed me. Luckily, the library posted a review on the website that reminded me I should go pick it up. Like the blog, Bennett is crude, rude, unintentionally racist and 100% cringe-inducing. Unlike the bits and pieces contained in the blog, you find out that he is also kind, loyal, hardworking (even if he's not real) and hilarious.

If you aren't a fan of the blog, you probably won't find much to love about the book. If you are a fan – definitely check it out and enjoy the laughs. Remember to tell them "Hustla da Rabbit" sent you ; )

Edited to add: And then THIS happened and Mac Lethal won the internet . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVtSp3...

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Cindy Schilling
As the mother of a 28 year-old son, I've heard my share of rap music.
Mostly when he was in high school and I was driving him back and forth to his various activities. I'm not a huge fan, and I especially have issues with the misogynistic aspects of the medium.

Thanks to Facebook, I'm still aware of where his musical tastes lie, and from time to time he made mention of a rapper named Mac Lethal,a white rapper from the Kansas City area.

One day while browsing the new ebooks for review on NetGalley,

As the mother of a 28 year-old son, I've heard my share of rap music.
Mostly when he was in high school and I was driving him back and forth to his various activities. I'm not a huge fan, and I especially have issues with the misogynistic aspects of the medium.

Thanks to Facebook, I'm still aware of where his musical tastes lie, and from time to time he made mention of a rapper named Mac Lethal,a white rapper from the Kansas City area.

One day while browsing the new ebooks for review on NetGalley, I saw that Mac had a new book coming out, and I decided that I had to read it.

Texts from Bennett is the story of Mac, and how he opened his home to his opiate-addicted aunt Lillian, her conspiracy theorist boyfriend Tim, and her 17 year-old gangsta son, Bennett, who claims to be 13% black (he's not).

The story unfolds through Mac's narration, interspersed with texts between Mac and Bennett. As might be expected, the arrival of his family causes no small amount of disruption in Mac's life, especially in his relationship with new girlfriend Harper. But Mac begins to see another side of his family, and when he learns more about his Aunt Lillian's (and his own mother's) dysfunctional family he begins to appreciate them more.

There's a lot of really offensive language in Texts from Bennett, as well as a lot of drug use. But if you can get past that, it's really a good story. Mac learns to see another side of Bennett, and both Mac and Bennett grow from the experience of spending time together. I also appreciate any book where the author comes right out and admits to using deus ex machina to further the plot. So while I don't really recommend it to friends my age, I think young adults who share my son's enthusiasm for hip-hop culture would like this book.

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Kelly Hart
Sep 22, 2013 rated it it was amazing
A couple years ago, I fell in love with a blog on Tumblr. It was possibly some of the funniest shit (pardon my french) I'd ever seen.

What blog? You may ask.

Well ...

Texts from Bennett, of course!

So, when I came across a post from Mac, while perusing my Tumblr dash, stating Texts from Bennett was becoming a book, I thought, I might just have to read that!

I must admit, I figured it would be more of what I would call a bathroom reader -- a book that's hard to get caught up in or lose your place,

A couple years ago, I fell in love with a blog on Tumblr. It was possibly some of the funniest shit (pardon my french) I'd ever seen.

What blog? You may ask.

Well ...

Texts from Bennett, of course!

So, when I came across a post from Mac, while perusing my Tumblr dash, stating Texts from Bennett was becoming a book, I thought, I might just have to read that!

I must admit, I figured it would be more of what I would call a bathroom reader -- a book that's hard to get caught up in or lose your place, filled with pages upon pages of snippets, which in this book's case would be text message conversations -- but even still, if it was even an iota as entertaining as the blog, it would definitely be worth the read.

Prior to the book's release, I took advantage of the excerpts posted online -- chapters 1 and 3, if I remember correctly -- and I was pleasantly surprised to find, the book was nothing like I expected. It was a real novel, with a real plot and story, and from those two chapters, my excitement for it only grew.

From those two chapters alone, I could already tell that Mac Lethal was an excellent writer and that Texts From Bennett would be so much more than I'd originally thought and when I finally got the book from my local library and started reading it, all of that was confirmed.

The book was absolutely amazing! So amazing, in fact, that I plan to purchase my own copy soon.

The plot was a wonderful and touching story about love, growth, family, and acceptance, with texts from Mac's cousin Bennett thrown into the mix, and I found it very entertaining, endearing, and well written.

Assuming it was based in truth -- which as far as I know, it was -- Mac's obsession with becoming a rapper at a young age and preparation in doing so, really payed off big time when it came to writing this novel. He knows a lot of words(from apparently many hours of reading dictionaries and Thesauri)and he knows exactly how to use them.

His ability to describe things was not only skilled -- to the point I didn't even have to think about it to get a clear picture in my head of whatever was being described -- but extremely colorful and witty and hilariously funny.

Actually, the entire book was witty and funny. While reading, I've never laughed so hard at anything in my life. As I read it, page after page, I laughed and laughed, and laughed, until I finished, and then I was left wanting nothing but more.

Overall, I would totally recommend this novel to anyone that's looking for a quick read, a great, heartfelt story, and a good laugh, hence my five out of five star rating.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from my local library and all that I've said is my own honest opinion. I was not paid to review this book.

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Katelyn
Sep 02, 2013 rated it did not like it
Check out the reviews on Amazon. The only conclusion I can come to is that the author has paid people to leave positive reviews. That, or the people reading the book can't see how completely contrived this book is, from start to finish. There isn't a Bennett. The author claims to be from a lower income area along the Kansas and Missouri boarder. He isn't. He is from an affluent community of white Christians, and uses this book as his excuse to drop the "N" word at will. When the tumblr a Check out the reviews on Amazon. The only conclusion I can come to is that the author has paid people to leave positive reviews. That, or the people reading the book can't see how completely contrived this book is, from start to finish. There isn't a Bennett. The author claims to be from a lower income area along the Kansas and Missouri boarder. He isn't. He is from an affluent community of white Christians, and uses this book as his excuse to drop the "N" word at will. When the tumblr account gained media attention, he threatened the life of a Smoking Gun reporter who claimed it fake. According to his Twitter, if you write a less than stellar review of his book, he has a total meltdown, and requires other reporters to write new and positive reviews, (ie Kansas City Star). The writing is cringe worthy. Every sentence is crafted by Lethal to paint himself in the best light. It's laughable. This book is an example of someone, (not "Bennett"), who has must have issues, wants them glossed over and forgotten, and has done so by writing himself into a work of fiction, long claimed truth. The book is an easy read. It's cringe worthy. It takes itself so seriously, that it's laughable. ...more
Shari
Jul 07, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Review forthcoming soon.

This book was hilarious with its cringe-worthy situations. I loved it. Dropped another book I was currently reading (Ink) in order to read this one. :)

Joe
Aug 03, 2013 rated it really liked it
Mac Lethal's Texts From Bennett tumblr page became an internet phenomenon after he started posting conversations he was having with his "gangsta wannabe" cousin Bennett. The tumblr, created some time ago, has provided many laughs for the general public, Mac's fans and this writer in particular. The funniest part about reading any of the texts Bennett sent to his cousin Mac, is really just the grammar and inflection of tone he speaks in. Bennett himself, in the novel, admits to having African in Mac Lethal's Texts From Bennett tumblr page became an internet phenomenon after he started posting conversations he was having with his "gangsta wannabe" cousin Bennett. The tumblr, created some time ago, has provided many laughs for the general public, Mac's fans and this writer in particular. The funniest part about reading any of the texts Bennett sent to his cousin Mac, is really just the grammar and inflection of tone he speaks in. Bennett himself, in the novel, admits to having African in his bloodlines and is apparently part of the Crips gang. What makes Texts From Bennett the novel different from the tumblr page is that there is a story involved. While the novel does use Bennett and Mac's exchanged texting as a huge plot device, the story itself stands on its own merit for most of the 300 pages that encompass Mac's literary debut.

The story starts out with Mac arriving home to wedge his way into a fight between Bennett and his neighbor Mr. Cole. Apparently Bennett had done something, unknown to him, to offend Mr. Cole. Mac's neighbor accused Bennett of being racist, to which he responds "I'm 13% black, man!". From there we get a basic background of Bennett's behavior. Generally speaking he is a pasty white, 17 year old boy who because of lack of parenting and his interactions with lower society culture, thinks he is a gangster (though he most definitely is not at all). The story goes that Bennett and his mom Lily (Mac's aunt) are losing their house. Apparently because of Lily's addiction to pain pills and her boyfriend's refusal to work, because he believes the government is spying on him, they haven't been able to pay the mortgage and so they're out of a house. Lily sends an email to Mac out of the blue explaining their situation to him, to which he later decides to take them in under the roof of his newly purchased house. In this house however also lives Mac's uptight girlfriend Harper. Initially, Harper is against the idea of Mac's "white trash" relatives coming to live with them. But later she relents and basically gives into the argument.

The more important story within this novel is Mac's unique telling of the time his cousin and aunt spent living in his home with him. While the stories and antics involving Bennett were usually among the most hilarious parts of the book, the real shine of the novel was seeing the relationship and maturity of Bennett and Mac's relationship evolve. At the beginning of the book Mac's relationship with Bennett was arguably rocky, not undue to Bennett's ridiculous behaviors. However, as the story progressed, we were able to see Bennett mature. Maybe not in his grammar, but still he seemed to grow up and become a better person than he had previously been. Even though he had trouble not speaking like a gangster, it was very apparent that Bennett always had good intentions and a good heart.

Another reason that Texts From Bennett is a really enjoyable book is because Mac weaves in a background story around his crazy cousin's schemes. During the mid part of the book, it's revealed to Mac via Bennett (and partial admittance by Harper) that she cheated on him with some vegan, turtleneck wearing dude named Todd from her office. This sparks the second half of the book, and arguably the best part of it. From this point Mac is on a mission to find another girl, something to fix his broken heart and get him out of this slump he is in. While trying to figure out how to beat this sadness, Bennett's best-friend Leshaun suggests to Mac that he should honestly talk to Bennett about how to pick up girls. A few times earlier in the book Bennett mentions writing 11 commandments on how to "pull" or get girls. Mac first dismisses this as a bad idea, but later relents when he feels like he has no options left. This leads him to a bar, where after rebuffing a pretty, but annoying redhead he meets his future everything named Christina. This seems to be the turning point for Mac: he's met this girl who likes UGK and misses her mom just as much as Mac misses his.

While the ending itself is extremely enjoyable, the best part about the ending for this writer was Jean-Paul getting his training wheels off his bike. Since he hasn't been mentioned before I'll explain quickly: Jean-Paul is the young neighbor of Mac's who lives across the street. He's always out riding his bike and usually has a kind word for Mac. The reason this scene really resonates with the ending is because it acts as a symbol to the end of the book, and the current state of Mac's relationship with Bennett, and possibly Mac's life as a whole. At the beginning of the book we see Mac cautiously take in his 17 year old cousin. After a few hiccups along the way, and much life coaching from both Mac and Bennett, the two are able to solidify their relationship into something that is both a friendship and something that defines family.

Full review with pictures and videos posted originally here

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Lisa
Jul 03, 2013 rated it really liked it
I discovered Texts From Bennett thanks to an email from Netgalley with some new releases, and I'm not even sure why I thought I would try get a copy of this as it is totally different from the kind of thing I would usually read, but it sounded quite a fun read and maybe after some serious reads lately I thought something light hearted was in order.

The first thing I will say about Texts From Bennett is it is not for the light hearted! If you don't like a lot of swear words, or racial references,

I discovered Texts From Bennett thanks to an email from Netgalley with some new releases, and I'm not even sure why I thought I would try get a copy of this as it is totally different from the kind of thing I would usually read, but it sounded quite a fun read and maybe after some serious reads lately I thought something light hearted was in order.

The first thing I will say about Texts From Bennett is it is not for the light hearted! If you don't like a lot of swear words, or racial references, this is not a book for you. Bennett is a 17 year old who is a wannabe gangsta, he uses tons of foul language, talks about sex a lot, and much to Mac's chagrin uses the 'n' word a lot. (The first time that word popped up, I was like, Ok, they went there… but honestly if you read the book right to the end, well. you'll see…!) So you have to have an open mind and not find these things offensive to read this book.

Texts From Bennett is just that, it is a book full of text messages from Bennett to Mac. There is a 'proper' book but a lot of it is laid out like a text message screen so we can see Bennetts texts exactly how they should be. At first I thought this was going to be quite annoying, but I found myself later in the book hoping the next page would be more of Bennetts texts as they were just brilliant. These text messages are full of 'text speech', now as far as I am concerned, 'I am pretty down wiv da kids' (yup, I reckon!) and I can decipher a lot of the unintelligible 'writing' teens and so on use nowadays, but there were a few times I had to back and reread some of Bennetts texts just to make sure I had it right.

The text messages from Bennett are brilliant. I have never laughed so much while reading a book ever before. And not just a little chuckle, full on belly laughs that had tears rolling down my face. More than once I had to explain to my husband what was so funny while he looked at me like I was a crazy person. And when I read bits out loud to him it had him laughing hysterically, too. So while I was reading this I decided to do a bit of research on Bennett and Mac Lethal, and Mac is a genuine rapper as he writes in his book, and swears that his cousin Bennett and his text messages are 100% genuine. To me, this makes this whole book and Bennetts messages even more hilarious.

The book isn't just a whole layout of text conversations, there is a whole story behind them, starting with Mac allowing his crazy cousin and his aunt to live with him and his then-girlfriend. There is a big series of events which lead to Bennett of all people helping Mac find the new love of his life (which research tells me is also real, thanks to Mac's Facebook page!) So there is a story behind the messages and the story is worth a read on its own, but the added texts make this book genius.

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Teena in Toronto
Mac Lethal is a white rapper who was living with his girlfriend, Harper. When his aunt, Lillian, her boyfriend, Tim, and her son, Bennett, become homeless, Mac invites them to move into this home. Harper isn't crazy about this but they had no money and nowhere else to go. Lillian is a drug addict who dozes in front of the TV and Tim doesn't work and plays video games all day. Bennett is 17, a wanna-be gang member and claims to have found out from a "family tree company" that he is 13% black. He Mac Lethal is a white rapper who was living with his girlfriend, Harper. When his aunt, Lillian, her boyfriend, Tim, and her son, Bennett, become homeless, Mac invites them to move into this home. Harper isn't crazy about this but they had no money and nowhere else to go. Lillian is a drug addict who dozes in front of the TV and Tim doesn't work and plays video games all day. Bennett is 17, a wanna-be gang member and claims to have found out from a "family tree company" that he is 13% black. He swears a lot and is always scheming to get laid (and succeeds). He reminded me of a younger version of J-Roc from "Trailer Park Boys" (www.youtube.com/embed/N68t7NvuTgQ).

Having Bennett, Lillian and Tim living with Mac and Harper disrupts the household and by the end of the book, life has changed for everyone, surprisingly for the better as they become a family.

This book is written by real-life rapper Mac Lethal. It's different from what I usually read (I'm not into rap and I'm not much of a texter) and I enjoyed it.

The writing style was interesting ... it was a combination of the story told in first person (from Mac's point of view), texts between Mac and Bennett and screenshots of texts between Mac and Bennett. Mac's texts are easy to read ... Bennett's not so much as he texts phonetically (Bennett would probably type that word "fonetacly"). It slowed down my reading speed as I had to decipher what Bennett was saying (it took me a while to figure out what "N E" meant) ... but the style worked because that's how Bennett thinks and talks. Bennett swears a lot, using the F-word and N-word often but doesn't see anything wrong with it because that's how black gang members like him speak, right? Needless to say, this book is for mature readers given the language and activity.

I liked the characters. When they first got together, there was definitely friction since their values were so different. But as time when on, they grew to love each and learn from each other.

I'd recommend this book.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/07...

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Tara
**I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. It is expected to be released on September 3, 2013.**

I don't read a lot of humor books, but I'm a fan of Mac Lethal's Tumblr blog, Texts From Bennett. The blog is a series of texts between Mac and his younger cousin, Bennett. Bennett is a wanna-be gangster (he thinks he's in the Crips gang) from Kansas City. Mac is actually a legit hip-hop artist (which I had no idea about until I read the book), but doesn't play into the rapper stereoty

**I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. It is expected to be released on September 3, 2013.**

I don't read a lot of humor books, but I'm a fan of Mac Lethal's Tumblr blog, Texts From Bennett. The blog is a series of texts between Mac and his younger cousin, Bennett. Bennett is a wanna-be gangster (he thinks he's in the Crips gang) from Kansas City. Mac is actually a legit hip-hop artist (which I had no idea about until I read the book), but doesn't play into the rapper stereotype, much to Bennett's chagrin.

I always wondered how Mac and Bennett's relationship was formed. They seem so different, including a fairly big age gap between the two (Bennet is a teenager and Mac is 30 in the book). That's where this book excelled. I went into it expecting a bunch of short stories and jokes at Bennett's expense and actually found a great story about two very different people becoming great friends.

Bennett and Mac are cousins (their moms are sisters), but they didn't see each other much until Mac invited Bennett and his mom to temporarily live with him when they got kicked out of their house. Mac's Aunt Lillian is a super nice woman who unfortunately self-medicates with a prescription pill addiction and brings along her deadbeat boyfriend who she admits she only keeps around because he has a van.

The story flows along well and Mac is a very good writer. It's not choppy like I'd expect a book based on text messages would be. I also liked that he didn't use Bennett and his friends as merely punchlines of a joke. Of course he describes the ridiculous, stereotypical way these kids dress (Bennett's sometimes-girlfriend Mercedes wears "gold hoops that are the size of a baby's head"), but you fall in love with these people. And I loved how the story shifts halfway through and has BENNETT actually helping out Mac with how to meet women (Bennett has a list).

Texts From Bennett is funny, but has a lot of heart as well. It's much more than just funny texts and a must-read for fans of the blog.

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Amanda (Good Choice Reading)
I'll admit, I went into Texts from Bennett with a heavy bias. Not only was I already a fan of Texts from Bennett since stumbling across it, I've also been a fan of Mac Lethal for a while. While I'm not the biggest fan of hip hop or rap in general, Mac is part of a fairly short list of rappers that I like.

With that in mind, I can't honestly judge whether or not I think someone would enjoy Texts from Bennett if they weren't familiar with the man or the blog behind it. I would like to think so. Mac

I'll admit, I went into Texts from Bennett with a heavy bias. Not only was I already a fan of Texts from Bennett since stumbling across it, I've also been a fan of Mac Lethal for a while. While I'm not the biggest fan of hip hop or rap in general, Mac is part of a fairly short list of rappers that I like.

With that in mind, I can't honestly judge whether or not I think someone would enjoy Texts from Bennett if they weren't familiar with the man or the blog behind it. I would like to think so. Mac writes seamlessly, alternating between first person-narrative, texts with Bennett, and side-notes with ease. Despite my bias, I still expected the text messages to make the book feel broken and cheesy, but that wasn't the case.

A lot of people, myself included, have wondered whether or not Bennett really exists. I always hoped he is a real person, and this book made me feel like he is. Not once, during the entire book, did I feel like Bennett or any of the other characters were the least bit contrived.

The most charming thing about Texts from Bennett, I believe, is how deeply rooted it is into reality, but without feeling like an autobiography. It's an incredibly entertaining yet candid view on how Mac built a relationship with his cousin and met the love his life. That's right, there's a bit of a love story in there. A love story that is handled with such honesty and simplicity that it might be the sweetest thing I've read in recent memory. That's saying something because I read a lot of romance.

If you're a fan of the blog, Texts from Bennett, I think you'll really enjoy this. If you're unfamiliar with the blog, acquaint yourself and have a laugh or two.

If check it out and you don't have a laugh or two, this book probably isn't for you.

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Elaine
Aug 07, 2013 rated it liked it
I won this book from Goodreads, and didn't really know what to expect. This book is from a tumblr blog, which I only discovered after reading this book. As the title indicates, there are a lot of texts and emails, making this an easy read, but there is first person narrative as well.

Bennett is an incredibly annoying character. I know people like Bennett from when I was in high school. Bennett is offensive and ignorant. However, despite my initial dislike towards Bennett, I found that as I kept

I won this book from Goodreads, and didn't really know what to expect. This book is from a tumblr blog, which I only discovered after reading this book. As the title indicates, there are a lot of texts and emails, making this an easy read, but there is first person narrative as well.

Bennett is an incredibly annoying character. I know people like Bennett from when I was in high school. Bennett is offensive and ignorant. However, despite my initial dislike towards Bennett, I found that as I kept reading, he's actually a rather likable person- but probably in small doses.

I found this to be a good read. It is humorous and dramatic. Bennett is really the life of the party in this book, and there never seemed to be any sort of boring lull. Mac Lethal really shows the reader what type of person Bennett is, and for that I'm very grateful to have been able to meet him- but, again, only in small doses.

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Maryellen
Sep 04, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Texts from Bennett spawned from a popular tumblr that I had no idea about - went into reading this novel blind, intrigued by a firstreads post that I entered (and didn't win).

I fell in love with the characters and was happy to see certain ones exit and certain ones enter. Mac Lethal is pretty damn awesome, Bennett is loveably deluded yet wise and Bennett's friends may be one of the best parts of the book.

I honestly want to know more - only the best books do that to me. I will respectfully 'bow

Texts from Bennett spawned from a popular tumblr that I had no idea about - went into reading this novel blind, intrigued by a firstreads post that I entered (and didn't win).

I fell in love with the characters and was happy to see certain ones exit and certain ones enter. Mac Lethal is pretty damn awesome, Bennett is loveably deluded yet wise and Bennett's friends may be one of the best parts of the book.

I honestly want to know more - only the best books do that to me. I will respectfully 'bow to the KK'.

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Tammy Downing
Aug 05, 2013 rated it really liked it
A very enjoyable book except I had difficulty with figuring out the text messages. I would really recommend it for people who text all the time. The great family interactions were very really to life. I have to mention that I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I am very thankful to Goodreads for selecting me.
Sarah
Sep 06, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Texts from Bennett was not what I expected. It was so much better. I read the first chapter when the author linked it on his fb page, and I was hooked. Bennett is more than typos and thug living. I hope Mac Lethal finds at least moderate success with this book and we can read further installments.
Megan Kiekel Anderson
Spurred by his popular Tumblur of the same name, Kansas City rapper Mac Lethal purportedly based this autobiographical story about his relationship with his 17-year-old cousin, who who "thinks he's a Crip, works at Amoco, has a girlfriend named Mercedes, and is one of the most unintentionally funny and brilliant souls on the planet."

I think that this novel is a pretty accurate view of lower class youth in America, at least as they are in Kansas City. Growing up, I knew these types of people. The

Spurred by his popular Tumblur of the same name, Kansas City rapper Mac Lethal purportedly based this autobiographical story about his relationship with his 17-year-old cousin, who who "thinks he's a Crip, works at Amoco, has a girlfriend named Mercedes, and is one of the most unintentionally funny and brilliant souls on the planet."

I think that this novel is a pretty accurate view of lower class youth in America, at least as they are in Kansas City. Growing up, I knew these types of people. They exist, and they don't often get their stories told, so I appreciate that (even if the main purpose of the book is to mock them, in a way).

I enjoyed the first half of the book, which was side splitting, but the second half turned for the worse with subtle racism (there's a serious misunderstanding with a former Black Panther that they don't even bother to explain to the understandably enraged man), sexism (they go over pick-up artist techniques, for goodness sake), and classism (if only his cousin could pull himself up by his bootstraps as Mac did, never mind the social stratification that got Bennett there…he gives a poor teenager Ayn Rand to read, guys). Mac was trying to balance accepting his family members for who they are with the belief that they should improve their station in life, which is hard to do if you don't really understand social injustice.

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Dylan Avera
Aug 05, 2013 rated it it was amazing
I bought the book being a fan of Mac Lethals music and was interested how his lyricism would translate to a novel. I'm not much of a reader these days so when I first bought it I enjoyed it quite a bit but put the book down for a while due to other distractions. Almost two months later I found myself with a bit more free time and once I picked the book back up I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It's great, starts out with an intense scene and makes its way into some humor by the end of I bought the book being a fan of Mac Lethals music and was interested how his lyricism would translate to a novel. I'm not much of a reader these days so when I first bought it I enjoyed it quite a bit but put the book down for a while due to other distractions. Almost two months later I found myself with a bit more free time and once I picked the book back up I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It's great, starts out with an intense scene and makes its way into some humor by the end of the chapter. It's basically about a phase in his life where he's trying to help someone out and then it soon becomes a burden and then there's a climax where everything falls apart. The story from there is basically picking up the pieces and finding a better way to put them back together to find a better life. All the while though there is some really good humor like to the point where I have to stop look away and then burst out laughing. I've always enjoyed his personality in his music and it was nice to learn a bit more about him from this book. I enjoyed reading this quite a bit. ...more
Kori
Jul 15, 2013 rated it really liked it
I wish more humor books based on tumblrs, memes, etc... would take note of this format and run with it! Could you imagine Texts from Dog with a whole story surrounding a hilarious set of texts? But I guess if you haven't looked into what this book is about or how it's formatted, you wouldn't know that it is way more than just an internet sensation printed on a real, tangible pages. I truly laughed out loud so many times that my husband kept looking at me funny. I was constantly telling him somet I wish more humor books based on tumblrs, memes, etc... would take note of this format and run with it! Could you imagine Texts from Dog with a whole story surrounding a hilarious set of texts? But I guess if you haven't looked into what this book is about or how it's formatted, you wouldn't know that it is way more than just an internet sensation printed on a real, tangible pages. I truly laughed out loud so many times that my husband kept looking at me funny. I was constantly telling him something hilarious that was happening in the book. So why the missing star you ask? I get it... You have an expansive vocabulary, and I love that but sometimes it felt like I was reading a thesaurus. Nothing that would deter me from recommending this book a thousand times over. In fact you should probably start reading it right now. Not only is it hilarious, but it's quite endearing. The relationships you find in this book are nothing you would expect. ...more
Tom
Sep 10, 2013 rated it really liked it
I've been following Mac Lethal's Twitter and Tumblr accounts of the famous "Texts from Bennett" moniker for a while now, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this when I first picked it up. But you know, it ended up being a lot of fun to read. It's written as a legitimate book, with Bennett's texts providing insight and context for a lot of the things that go on (and with the book providing context for a lot of the funnier texts of his that Mac had posted online).

It's a fairly heartwarming

I've been following Mac Lethal's Twitter and Tumblr accounts of the famous "Texts from Bennett" moniker for a while now, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this when I first picked it up. But you know, it ended up being a lot of fun to read. It's written as a legitimate book, with Bennett's texts providing insight and context for a lot of the things that go on (and with the book providing context for a lot of the funnier texts of his that Mac had posted online).

It's a fairly heartwarming story without being saccharine, and it's legitimately funny. I found myself laughing in public with this one. So pick it up, check it out, and enjoy!

...more
Kristen
Aug 10, 2013 rated it really liked it
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I'd heard about it awhile back and was looking forward to reading it. Once I got used to the way Bennett texts, it was much easier to read. I laughed out loud several times and definitely enjoyed this book, even though it isn't something I would normally pick up. It was hard not to care about Bennett and I was rooting for him throughout the book. I sincerely hope he's still improving. I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I'd heard about it awhile back and was looking forward to reading it. Once I got used to the way Bennett texts, it was much easier to read. I laughed out loud several times and definitely enjoyed this book, even though it isn't something I would normally pick up. It was hard not to care about Bennett and I was rooting for him throughout the book. I sincerely hope he's still improving. ...more
Tiana
Feb 05, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Never have I ever read a book that made me laugh as much as this book did! I was almost in tears as I read through this book at some of the shenanigans Mac and his cousin Bennet get into. Not only was this book funny, it was also about the connection of family and loyalty. This book was humorous but also touched on issues of race and socioeconomic status. I think anyone can find something to relate to in this book. A note of mention that the book has explicit language and may offend some readers Never have I ever read a book that made me laugh as much as this book did! I was almost in tears as I read through this book at some of the shenanigans Mac and his cousin Bennet get into. Not only was this book funny, it was also about the connection of family and loyalty. This book was humorous but also touched on issues of race and socioeconomic status. I think anyone can find something to relate to in this book. A note of mention that the book has explicit language and may offend some readers. ...more
Svein Hafnor
Oct 13, 2019 rated it it was amazing
First heard of the book through Mac's appearance on Joe Rogans podcast.

Well written, hilarious, and hard to put down!

Definitely worth the read

First heard of the book through Mac's appearance on Joe Rogans podcast.

Well written, hilarious, and hard to put down!

Definitely worth the read

...more
David
May 19, 2014 rated it it was amazing
I almost returned this book to the library without reading it. Nothing personal. It just happens sometimes. And as someone who just recently discovered that I have aggregated a considerable amount of fines over the last nine years—dollar here, dollar there- I have reason to be careful and not hang on to anything I don't need to. But I'm really glad I held on and finished this one, because it has turned out to be the best book I read all year. Mac Lethal, Kansas City rapper, lets the reader into I almost returned this book to the library without reading it. Nothing personal. It just happens sometimes. And as someone who just recently discovered that I have aggregated a considerable amount of fines over the last nine years—dollar here, dollar there- I have reason to be careful and not hang on to anything I don't need to. But I'm really glad I held on and finished this one, because it has turned out to be the best book I read all year. Mac Lethal, Kansas City rapper, lets the reader into his world, where his teenage wanna-be black man cousin Bennett espouses his strange wisdom in a series of text messages. Admittedly, one of the reasons I almost put this book away without reading is because I was turned off when I looked at these nearly unintelligible messages. I'm just not a big fan of gimmicky narrative techniques. But once I got past the bad syntax and bad grammar and got to the meat of it, the messages are fucking hilarious, full of strange wisdom and odd misunderstanding (the phrase "throw him an ultimatum" somehow gets turned into "throw him an old tomato, " advice Bennett takes seriously.).
The story is about how Bennett and his family come to live with Mac and proceed to seriously interfere with his life, threatening the limited success that Mac has earned through years of touring and building a fan base without the benefit of being, well, Eminem. Bennett would threaten anyone's boundaries. His poor decision making and bad judgment test the limits of love and family. But Mac would appear to have much to learn from his younger cousin, whose "11 Commandments" of women help him to achieve an astonishing amount of success in that department. Commandment 1: "It's not a job interview." Commandment 5: "always take a shit B4 macin on hoez."
It's a hoot, from start to finish. I highly recommend you take the time to get to know Mac Lethal and his cousin Bennett.
...more
Amelia
Mar 23, 2014 rated it it was ok
I read about 2/3s of this book last night. It was on the new release shelf at the library and I remembered the texts from bennet tumblr.

The stories about having Bennet as his house guest are brilliantly funny.

The parts about his girlfriend are a little contrived. I understood her reservations about having such a troublesome crew move into her home. But she became unrelatable to a ridiculous point through the story to the point that she was willfully hurtful and offensive. The fact that she calle

I read about 2/3s of this book last night. It was on the new release shelf at the library and I remembered the texts from bennet tumblr.

The stories about having Bennet as his house guest are brilliantly funny.

The parts about his girlfriend are a little contrived. I understood her reservations about having such a troublesome crew move into her home. But she became unrelatable to a ridiculous point through the story to the point that she was willfully hurtful and offensive. The fact that she called the writers family "trash" and he had no reaction did not sit with me. I couldn't sustain my disbelief there and it went down hill. A cheating scenario with no foreshadowing etc.

The 11 commandments section was equally contrived then I got bored and went to sleep.
Part of me wants to continue reading but its like sitcom level lazy humor and plot for this 1/3 of the book so most of me says no.

...more
Kelly
Oct 28, 2013 rated it it was amazing
It's been awhile since I gave anything 5 stars, but I believe this one deserved it. Apparently, it originated from a blog-the story of a white rapper and his ongoing texts with his seventeen year old cousin who thinks he is a gangsta Crip white boy. This made me laugh out loud as the seventeen year old Bennett gives advice to Mac about dating, while Mac tries to guide his cousin through daily life. Throw in the Oxycontin addicted aunt, the snotty ex-girlfriend, Bennett's psycho girlfriend, Merce It's been awhile since I gave anything 5 stars, but I believe this one deserved it. Apparently, it originated from a blog-the story of a white rapper and his ongoing texts with his seventeen year old cousin who thinks he is a gangsta Crip white boy. This made me laugh out loud as the seventeen year old Bennett gives advice to Mac about dating, while Mac tries to guide his cousin through daily life. Throw in the Oxycontin addicted aunt, the snotty ex-girlfriend, Bennett's psycho girlfriend, Mercedes, and a variety of friends, and you will find a fun filled dysfunctional family that is functioning.

This is not for everyone. If you are hung up on foul language or the way the ghetto boys refer to women, you will be offended. If you can look beyond that, you will find a family that truly tries to do the right thing.

But, me, I loved it, and I will be checking the blog from now on.

...more
Matt
Oct 06, 2013 rated it it was ok
I actually picked up this book because it had Mac Lethal's name appended to it; I had never seen, nor heard of, the tumblr. If I had, chances are I wouldn't have bought this book for the same reason I wouldn't buy any book centered around text messages.

Fortunately, the text messages played more of an auxiliary role in the novel. When they appeared, they were usually seamlessly spliced into the storyline. I was pretty impressed by the structuring and the narrative that Mac was able to cook up.

Th

I actually picked up this book because it had Mac Lethal's name appended to it; I had never seen, nor heard of, the tumblr. If I had, chances are I wouldn't have bought this book for the same reason I wouldn't buy any book centered around text messages.

Fortunately, the text messages played more of an auxiliary role in the novel. When they appeared, they were usually seamlessly spliced into the storyline. I was pretty impressed by the structuring and the narrative that Mac was able to cook up.

This book wasn't without its flaws, and it is clear that Mac could stand to burgeon more as a writer, but as a fan of his music I thought this was an interesting confluence between the life and the legends of David McCleary.

...more
Bèbè ✦ RANT  ✦
Sep 09, 2013 rated it it was amazing
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Awhile back I was obsessed with Tumblr that was called "Texts from Bennett" and loved seeing the story behind a wanna-be rapper who's grammar is not that great.

When I saw that Mac made it into a book, I definitely had to read this! This was Mac's story about his family and how he opened his home to his aunt and her boyfriend with 17 year old gangsta son Bennett. It was amazing to see the story unfold and really reminded me of a very un

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Awhile back I was obsessed with Tumblr that was called "Texts from Bennett" and loved seeing the story behind a wanna-be rapper who's grammar is not that great.

When I saw that Mac made it into a book, I definitely had to read this! This was Mac's story about his family and how he opened his home to his aunt and her boyfriend with 17 year old gangsta son Bennett. It was amazing to see the story unfold and really reminded me of a very unique memoir.

This was a hilarious and amazing read and exactly what I expected. 5 Stars for creativity and getting your name out there Mac!

...more
Robin
Jul 25, 2015 rated it liked it
I had to rate this only a 3...a happy 3...but a 3 nonetheless. This book was actually very fun to read and made me laugh out several times but it was also very crude, offensive and oh so inappropriate. I felt forced to level the rating out at 3 (if I was a better person...more modest and wholesome...I would have had to rate it low low low).

This book is based on real life events of a current rap artist by the name of Mac Lethal and his cousin Bennett. Mac's juvenile crazy cousin Bennett sends him

I had to rate this only a 3...a happy 3...but a 3 nonetheless. This book was actually very fun to read and made me laugh out several times but it was also very crude, offensive and oh so inappropriate. I felt forced to level the rating out at 3 (if I was a better person...more modest and wholesome...I would have had to rate it low low low).

This book is based on real life events of a current rap artist by the name of Mac Lethal and his cousin Bennett. Mac's juvenile crazy cousin Bennett sends him some of the most "interesting" texts. This is their story from Mac's point of view and the wild summer they spent living together.

***WARNING*** Highly offensive language and situations

...more
Amy (DemonKittie)
*I was given a free copy of this book on Netgalley.com for an unbiased review*

This book was entertaining, but not really what I was expecting. The texts made me laugh and it made me think of my high school days. At times it was cringe-worthy, as so many things are in life. To be honest I don't really know what to say about this book besides you should read it for yourself. I was not aware of the blog until after I began reading it, and I would have looked at the blog first would I have known. It

*I was given a free copy of this book on Netgalley.com for an unbiased review*

This book was entertaining, but not really what I was expecting. The texts made me laugh and it made me think of my high school days. At times it was cringe-worthy, as so many things are in life. To be honest I don't really know what to say about this book besides you should read it for yourself. I was not aware of the blog until after I began reading it, and I would have looked at the blog first would I have known. It was worth reading though.

...more
Ashlie
Sep 11, 2013 rated it really liked it
I bought this book after following the tumblr for a few weeks, and I am so glad I did. It was hilarious and surprisingly insightful. The street vernacular used wasn't too difficult to read and instead of putting me off, as it usually does, it made the dialogue flow more fluently. The story itself was funny, and didn't feel contrived at all. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has an insane family but loves them anyway! I bought this book after following the tumblr for a few weeks, and I am so glad I did. It was hilarious and surprisingly insightful. The street vernacular used wasn't too difficult to read and instead of putting me off, as it usually does, it made the dialogue flow more fluently. The story itself was funny, and didn't feel contrived at all. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has an insane family but loves them anyway! ...more
Mac Lethal (aka David Sheldon) is a rapper, videographer, and entrepreneur from Kansas City, Missouri. His albums have charted in the top 100 on Billboard through his Black Clover Records label. His videos have gone viral online (see "Pancake Rap") and earned his YouTube channel a spot as that platform's most viewed in the world for six weeks straight. Connect with him on Facebook, or follow him o Mac Lethal (aka David Sheldon) is a rapper, videographer, and entrepreneur from Kansas City, Missouri. His albums have charted in the top 100 on Billboard through his Black Clover Records label. His videos have gone viral online (see "Pancake Rap") and earned his YouTube channel a spot as that platform's most viewed in the world for six weeks straight. Connect with him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter via @MacLethal. ...more

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